Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: size of Pauline congregations

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Craig de Vos <csdevos AT trinity.unimelb.edu.au>
  • To: Corpus Paulinum <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: size of Pauline congregations
  • Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 10:32:36 +1000

Title: [corpus-paul] Re: size of Pauline congregations
At 9:35 AM +1000 on 14/8/02, John Dickson wrote:
At Jeffrey Gibson's request, here are de Vos' estimates for the three Pauline congregations he studies:
Thessalonica: against  J. L. Hill's estimate (75 persons), de Vos proposes just 20-25 persons meeting in an insula workshop.
Corinth: de Vos rejects the usual estimates of about 50 and proposes about 100 persons meeting in several house churches.
Philippi: rejecting Portefaix's and Oakes' approx. 100 persons, de Vos estimates just 30 persons meeting in a small house or insula workshop.
The arguments leading to these estimates are worth considering even if, at times, one wonders if the whole discussion requires a great deal of speculation.
Kind regards,
John Dickson
Department of Ancient History
Macquarie University
Sydney, Australia


Thanks, John for drawing the list's attention to my work.
Of course, any attempt to estimate sizes must involve speculative reconstruction -- whether it be Murphy-O'Connor's estimate based on his assumption that the church simply met in a villa dining-room (and hence could not exceed 50, and would more likely be 30-40 -- St.Paul's Corinth, p156) or my estimate based on a different configuration.

I had been meaning to respond myself later this morning. In regards to Corinth, I would like to correct your summary of my work slightly. I argue that there were several smaller groups meeting on a regular (maybe weekly) basis in homes (giving rise to the different factions behind the Corinthian problems). But that the community as a whole met together less frequently -- perhaps monthly -- following the 'common' pattern of collegia. I also suggested that they may have met in this larger group in a purpose-built clubroom again, as did some collegia and Diaspora synagogues (Church and Community Conflicts, pp203-205).
Craig
-- 
Rev. Dr. Craig S. de Vos                              
Bromby Lecturer in New Testament         
Trinity College Theological School              
Royal Parade                            
Parkville VIC 3052                              
Australia                                       
(O) +61 3 9348-7129  (F) +61 3 9348-7460  
csdevos AT trinity.unimelb.edu.au
http://www.trinity.unimelb.edu.au/~csdevos/CdVhome.html

---------------------------------



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page