Der Band enthält dreizehn Aufsätze aus den Jahren 1990-97, die teils in deutscher und teils in englischer Sprache verfaßt sind. Der Titel zeigt die schwerpunktmäßige Thematik der Einzelstudien an: die urchristliche Literatur in der Auseinandersetzung mit Antike und Christentum. Eine erste Gruppe ist der Erforschung des historischen Jesus gewidmet, eine zweite den Problemen der Entstehung des Christentums, eine dritte der nichtchristlichen religiösen Welt des Hellenismus (besonders Magie, Heroenkult, Hermetik). Im vierten Teil erörtert Hans Dieter Betz die berühmten orphischen Goldplättchen und lenkt zu Paulus zurück. Den Abschluß bildet eine grundsätzliche Darstellung der Problematik von Antike und Christentum.

This volume of collected essays on Ephesians is divided into three sections. The first part deals thoroughly with introductory questions such as composition and style, the relationship to other Early Christian literature and Qumran, authorship (with a new suggestion), addressees and social setting. In the second part the extensive history of Early Christian texts and editions (in the Muratorian canon, the Marcionite prologues and the Euthalian apparatus) with special regard to Ephesians is investigated. The third part is dedicated to the interpretation of texts and themes of special importance for the understanding of this pseudo-pauline letter by one of Paul's younger disciples and co-workers. Here the theological and liturgical setting is reflected upon. Through all the detailed scrutiny of the history and the semantics of the epistle to the Ephesians, the question of its illocutionary function remains in focus. Not only what the auctor of Ephesians says in his letter but what he does by saying it is the central issue in Nils Alstrup Dahl's life-long interest in this intriguing letter.More than half of these essays have never been published before, and one essay is translated from Norwegian into English for the first time.

The present volumes is the result of an international collaboration of researchers who are excellent within their respective fields: interpretation of texts, studies of rites, archaeology, architecture, history of art, and cultural anthropology. They met for two conferences to discuss the significance of rites of ablution, initiation, and baptism and their interpretation in Late Antiquity, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity. The volume establishes a new international standard of research within these fields of scholarship.

Paul's writings are centrally important not only for the establishment of the Christian faith but also for the whole history of Western culture. Senior New Testament scholar Udo Schnelle offers a comprehensive introduction to the life and thought of Paul that combines historical and theological analysis. The work was translated into clear, fluent English from the original German--with additional English-language bibliographical reference materials--by leading American scholar M. Eugene Boring. First released in hardcover to strong acclaim, the book is now available in paperback. It is essential reading for professors, students, clergy, and others with a scholarly interest in Paul.

This volume comprises seven essays by Hans Dieter Betz dealing with contested passages or issues in Paul's most difficult and personal letter written during his imprisonment in Rome. The chapters represent exegetical investigations and apply the methods of rhetorical and literary criticism, including philological and historical analysis. As a result, Betz is able to offer new proposals for interpreting the apostle's unique last message to his churches. The proposals explore the letter's literary composition, genre and history; furthermore they examine Paul's situation prior to his presumed martyrdom, his expectations for the future and his relation to his churches.

Niko Huttunen presents a challenging new path to complement the general scholarly picture of Paul's teaching on law. Acknowledging that Stoicism permeated Paul's intellectual milieu, Huttunen compares Paul's sayings of law with those of Epictetus - drawing comparisons as a result of careful methodological considerations.

Winner of Biblical Archaeology Society Award - Best New Testament Book "We are left to construct a portrait of Paul with only scraps of what was once a large and imposing canvas - a small collection of letters and a historical narrative written a generation after his death. This reconstruction focuses on important parts of the image that usually fall in the shadows, parts dealing with Paul's sexual asceticism, his preoccupation with holiness - holy Spirit, holy community, and holy ethos - the evolution of his theology, and his emergence as a legendary figure. Although I have tried to follow the strict rules of historical investigation, of necessity much guesswork is involved in any exploration of Paul's life... All of these efforts are attempts to deal with the gaps in the text, understood in the broadest sense to include not just Paul's written words but also the culture, social world, and political realities surrounding them. - From the Introduction

A crucial text for any university course on the interaction of archaeology and the Bible The world of early Christians was not a world lived in texts; it was a world saturated with material reality and concerns: what, where and when to eat or drink; how to present oneself in the space of bodily life and that of death; how to move from one place to another; what impacted status or the adjudication of legal charges. All these and more controlled so much of life in the ancient world. The Christians were not immune from the impact of these realities. Sometimes they absorbed their surrounds; sometimes they quite explicitly rejected the material practices bearing in on them; frequently they modified the practice and the rationale to create a significant Christian alternative. The collection of essays in this volume come from a range of international scholars who, for all their different interests and critical commitments, are yet united in treasuring research into the Greek and Roman worlds in which Christians sought to make their way. They offer these essays in honor of one who has made a lifetime's work in mining ancient material culture to extract nuggets of insight into early Christian dining practices: Dennis E. Smith. Features Rich examples of method in the utilization of ancient material culture for biblical interpretation. Thirteen essays with a response from Dennis E. Smith Maps, diagrams, and plates