Friendship, Flattery, and Frankness of Speech


Book Description

This volume deals with the topics of friendship, flattery, and frankness of speech in the Greco-Roman world. The three topics were often related, with candor or frank criticism viewed as the trait that distinguished the true friend from the flatterer. The book's eleven essays are divided into three parts. The first part introduces the volume and discusses the three topics in the thought of Philodemus and Plutarch. Part two deals with Paul's use of friendship language in his correspondence with the Church at Philippi. Part three examines the concept of frankness (parrhesia) in Paul, Luke-Acts, Hebrews, and the Johannine corpus. The volume will be particularly useful to NT Scholars, classicists, and modern theologians and ethicists who are interested in the theory and practice of friendship in antiquity.




Friendship and Benefaction in James


Book Description

Now available from SBL Press Employing social description, social scientific models, and rhetorical analysis, Alicia J. Batten argues that the letter of James is conversant with the topic of friendship within Greek and Roman literature, as well as within various texts of early Christianity. She illustrates how James drew upon some of the language and concepts related to friendship with an intriguing density to advocate resistance to wealth, avoidance of rich patrons, and reliance upon God. Features: Use of friendship, benefaction, and patronage as lenses through which James and related texts can be viewed A strong case for how the letter appels to the language and ideas of friendship with regard to God's relationships with humans Exploration of the relationship between the book of James and the teachings of Jesus




Philodemus and the New Testament world [electronic resource]


Book Description

The fifteen essays in this volume, rooted in the work of the Hellenistic Moral Philosophy and Early Christianity Section of the SBL, examine the works of Philodemus and how they illuminate the cultural context of early Christianity. Born in Gadara in Syria, Philodemus (ca. 110-40 BCE) was active in Italy as an Epicurean philosopher and poet. This volume comprises three parts; the first deals with Philodemus' works in their own terms, the second situates his thought within its larger Greco-Roman context, and the third explores the implications of his work for understanding the earliest Christians, especially Paul. It will be useful to all readers interested in Hellenistic philosophy and rhetoric as well as Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity.




Friendship in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age


Book Description

Although it seems that erotic love generally was the prevailing topic in the medieval world and the Early Modern Age, parallel to this the Ciceronian ideal of friendship also dominated the public discourse, as this collection of essays demonstrates. Following an extensive introduction, the individual contributions explore the functions and the character of friendship from Late Antiquity (Augustine) to the 17th century. They show the spectrum of variety in which this topic appeared ‐ not only in literature, but also in politics and even in painting.




In Praise of Christian Origins


Book Description

Almost all scholars look to Acts 6:1-8:3 as providing the bedrock of early Christian tradition. The incident between the Hebrews and the Hellenists are understood to reflect real historical and theological problems in the early Jerusalem community, demonstrating the Hellenist role as a historical bridge between Jesus and Paul. Penner's study challenges the fundamental assumptions of this approach. Penner emphasizes the rhetorical and moral dimensions of ancient historiographical theory, especially the centrality of narrative and plot, the use of vivid description, the application of comparison using various type-scenes, and the role of speeches in terms of characterization and the presentation of narrative style. Todd Penner is the Assistant Professor of Religion at Austin College and the co-editor with Caroline Vander Stichele of Contextualizing Acts: Lukan Narrative and Greco-Roman Discourse.




Hierarchy, Unity, and Imitation


Book Description




Paul's Koinonia with the Philippians


Book Description

"Was Paul's relationship with the Philippians an economic partnership? Julien M. Ogereau explores the socio-economic dimension of Paul's koinonia with the Philippians from a Graeco-Roman perspective and argues that Paul maintained this partnership to provide financially for his mission."--Page 4 of printed paper wrapper.




Persuading Shipwrecked Men


Book Description

"In this work, Lyn M. Kidson moves away from the traditional interpretation of 1 Timothy as a church manual and argues that the coordinating purpose of the letter is to command 'certain men (and women)' not to teach an educational program that is being promoted by factional leaders Hymenaeus and Alexander."--




San Pablo, el Espiritu y las Virtudes


Book Description

Poniendo a Pablo dentro del mundo de la época helenista judía y griega, este libro examina su nuevo mensaje sobre la posición preeminente del espíritu en su doctrina sobre las virtudes. La pregunta central es ¿cómo el concepto del espíritu se hace la fuente principal de todas las virtudes cristianas en la vida ordinaria de los judíos y gentiles creyentes, y cómo se refleja en sus cartas? El libro examina las siete cartas indiscutibles de Pablo e ilustra la enseñanza fundamental del poder del espíritu en la adquisición de las virtudes y la evitación de los vicios. De hecho, se da un énfasis a las virtudes y vicios reflejadas en cada una de las siete cartas. También investiga como la vida de los creyentes en la comunidad cristiana fluye del Espíritu recibido de Dios. El libro ofrece al lector un estudio completo del entendimiento del término espíritu en las tradiciones helenista judías y griegas dando un enfoque a la manera como Pablo usa el lenguaje filosófico en su exhortación ética, un lenguaje que probablemente habría sido común para muchos de sus oyentes gentiles creyentes, con el fin de ofrecer un entendimiento persuasivo de su exhortación a la vida virtuosa.




Moral Transformation in Greco-Roman Philosophy of Mind


Book Description

"Max J. Lee examines the philosophies of Platonism and Stoicism during the Greco-Roman era and their rivals including Diaspora Judaism and Pauline Christianity on how to transform a person's character from vice to virtue. He describes each philosophical school's respective teachings on diverse moral topoi such as emotional control, ethical action and habit, character formation, training, mentorship, and deity." --provided by publisher