Jon Kirwan
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198819226
- eISBN:
- 9780191859830
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198819226.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book offers a clearer understanding of the nouvelle théologie, an influential French reform movement that flourished during the 1930s and 1940s, championed ressourcement, or, a ‘return to the ...
More
This book offers a clearer understanding of the nouvelle théologie, an influential French reform movement that flourished during the 1930s and 1940s, championed ressourcement, or, a ‘return to the sources’, and hoped to build a certain rapprochement with modernity by appropriating the historical method, aspects of phenomenology, and social engagement. Comprised of theologians and philosophers from the Jesuit theologate Fourvière in Lyon and the Dominican house at Le Saulchoir in Belgium, they were led by such figures as Henri de Lubac, Jean Daniélou, Marie Dominique Chenu, and Yves Congar. After identifying a lacuna in the secondary literature, the book remedies certain historical deficiencies by constructing a history more sensitive to the wider intellectual, political, economic, and cultural milieu of the French interwar crisis, that establishes continuity with the Modernist crisis and the First World War. It examines the modern French avant-garde generations that shaped intellectual and political thought in France. The historical narrative examines various stages of older generational influence on the development of the nouveaux théologiens, including the influence of the Modernists as well as older generations of Jesuit and Dominican mentors. Moreover, the effects of the First World War are examined, as is their religious formation in the 1920s, the emergence of their wider generation during the crisis years of the 1930s, and their own participation in the wider intellectual thirst for revolution. It explores the 1940s, when the generation of 1930 rose to prominence and the global triumph of their thought during the 1960s.Less
This book offers a clearer understanding of the nouvelle théologie, an influential French reform movement that flourished during the 1930s and 1940s, championed ressourcement, or, a ‘return to the sources’, and hoped to build a certain rapprochement with modernity by appropriating the historical method, aspects of phenomenology, and social engagement. Comprised of theologians and philosophers from the Jesuit theologate Fourvière in Lyon and the Dominican house at Le Saulchoir in Belgium, they were led by such figures as Henri de Lubac, Jean Daniélou, Marie Dominique Chenu, and Yves Congar. After identifying a lacuna in the secondary literature, the book remedies certain historical deficiencies by constructing a history more sensitive to the wider intellectual, political, economic, and cultural milieu of the French interwar crisis, that establishes continuity with the Modernist crisis and the First World War. It examines the modern French avant-garde generations that shaped intellectual and political thought in France. The historical narrative examines various stages of older generational influence on the development of the nouveaux théologiens, including the influence of the Modernists as well as older generations of Jesuit and Dominican mentors. Moreover, the effects of the First World War are examined, as is their religious formation in the 1920s, the emergence of their wider generation during the crisis years of the 1930s, and their own participation in the wider intellectual thirst for revolution. It explores the 1940s, when the generation of 1930 rose to prominence and the global triumph of their thought during the 1960s.
Jay T. Collier
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190858520
- eISBN:
- 9780190863876
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190858520.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Scholars describe the Church of England during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries as forming either a Calvinist consensus or an Anglican middle way steeped in an ancient catholicity. ...
More
Scholars describe the Church of England during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries as forming either a Calvinist consensus or an Anglican middle way steeped in an ancient catholicity. Debating Perseverance sheds light on the influence of both the early church and the Reformed churches on the Church of England by surveying several debates on perseverance in which readings of Augustine were involved. The book begins with a reassessment of the Lambeth Articles and the heated Cambridge debates in which they were forged. It then investigates the failed attempt of the British delegation to the Synod of Dort to achieve solidarity with the international Reformed community on perseverance in a way that was also respectful of minority opinions. The study evaluates the supposedly Arminian Richard Montagu and the turmoil he caused by challenging the Reformed consensus and the Synod of Dort. The book then surveys a debate after England’s civil wars when the pro-Dort party had triumphed. It uncovers competing readings and receptions of Augustine on perseverance within the English church—one favoring the perseverance of the saints and the other denying it. It shows how both theological options were valid within the Reformed tradition before the Synod of Dort and how that synod’s rejection of one as an error created difficulties for England in retaining its Reformed identity. This study recognizes England’s struggles with perseverance as emblematic of its troubled pursuit of a Reformed and ancient catholicity.Less
Scholars describe the Church of England during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries as forming either a Calvinist consensus or an Anglican middle way steeped in an ancient catholicity. Debating Perseverance sheds light on the influence of both the early church and the Reformed churches on the Church of England by surveying several debates on perseverance in which readings of Augustine were involved. The book begins with a reassessment of the Lambeth Articles and the heated Cambridge debates in which they were forged. It then investigates the failed attempt of the British delegation to the Synod of Dort to achieve solidarity with the international Reformed community on perseverance in a way that was also respectful of minority opinions. The study evaluates the supposedly Arminian Richard Montagu and the turmoil he caused by challenging the Reformed consensus and the Synod of Dort. The book then surveys a debate after England’s civil wars when the pro-Dort party had triumphed. It uncovers competing readings and receptions of Augustine on perseverance within the English church—one favoring the perseverance of the saints and the other denying it. It shows how both theological options were valid within the Reformed tradition before the Synod of Dort and how that synod’s rejection of one as an error created difficulties for England in retaining its Reformed identity. This study recognizes England’s struggles with perseverance as emblematic of its troubled pursuit of a Reformed and ancient catholicity.
Katherine Shaner
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190275068
- eISBN:
- 9780190275082
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190275068.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Early Christian Studies
Slaves were ubiquitous in the first- and second-century CE Roman Empire, and early Christian texts reflect this fact. This book argues that enslaved persons engaged in leadership roles in civic and ...
More
Slaves were ubiquitous in the first- and second-century CE Roman Empire, and early Christian texts reflect this fact. This book argues that enslaved persons engaged in leadership roles in civic and religious activities. Such roles created tension within religious groups, including second-century communities connected with Paul’s legacy. Archaeological materials, epigraphy, and literature from Ephesos and environs illustrate these power struggles with clarity. Enslaved persons were religious specialists, priests, and leaders in cultic groups, including early Christian groups. Thus, the book paints a complex picture of enslaved life in Asia Minor to illustrate how enslaved persons enacted roles of religious and civic significance that potentially upended social hierarchies which privileged wealthy, slaveholding men. Yet even as the enslaved engaged in such authoritative roles, Roman slavery was not a benign institution nor were early Christians kinder and more egalitarian toward slaves. Both early Christian texts (such as Philemon, 1 Timothy, and Ignatius’s letters) and archaeological finds from Ephesos defend, construct, and clarify the hierarchies that kept enslaved persons under the control of their masters. This book brings together archaeological materials and literary texts using feminist rhetorical criticism. In doing so, it shows how archaeological materials attempt to persuade viewers, readers, and inhabitants of the city. Early Christian texts similarly attempt to persuade readers that slaves should not hold leadership positions. Thus the book illustrates a historical world in which control of slaves must continually be asserted. It demonstrates that master-slave hierarchies were unclear, disjointed, and even subverted in everyday religious activities.Less
Slaves were ubiquitous in the first- and second-century CE Roman Empire, and early Christian texts reflect this fact. This book argues that enslaved persons engaged in leadership roles in civic and religious activities. Such roles created tension within religious groups, including second-century communities connected with Paul’s legacy. Archaeological materials, epigraphy, and literature from Ephesos and environs illustrate these power struggles with clarity. Enslaved persons were religious specialists, priests, and leaders in cultic groups, including early Christian groups. Thus, the book paints a complex picture of enslaved life in Asia Minor to illustrate how enslaved persons enacted roles of religious and civic significance that potentially upended social hierarchies which privileged wealthy, slaveholding men. Yet even as the enslaved engaged in such authoritative roles, Roman slavery was not a benign institution nor were early Christians kinder and more egalitarian toward slaves. Both early Christian texts (such as Philemon, 1 Timothy, and Ignatius’s letters) and archaeological finds from Ephesos defend, construct, and clarify the hierarchies that kept enslaved persons under the control of their masters. This book brings together archaeological materials and literary texts using feminist rhetorical criticism. In doing so, it shows how archaeological materials attempt to persuade viewers, readers, and inhabitants of the city. Early Christian texts similarly attempt to persuade readers that slaves should not hold leadership positions. Thus the book illustrates a historical world in which control of slaves must continually be asserted. It demonstrates that master-slave hierarchies were unclear, disjointed, and even subverted in everyday religious activities.
Jennifer Graber
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190279615
- eISBN:
- 9780190279646
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190279615.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
During the nineteenth century, Americans sought the cultural transformation and the physical displacement of American Indian nations. Native people resisted these efforts. Though this process is ...
More
During the nineteenth century, Americans sought the cultural transformation and the physical displacement of American Indian nations. Native people resisted these efforts. Though this process is often understood as a clash of rival economic systems or racial ideologies, it was also a profound spiritual struggle. The conflict over Indian Country sparked crises for both Natives and Americans. In the end, the experience of intercultural encounter and conflict over land produced religious transformations on both sides. This book focuses on Kiowa Indians during Americans’ hundred-year effort to acquire, explore, and seize their homeland between 1803 and 1903. Kiowas had known struggle and dislocation before. But the forces bearing down on them in the form of soldiers, missionaries, and government representatives were unrelenting. Under increasing pressure, Kiowas adapted their rituals in the hopes of using sacred power more effectively. They drew on a wide range of sources and shifted significantly as circumstances demanded. With Indian Country under assault, Kiowas exercised creative improvisation to sustain their lands and people. Against Kiowas stood Protestants and Catholics who hoped to remake Indian Country. These activists asserted the primacy of white Christian civilization and the need to transform the lives of Native peoples. They also saw themselves as the Indian’s friend, teacher, and protector. But as Kiowas resisted their plans, these Christian representatives supported policies that broke treaties and appropriated Native lands. They argued that the benefits of Christianity and civilization outweighed the costs. In order to secure Indian Country and control indigenous populations, they sanctified the economic and racial hierarchies of their day.Less
During the nineteenth century, Americans sought the cultural transformation and the physical displacement of American Indian nations. Native people resisted these efforts. Though this process is often understood as a clash of rival economic systems or racial ideologies, it was also a profound spiritual struggle. The conflict over Indian Country sparked crises for both Natives and Americans. In the end, the experience of intercultural encounter and conflict over land produced religious transformations on both sides. This book focuses on Kiowa Indians during Americans’ hundred-year effort to acquire, explore, and seize their homeland between 1803 and 1903. Kiowas had known struggle and dislocation before. But the forces bearing down on them in the form of soldiers, missionaries, and government representatives were unrelenting. Under increasing pressure, Kiowas adapted their rituals in the hopes of using sacred power more effectively. They drew on a wide range of sources and shifted significantly as circumstances demanded. With Indian Country under assault, Kiowas exercised creative improvisation to sustain their lands and people. Against Kiowas stood Protestants and Catholics who hoped to remake Indian Country. These activists asserted the primacy of white Christian civilization and the need to transform the lives of Native peoples. They also saw themselves as the Indian’s friend, teacher, and protector. But as Kiowas resisted their plans, these Christian representatives supported policies that broke treaties and appropriated Native lands. They argued that the benefits of Christianity and civilization outweighed the costs. In order to secure Indian Country and control indigenous populations, they sanctified the economic and racial hierarchies of their day.
Thibaut d'Hubert
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190860332
- eISBN:
- 9780190860363
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190860332.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
In the Shade of the Golden Palace explores the oeuvre of the prolific Bengali poet and translator Alaol (fl. 1651–1671), who rendered five narrative poems and one versified treatise from medieval ...
More
In the Shade of the Golden Palace explores the oeuvre of the prolific Bengali poet and translator Alaol (fl. 1651–1671), who rendered five narrative poems and one versified treatise from medieval Hindi and Persian into Bengali. The book maps the genres, structures, and themes of Alaol’s works, paying special attention to the poet’s own discourse on poetics and his literary genealogy, which included Sanskrit, Avadhi, Maithili, Persian, and Bengali authors. The monograph shows how a variety of literary experiments fostered by multilingual literacy took place in a seemingly remote corner of the Bay of Bengal: the kingdom of Arakan that lay between todays southeastern Bangladesh and Myanmar. After a careful contextualization of the emergence of Bengali Muslim literature in Arakan, I focus on courtly speech in Alaol’s poetry, his revisiting of classical categories in a vernacular context, and the prominent role of the discipline of lyrical arts (i.e. music, dance) in his conceptualization of the poetics of the written word. The book also contains a detailed analysis of Middle Bengali narrative poems, as well as translations of Old Maithili, Brajabuli, and Middle Bengali lyric poems that illustrate the styles that formed the core of connoisseurship in the regional courts of eastern South Asia, from Nepal to Arakan. The monograph operates on three levels: as a unique vade mecum for readers of Middle Bengali poetry, a detailed study of the cultural history of the frontier region of Arakan, and an original contribution to the poetics of South Asian literatures.Less
In the Shade of the Golden Palace explores the oeuvre of the prolific Bengali poet and translator Alaol (fl. 1651–1671), who rendered five narrative poems and one versified treatise from medieval Hindi and Persian into Bengali. The book maps the genres, structures, and themes of Alaol’s works, paying special attention to the poet’s own discourse on poetics and his literary genealogy, which included Sanskrit, Avadhi, Maithili, Persian, and Bengali authors. The monograph shows how a variety of literary experiments fostered by multilingual literacy took place in a seemingly remote corner of the Bay of Bengal: the kingdom of Arakan that lay between todays southeastern Bangladesh and Myanmar. After a careful contextualization of the emergence of Bengali Muslim literature in Arakan, I focus on courtly speech in Alaol’s poetry, his revisiting of classical categories in a vernacular context, and the prominent role of the discipline of lyrical arts (i.e. music, dance) in his conceptualization of the poetics of the written word. The book also contains a detailed analysis of Middle Bengali narrative poems, as well as translations of Old Maithili, Brajabuli, and Middle Bengali lyric poems that illustrate the styles that formed the core of connoisseurship in the regional courts of eastern South Asia, from Nepal to Arakan. The monograph operates on three levels: as a unique vade mecum for readers of Middle Bengali poetry, a detailed study of the cultural history of the frontier region of Arakan, and an original contribution to the poetics of South Asian literatures.
Thomas Palmer
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198816652
- eISBN:
- 9780191858307
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198816652.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This book examines the impact in mid- to later seventeenth-century England of the major contemporary religious controversy in France, which revolved around the formal condemnation of a heresy ...
More
This book examines the impact in mid- to later seventeenth-century England of the major contemporary religious controversy in France, which revolved around the formal condemnation of a heresy popularly called Jansenism. The associated debates involved fundamental questions about the doctrine of grace and moral theology, about the life of the Church and the conduct of individual Christians. The book offers an analysis of the main themes of the controversy and an account of instances of English interest, arguing that English Protestant theologians who were in the process of working out their own views on basic theological questions recognized the relevance of the continental debates. The arguments evolved by the French writers also constitute a point of comparison for the developing views of English theologians. Where the Jansenists reasserted an Augustinian emphasis on the gratuity of salvation against Catholic theologians who overvalued the powers of human nature, the English writers examined here, arguing against Protestant theologians who denied nature any moral potency, emphasized man’s contribution to his own salvation. Both arguments have been seen to contain a corrosive individualism, the former through its preoccupation with the luminous experience of grace, the latter through its tendency to elide grace and moral virtue. These assessments are challenged here. Nevertheless, these theologians did encourage greater individualism. Focusing on the affective experience of conversion, they developed forms of moral rigorism which represented, in both cases, an attempt to provide a reliable basis for Christian faith and practice in the fragmented intellectual context of post-Reformation Europe.Less
This book examines the impact in mid- to later seventeenth-century England of the major contemporary religious controversy in France, which revolved around the formal condemnation of a heresy popularly called Jansenism. The associated debates involved fundamental questions about the doctrine of grace and moral theology, about the life of the Church and the conduct of individual Christians. The book offers an analysis of the main themes of the controversy and an account of instances of English interest, arguing that English Protestant theologians who were in the process of working out their own views on basic theological questions recognized the relevance of the continental debates. The arguments evolved by the French writers also constitute a point of comparison for the developing views of English theologians. Where the Jansenists reasserted an Augustinian emphasis on the gratuity of salvation against Catholic theologians who overvalued the powers of human nature, the English writers examined here, arguing against Protestant theologians who denied nature any moral potency, emphasized man’s contribution to his own salvation. Both arguments have been seen to contain a corrosive individualism, the former through its preoccupation with the luminous experience of grace, the latter through its tendency to elide grace and moral virtue. These assessments are challenged here. Nevertheless, these theologians did encourage greater individualism. Focusing on the affective experience of conversion, they developed forms of moral rigorism which represented, in both cases, an attempt to provide a reliable basis for Christian faith and practice in the fragmented intellectual context of post-Reformation Europe.
David P. Barshinger and Douglas A. Sweeney (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190249496
- eISBN:
- 9780190249526
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190249496.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Jonathan Edwards and Scripture provides a fresh look at the important, burgeoning field of Edwards and the Bible. For too long, Edwards scholars have published new research on Edwards without paying ...
More
Jonathan Edwards and Scripture provides a fresh look at the important, burgeoning field of Edwards and the Bible. For too long, Edwards scholars have published new research on Edwards without paying due attention to the work he took most seriously: biblical exegesis. Edwards is recognized as an innovative theologian who wielded tremendous influence on revivalism, evangelicalism, and New England theology, but what is often missed is how much time he devoted to studying and understanding the Bible. He kept voluminous notebooks on Christian Scripture and had plans for major treatises on the Bible before he died. Edwards scholars need to take stock of the place of the Bible in his thought to do justice to his theology and legacy. In fact, more and more experts are recognizing how important this aspect of his life is, and this book brings together the insights of leading Edwards scholars on this topic. This volume seeks to increase our understanding of Edwards’ engagement with Scripture by setting it in the context of seventeenth-century Protestant exegesis and eighteenth-century colonial interpretation. It provides case studies of Edwards’ exegesis in varying genres of the Bible and probes his use of Scripture to develop theology. It also sets his biblical interpretation in perspective by comparing it with that of other exegetes. This book advances our understanding of the nature and significance of Edwards’ work with Scripture and opens new lines of inquiry for students of early modern Western history.Less
Jonathan Edwards and Scripture provides a fresh look at the important, burgeoning field of Edwards and the Bible. For too long, Edwards scholars have published new research on Edwards without paying due attention to the work he took most seriously: biblical exegesis. Edwards is recognized as an innovative theologian who wielded tremendous influence on revivalism, evangelicalism, and New England theology, but what is often missed is how much time he devoted to studying and understanding the Bible. He kept voluminous notebooks on Christian Scripture and had plans for major treatises on the Bible before he died. Edwards scholars need to take stock of the place of the Bible in his thought to do justice to his theology and legacy. In fact, more and more experts are recognizing how important this aspect of his life is, and this book brings together the insights of leading Edwards scholars on this topic. This volume seeks to increase our understanding of Edwards’ engagement with Scripture by setting it in the context of seventeenth-century Protestant exegesis and eighteenth-century colonial interpretation. It provides case studies of Edwards’ exegesis in varying genres of the Bible and probes his use of Scripture to develop theology. It also sets his biblical interpretation in perspective by comparing it with that of other exegetes. This book advances our understanding of the nature and significance of Edwards’ work with Scripture and opens new lines of inquiry for students of early modern Western history.
Massimo Introvigne
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190842420
- eISBN:
- 9780190842451
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190842420.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History, Religious Studies
Plymouth Brethren are a larger Christian movement, including a dozen of different denominations. They originate from a 19th-century revival in the British Isles, around John Nelson Darby—regarded by ...
More
Plymouth Brethren are a larger Christian movement, including a dozen of different denominations. They originate from a 19th-century revival in the British Isles, around John Nelson Darby—regarded by some of the father of the evangelical fundamentalist movement—and others who dreamed to restore the purity of primitive Christianity. The revival eventually extended to Continental Europe, particularly Switzerland and Italy, and later France and Germany, as well as to United States, Canada, and China. While some lived this dream in ecumenical terms, those who would eventually be called Exclusive Brethren came to believe that true Christians should separate themselves from the corruption of existing denominations, and break bread in their assemblies only with those sharing their interpretation of the Bible. In turn, Exclusive Brethren fragmented into several rival denominations. The book, based on both historical research and participant observation of contemporary communities, presents the different branches of the Brethren, but focuses on a case study of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, one of the largest groups of the Exclusive Brethren. It discusses their beliefs, daily life, international school system, and charitable activities, mentioning also the controversies surrounding their practice of strict separation from those who are not part of their community, and the accusations brought against the Brethren by media and some former members within the framework of contemporary controversies about cults.Less
Plymouth Brethren are a larger Christian movement, including a dozen of different denominations. They originate from a 19th-century revival in the British Isles, around John Nelson Darby—regarded by some of the father of the evangelical fundamentalist movement—and others who dreamed to restore the purity of primitive Christianity. The revival eventually extended to Continental Europe, particularly Switzerland and Italy, and later France and Germany, as well as to United States, Canada, and China. While some lived this dream in ecumenical terms, those who would eventually be called Exclusive Brethren came to believe that true Christians should separate themselves from the corruption of existing denominations, and break bread in their assemblies only with those sharing their interpretation of the Bible. In turn, Exclusive Brethren fragmented into several rival denominations. The book, based on both historical research and participant observation of contemporary communities, presents the different branches of the Brethren, but focuses on a case study of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, one of the largest groups of the Exclusive Brethren. It discusses their beliefs, daily life, international school system, and charitable activities, mentioning also the controversies surrounding their practice of strict separation from those who are not part of their community, and the accusations brought against the Brethren by media and some former members within the framework of contemporary controversies about cults.
Vered Noam
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- April 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198811381
- eISBN:
- 9780191848414
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198811381.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World
The shifting image of the Hasmoneans in the eyes of their contemporaries and later generations is a compelling issue in the history of the Maccabean revolt and the Hasmonean commonwealth. Based on a ...
More
The shifting image of the Hasmoneans in the eyes of their contemporaries and later generations is a compelling issue in the history of the Maccabean revolt and the Hasmonean commonwealth. Based on a series of six Jewish folktales from the Second Temple-period that describe the Hasmonean dynasty and its history from its legendary founders through achievement of full sovereignty to downfall, the present volume examines the Hasmoneans through the lens of reception history. On the one hand, these brief, colorful legends are embedded in the narrative of the historian of the age, Flavius Josephus On the other hand, they are scattered throughout the extensive halakhic-exegetical compositions known as rabbinic literature, redacted and compiled centuries later. Each set of parallel stories is examined for the motivation underlying its creation, its original message, language, and historical context. This analysis is followed by exploration of the nature of the relationship between the Josephan and the rabbinic versions, in an attempt to reconstruct the adaptation of the putative original traditions in the two corpora, and to decipher the disparities, different emphases, reworking, and unique orientations typical of each. These adaptations reflect the reception of the pristine tales and thus disclose the shifting images of the Hasmoneans in later generations and within distinct contexts. The compilation and characterization of sources which were preserved by means of two such different conduits of transmission brings us closer to reconstruction of a lost literary continent, a hidden Jewish “Atlantis” of early pseudo-historical legends and facilitates examination of the relationship between the substantially different libraries and worlds of Josephus and rabbinic literature.Less
The shifting image of the Hasmoneans in the eyes of their contemporaries and later generations is a compelling issue in the history of the Maccabean revolt and the Hasmonean commonwealth. Based on a series of six Jewish folktales from the Second Temple-period that describe the Hasmonean dynasty and its history from its legendary founders through achievement of full sovereignty to downfall, the present volume examines the Hasmoneans through the lens of reception history. On the one hand, these brief, colorful legends are embedded in the narrative of the historian of the age, Flavius Josephus On the other hand, they are scattered throughout the extensive halakhic-exegetical compositions known as rabbinic literature, redacted and compiled centuries later. Each set of parallel stories is examined for the motivation underlying its creation, its original message, language, and historical context. This analysis is followed by exploration of the nature of the relationship between the Josephan and the rabbinic versions, in an attempt to reconstruct the adaptation of the putative original traditions in the two corpora, and to decipher the disparities, different emphases, reworking, and unique orientations typical of each. These adaptations reflect the reception of the pristine tales and thus disclose the shifting images of the Hasmoneans in later generations and within distinct contexts. The compilation and characterization of sources which were preserved by means of two such different conduits of transmission brings us closer to reconstruction of a lost literary continent, a hidden Jewish “Atlantis” of early pseudo-historical legends and facilitates examination of the relationship between the substantially different libraries and worlds of Josephus and rabbinic literature.
A. J. Appasamy and his Reading of Rāmānuja
A. J. Tomlinson
Abelard and Heloise
Abraham's Dice
Abrahamic Religions
Activity and Participation in Late Antique and Early Christian Thought
The Aesthetics and Ethics of Faith
African Pentecostalism
After Calvin
