Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - RE: Pauline Wish List

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Bob MacDonald" <bobmacdonald AT home.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Pauline Wish List
  • Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 23:05:36 -0800


Does Church and Community Conflicts (Craig S de Vos) SBL 1999 count as new?

Five years ago I was asking at the local bookstores for anything relevant to
first century Greco-Roman social history of this nature. It was the wrong
bookstore I guess, but there was very little, and what there was was hard to
find.

I'm sure it hasn't all happened in the last five years - but it seems that
way for middle aged non-scholars like me who really are looking for
something beyond the pulp fiction that in some circles passes for Biblical
research. I will look forward to the responses...

I haven't submitted a review to Amazon (yet) on Craig's book, but it is
'right on' the subject area that I chose in 1994 and I am grateful if a
little miffed at having to bypass some Plutarch footnotes (at this stage of
my Greek lessons). The untranslated Biblical quotes are not so bad because I
can usually cheat with an interlinear or concordance. My only real complaint
is that there is no index - but the organization is such that I my not need
it.

This book examines Church and Community relations in three churches in the
period AD 50-60, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Philippi (conflict implied in
Thessalonica, but better relations in Corinth, haven't got to Philippi yet.)

I probably should be asking questions as I go along. Here's one: Craig
implies that Luke is not accurate in describing the Jewish presence in
Thessalonica (pp131-132). Luke describes the Thessalonian congregation as
comprised of 'Jews, god-fearers, Greeks and some rich women' (Acts 17:4) and
that for three consecutive sabbaths Paul preached in the synagogue there.
Some Jews made trouble for them (there were Jews on both sides) in
Thessalonica and later in Berea.

Craig describes the Thessalonian congregation as largely consisting of
native Thessalonians (p144). He has a tentative suggestion that there was a
tendency towards ethnic segregation at Thessalonica. He bases these
inferences on Paul's address: to the 'Thessalonian' church; and the
suggestion that they were in conflict with 'fellow-citizens' (2:15).

I find these two suggestions jarring. Paul does not emphasize ethnicity
overall or anywhere else that I am aware of - though he might have
inadvertently in this his earliest letter, and the reference to fellow
citizens or fellow countrymen does not suggest ethnic to me but national or
provincial relationship which may well have been as 'cosmopolitan' as Luke
implies. In spite of the lack of immediate archeological evidence for a
first century synagogue, I am loth to 'eliminate' Luke from the evidence or
regard him as 'suspect' in spite of his agenda. (And not much is left of
Luke's 'evidence' by the time we get to page 152-153. No Jews, no agora
preaching, no elite women, just a group of 'freeborn artisans and
manual-workers'.)

Nonetheless I do not regret the purchase of this volume, and I am enjoying
the interaction. There is much to be learned from the way evidence is
reported and dissected as there is from the evidence itself.

Thanks again, all ye scholars, for your hard work.

Bob

BobMacDonald AT home.com
+ + + Victoria, B.C., Canada + + +
Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that make havoc of the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in flower. (Song 2.15)

http://members.home.net/bobmacdonald/homepage.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey B. Gibson
[mailto:jgibson000 AT mpdr0.chicago.il.ameritech.net]
Sent: December 15, 1999 9:55 AM
To: Corpus-paul
Subject: [corpus-paul] Pauline Wish List


I'm hoping that the reason things have been so slow on the List lately
is SBL burn-out combined with the crunch for time that always occurs at
the end of term.

In any case, given all the new books on Paul that were on display at SBL
and/or which have been noted in publisher's catalogues, I'd be
interested to know which of these List members are hoping to receive for
Christmas?

What are the "must haves"? And why?

Yours,

Jeffrey


--
Jeffrey B. Gibson
7423 N. Sheridan Road #2A
Chicago, Illinois 60626
e-mail jgibson000 AT ameritech.net



---
You are currently subscribed to corpus-paul as: bobmacdonald AT home.com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to
$subst('Email.Unsub')




  • Pauline Wish List, Jeffrey B. Gibson, 12/15/1999
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • RE: Pauline Wish List, Bob MacDonald, 12/16/1999

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page