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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanos AT gvi.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Adam etc
  • Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 04:33:52 -0600


Debbi Gaunt asked:
<snip>When Paul discusses OT characters - I'm thinking of Adam, Abraham
etc -
should one assume that he believes that these were specific, identifiable
individuals about whom the scriptures provide accurate historical
information?<snip>

Elli Elliott replied:
Others have replied with a simple "yes." I would have to differ here. On
the one hand, before the Enlightenment, the concept of "accurate historical
information" was not necessarily the same as what we think of now. Paul
would have accepted the stories in scriptures as "fact" without conceiving
"fact" as a question in the way we do. On the other hand, Paul also sees
the figures of Adam and Abraham as in some sense typological as well as
historical figures. But again, for Paul there would not necessarily be any
conceptual distinction between typological and historical.

I agree with Elli, and would suggest that you begin thinking about ancient personalities as a useful way to proceed. B. Malina and J. Neyrey's book, Portraits of Paul, would be a good starting place, as well as G. Lyons' Pauline Autobiography, the early chapter/s. Something on pseudepigraphy would also be very useful for the kind of cross-cultural consideration your question demands. The bibliography in these will give you even more to think about in terms of reframing the question, as Elli suggests.

Regards,
Mark Nanos
Kansas City





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