title: Those who heard it first: The political implications of the sermon on the mount to Jesus’ Jewish audience

authors: Roger Ewald, Lang Jr

subjects: Sermon on Mount

abstract: This dissertation examines the Sermon on the Mount (in the Gospel of Matthew) from the perspective of politics and peace. It investigates not what Jesus meant, but what his audience heard and were likely to have understood. It does this in order to ascertain the novelty or otherwise of Jesus’ teachings on peace with regard to Jewish thought and political understandings of his time. His audience was primarily Jewish, and the political implications they drew from Jesus’ teachings would have been influenced by established Jewish thought on ethics and governance. This dissertation researches specifically this: how would Jesus’ Jewish listeners have interpreted the peace sayings of the Sermon on the Mount? This dissertation finds that the Jewish intellectual framework within which Jesus’ first audience heard the Sermon on the Mount contained many specific sayings found in Pirkei Avot, and also a history of practice of non-violent action found in Jewish tradition, and that the oral law and the Sermon on the Mount both reflect Jewish ethical ideologies of non-violent resistance.

This dissertation argues that, in the Sermon on the Mount, a very Jewish Jesus – a man true to the religio-political views of his day – reaffirms a Jewish ethical form of non-violent resistance. The most important evidence available is the Gospel of Matthew itself, Jewish ethical writings such as Pirkei Avot, other Mishna writings, and writings on the lex talionis. The evidence points to an audience that would have perceived Jesus as teaching non-violence in a context of resistance rather than completely passive submission. The overall finding of this dissertation will be that the writer of Matthew depicts a Jesus who, in style, form, and content, builds on a Jewish ethical foundation to promote non-violent assertion of equality and human dignity in the widely known and oft-cited Sermon on the Mount.

text: Those who heard it first: The political implications of the sermon on the mount to Jesus’ Jewish audience This dissertation examines the Sermon on the Mount (in the Gospel of Matthew) from the perspective of politics and peace. It investigates not what Jesus meant, but what his audience heard and were likely to have understood. It does this in order to ascertain the novelty or otherwise of Jesus’ teachings on peace with regard to Jewish thought and political understandings of his time. His audience was primarily Jewish, and the political implications they drew from Jesus’ teachings would have been influenced by established Jewish thought on ethics and governance. This dissertation researches specifically this: how would Jesus’ Jewish listeners have interpreted the peace sayings of the Sermon on the Mount? This dissertation finds that the Jewish intellectual framework within which Jesus’ first audience heard the Sermon on the Mount contained many specific sayings found in Pirkei Avot, and also a history of practice of non-violent action found in Jewish tradition, and that the oral law and the Sermon on the Mount both reflect Jewish ethical ideologies of non-violent resistance.

This dissertation argues that, in the Sermon on the Mount, a very Jewish Jesus – a man true to the religio-political views of his day – reaffirms a Jewish ethical form of non-violent resistance. The most important evidence available is the Gospel of Matthew itself, Jewish ethical writings such as Pirkei Avot, other Mishna writings, and writings on the lex talionis. The evidence points to an audience that would have perceived Jesus as teaching non-violence in a context of resistance rather than completely passive submission. The overall finding of this dissertation will be that the writer of Matthew depicts a Jesus who, in style, form, and content, builds on a Jewish ethical foundation to promote non-violent assertion of equality and human dignity in the widely known and oft-cited Sermon on the Mount.

year: 2013

title: Stochastic calculus analysis of optical time-of-flight range imaging and estimation of radial motion

authors: Streeter, Lee

subjects: Velocimetry

abstract: Time-of-flight range imaging is analyzed using stochastic calculus. Through a series of interpretations and simplifications, the stochastic model leads to two methods for estimating linear radial velocity: maximum likelihood estimation on the transition probability distribution between measurements, and a new method based on analyzing the measured correlation waveform and its first derivative. The methods are tested in a simulated motion experiment from (−40)−(+40)  m/s(−40)−(+40)  m/s, with data from a camera imaging an object on a translation stage. In tests maximum likelihood is slow and unreliable, but when it works it estimates the linear velocity with standard deviation of 1 m/s or better. In comparison the new method is fast and reliable but works in a reduced velocity range of (−20)−(+20)  m/s(−20)−(+20)  m/s with standard deviation ranging from 3.5 m/s to 10 m/s.

text: Stochastic calculus analysis of optical time-of-flight range imaging and estimation of radial motion Time-of-flight range imaging is analyzed using stochastic calculus. Through a series of interpretations and simplifications, the stochastic model leads to two methods for estimating linear radial velocity: maximum likelihood estimation on the transition probability distribution between measurements, and a new method based on analyzing the measured correlation waveform and its first derivative. The methods are tested in a simulated motion experiment from (−40)−(+40)  m/s(−40)−(+40)  m/s, with data from a camera imaging an object on a translation stage. In tests maximum likelihood is slow and unreliable, but when it works it estimates the linear velocity with standard deviation of 1 m/s or better. In comparison the new method is fast and reliable but works in a reduced velocity range of (−20)−(+20)  m/s(−20)−(+20)  m/s with standard deviation ranging from 3.5 m/s to 10 m/s.

year: 2017

title: Tūrangawaewae mō te Kīngitanga

authors: Takerei, Mamae Rangiaroha Tuānewa

subjects: Tūrangawaewae

abstract: Tūrangawaewae is an iconic marae located at the heart of the Kīngitanga. Established by Te Pūea Hērangi and other whānau, this marae has come to represent the struggles, successes and history of the Kīngitanga movement. Tūrangawaewae is therefore the embodiment of the Kīngitanga and the people of Waikato.
From very humble beginnings, and forged on the tireless efforts of Te Pūea and her followers, this marae has hosted world leaders, monarchs and aristocracy from across the world. All have come to Tūrangawaewae to forge relationships with the Kīngitanga, with Māori and with the New Zealand government. It has become a hallowed place when histories are shared and futures are created.
This thesis looks at how Tūrangawaewae encapsulates the Kīngitanga and all that it means. It explores this history of its establishment and highlight the central figures and the motivations behind the building of this marae and complex. In addition, this thesis will show how the different building and features of the marae showcase the ideology of the Kīngitanga movement and its leaders. Based on a traditional approach to Waikato knowledge, and founded on firsthand experience, this thesis reveals an insides perspective of the kīngitanga, the people, various events and the marae of Tūrangawaewae.

text: Tūrangawaewae mō te Kīngitanga Tūrangawaewae is an iconic marae located at the heart of the Kīngitanga. Established by Te Pūea Hērangi and other whānau, this marae has come to represent the struggles, successes and history of the Kīngitanga movement. Tūrangawaewae is therefore the embodiment of the Kīngitanga and the people of Waikato.
From very humble beginnings, and forged on the tireless efforts of Te Pūea and her followers, this marae has hosted world leaders, monarchs and aristocracy from across the world. All have come to Tūrangawaewae to forge relationships with the Kīngitanga, with Māori and with the New Zealand government. It has become a hallowed place when histories are shared and futures are created.
This thesis looks at how Tūrangawaewae encapsulates the Kīngitanga and all that it means. It explores this history of its establishment and highlight the central figures and the motivations behind the building of this marae and complex. In addition, this thesis will show how the different building and features of the marae showcase the ideology of the Kīngitanga movement and its leaders. Based on a traditional approach to Waikato knowledge, and founded on firsthand experience, this thesis reveals an insides perspective of the kīngitanga, the people, various events and the marae of Tūrangawaewae.

year: 2019