Corpus-Paul

[Edgar Krentz <ekrentz AT sbcglobal.net>]

There are a number of things that should ne thought about in this entire 
discussion. Etymology
based on sound alike is often called Volksetymologie in linguistics. If one 
is to posit
affiliation between words in different languages, then one must note how 
sounds change between
languages.

In the second place, it is not enouigh to sayk that ideas or concepts are 
similar in different
cultures or religions and therefore are related. Some years ago Hildebrecht 
Hommel of Tuebingen
University pukblished an areticle in the Wuerzbuger Jahrbuecher fuer 
klassische Philologie 4, the
title I think was "Ad Astra per Aspera." He laid down some significant 
criteria that one should
obseerve before one posits influence: One word is not enough. You need 
linguistic field of words
used in a similar way. 

Then you need to be able to show that such influence from one culture to 
another is
chreonologically and geographically possible. The Mithraism of second century 
Rome has little in
continuity with that of mukch earlier Persian Mithras.

If you read German and can find the Hommel article, you will appreciate the 
difficulty of positing
cultural influkence.

Edgar Krentz


--- John Brand <jbrand AT gvsd.mb.ca> wrote:

> From:                 "Tony Buglass" <tonybuglass AT fish.co.uk>
> To:                   "Corpus-Paul" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject:              Re: [Corpus-Paul] Did Paul break the Law?
> 
> John responds:
> I agree with your caution. We should note the differences as well as
> the similarities. And the terms/concepts being compared develop in
> different cultures. The Longman/Hallo school of thought recognizes
> the similarities as developing from common roots of culture which
> have different developments.
> 
> The ethnographer Adolf Bastian has noted "elementary ideas common to
> all individuals. He believed that Völkergedanken (folk ideas) develop
> differently among societies due to different physical surroundings
> and historical events, he says that there are only a small number of
> elementary ideas, or Elementargedanken, that result in the different
> folk ideas. The elementary ideas are uniform to all people. In order
> to prove his belief in Psychic unity, he collected data on the
> resemblances of artifacts and of behavior."
> 
> http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/abcde/bastian_adolf.
> html
> 
> Does this help in addressing your caveats, Tony?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> John
> _______________________________________________

=====
Edgar and Becky Krentz
Christ Seminary Seminex Prof. of NT Emeritus
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615

ekrentz AT sbcglobal.net