Corpus-Paul

["Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D." <smcginn AT jcu.edu>]

"Mark D. Nanos" wrote:

> The question for your proposition of a pagan setting, is, then, why do
> these non-Jewish people in a pagan setting who are disciples of Paul want
> to be circumcised, i.e., gain Jewish identity?

Mark, I think that the first part of your comment hits it EXACTLY on the 
head, and the
second part is where we go askew.  Given the social location of the Galatians 
and the
predominance of the Cybele cult in this part of Asia, I see the attraction of
circumcision to the Galatian men not as a means of attaining Jewish identity, 
but a
way of becoming closer to the deity -- now Christ, rather than Cybele.  
Remember,
Cybele was the "cruel Goddess" who required castration of men who were fully 
initiated
into her cult.  This is a little more theoretical to me than, say, to a man 
like
yourself, but my guess is that men who see the two options of castration v.
circumcision as means of full initiation into a cult would opt for 
circumcision hands
down.  (And, I can say that, if my husband asked for my advice, I would 
certainly
discourage the former option.)  This suggests that 6:12 is a bit more pointed 
remark
(no pun intended) than one might have thought before.  So circumcision is not
necessarily viewed here (i.e., by the Galatian men) as a way to be more 
closely
affiliated with Judaism per se, but rather with Christ.  BTW, this explains 
some of
Paul's astonishment that the Galatians don't understand that circumcision 
requires
obedience to all the Torah precepts.

Now, this only partly answers your question, because we still have to ask why 
the
Galatians would think that circumcision would join them closer to Christ.  I 
would
plead the social influences of their indigenous religious traditions, which 
are very
ascetically inclined (if Socrates Sozomen is right).  I can see the Galatians 
being
very susceptible to the idea that baptismal initiation was "too easy" to 
really "work"
for full admission into a religious cult.  I don't think my ideas here are 
very
well-developed, but it gives you an idea of where I'm going.

Sheila

--
Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Biblical Studies & Early Christianity
John Carroll University
Cleveland, Ohio 44118
smcginn AT jcu.edu
www1.jcu.edu/religion/mcginn/mcginn.htm


"It didn't take long to see morality as the quickest way to avoid 
self-loathing."
     Sue Grafton, "L" is for Lawless (New York: Holt, 1995), 205.

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