Persecution, persuasion, and power
Subtitle: readiness to withstand hardship as a corroboration of legitimacy in the New Testament
By: James A. Kelhoffer
Series: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament -- 270; Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament -- 270.
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Tübingen
Language: eng
Number of pages: 443
ISBN-13: 9783161506123
Copyright date: 2010
Subjects: Witness bearing (Christianity) in the Bible; Bible; Social capital (Sociology); Martyrdom; Criticism, interpretation; Religious aspects; Suffering in the Bible; Christianity; Biblical teaching; Persecution; Fortitude
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 387-410) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction to the problem, terminology and conceptual framework. Prolegomena, methodology, and definitions ; Forms of capital : cultural, social, and symbolic ; The scope of this investigation and its relevance to other areas of religious and theological studies; title: The Pauline Letters : faithfulness in withstanding persecution as corroboration of believers' standing in Christ and of Paul's apostleship. Withstanding persecution as an integral component of the Christian life in the undisputed Pauline letters ; Paul as instigator and recipient of persecution : implications for Paul's Apostolic authority ; The suffering of Paul and other believers in the Deutero-Pauline Letters ; Conclusion : persecution as a source of corroboration in the Pauline Letters; title: The audacity of hope in First Peter that faithfulness amidst persecution will "win" one's oppressors and thereby further the Christian mission. Prolegomena to examining persecution in First Peter ; Withstanding hardships as hope for the success of the Christian mission (1 Pet 2:11-4:1a) ; Withstanding hardships as hope for eschatological vindication and confidence at the Final Judgment (1 Pet 4:1b-5:10) ; Conclusion : valuations and possible difficulties; title: Persecution, perseverance and perfection in the Book of Hebrews. The danger of apostasy in Hebrews ; References to suffering past and present in Hebrews ; Conclusion : possible difficulties and an unanswered question; title: The offer of authentication by withstanding the coming great Tribulation in the Revelation of John. Suffering of John and his addresses ; Visions of imminent tribulation and John's contingent offer of corroboration ; Conclusion : summation and possible responses to John; title: Readiness to suffer as a confirmation of standing as Jesus' follower in the Gospel of Mark. Overview : Mark's date and depictions of "the Disciples" ; Negative portrayals of the Twelve and positive portrayals of Jesus' unnamed followers in Mark ; Markan characterization and constructions of legitimacy ; The reception of Mark 16:8 and depictions of suffering in alternate endings to Mark; title: The persecuted Matthean disciples and the transference of guilt from scribes and pharisees to additional Jews. Markan depictions of suffering and discipleship in Matthean interpretation ; Depictions of suffering and discipleship in Matthew not derived from Mark ; Conclusion : Matthew's progressive revelation of the persecutors' identity; title: The exclusion and anticipated killing of Jesus' followers as critique of the persecutor's concept of "worship" in the Fourth Gospel. Hatred and persecution of Jesus and his followers ; Exclusion from the Synagogue ; Critiquing the "worship" of those who kill Jesus' followers ; Conclusion : the necessity of readiness to confess Jesus and to face exclusion and other hardships in John; title: Precedents in Luke for the persecutions of Acts : the question of continuity and Lukan constructions of legitimacy. Markan depictions of suffering and discipleship in Lukan interpretation ; Depictions of suffering and discipleship in Luke not derived from Mark ; Summation : congruities and incongruities between the depictions of suffering in Luke and Acts; title: Persecution as a basis of legitimation and critique of the oppressors' standing in the Acts of the Apostles. Prolegomena on "the Jews' in Luke-Acts and Luke's overarching literary enterprise ; Opposition to the earliest Jesus movement in Syro-Palestine (Acts 3-12) ; The persecution of the Pauline mission to the Jewish Diaspora (Acts 13-19) ; Opposition to Paul from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts 20-28) ; Conclusion : persecution as a basis for questioning, confirming, and deriving legitimacy in Acts; title: Epilogue : withstanding persecution as a marker of legitimacy in ancient and modern contexts : questions of hermeneutics, ethics and theological method. Summation of chapters 1-10 ; Ascribing value to martyrdom and persecution in later Christian contexts ; Ethical models and the hermeneutics of assigning value to suffering.