Valerie Tiberius
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199202867
- eISBN:
- 9780191707988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199202867.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This concluding chapter begins with a discussion of the major aims of the book, which are to explore the contribution to living well made by us, by articulating the nature of reflective wisdom; and ...
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This concluding chapter begins with a discussion of the major aims of the book, which are to explore the contribution to living well made by us, by articulating the nature of reflective wisdom; and to show by example how Humean naturalists, who are committed to the empirical contingency of any normative theory, can nevertheless construct a genuinely normative theory. It argues that a theory of how to live that takes seriously the person's own point of view must be a theory that recommends ‘from the inside’ rather than imposing external imperatives. The Reflective Wisdom Account is discussed.Less
This concluding chapter begins with a discussion of the major aims of the book, which are to explore the contribution to living well made by us, by articulating the nature of reflective wisdom; and to show by example how Humean naturalists, who are committed to the empirical contingency of any normative theory, can nevertheless construct a genuinely normative theory. It argues that a theory of how to live that takes seriously the person's own point of view must be a theory that recommends ‘from the inside’ rather than imposing external imperatives. The Reflective Wisdom Account is discussed.
Stuart Weeks
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199291540
- eISBN:
- 9780191710537
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291540.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Proverbs 1-9 is often characterized as an anthology of materials, loosely related to the ‘instructions’ composed in Egypt and elsewhere, and possibly originating in an educational setting. This book ...
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Proverbs 1-9 is often characterized as an anthology of materials, loosely related to the ‘instructions’ composed in Egypt and elsewhere, and possibly originating in an educational setting. This book argues that it is, instead, a sophisticated poetic work, with a basic unity of composition and message. Beginning with an examination of the Egyptian instructions, which are themselves poetic and testamentary rather than pedagogical, the study explores the way in which Proverbs 1-9 combines conventions of the instruction genre with a figurative representation of the reasons for instruction. Drawing on a traditional association of foreign women with the corruption and apostasy of Jewish youths-which was given added impetus by the post-exilic controversy over mixed marriages-Proverbs 1-9 sets a foreign seductress in opposition to a personified figure of Wisdom. The two compete for those youths who are uncommitted, and who can only hope to recognize which invitation they should accept if they have already received and internalized instruction. In this context, instruction is associated with the Torah, and is the prerequisite for the wisdom by which God's will can be recognized. These ideas, and elements of the imagery, persist into later Jewish literature, but the linking of wisdom with traditional concepts in Jewish piety goes back to Proverbs 1-9 itself.Less
Proverbs 1-9 is often characterized as an anthology of materials, loosely related to the ‘instructions’ composed in Egypt and elsewhere, and possibly originating in an educational setting. This book argues that it is, instead, a sophisticated poetic work, with a basic unity of composition and message. Beginning with an examination of the Egyptian instructions, which are themselves poetic and testamentary rather than pedagogical, the study explores the way in which Proverbs 1-9 combines conventions of the instruction genre with a figurative representation of the reasons for instruction. Drawing on a traditional association of foreign women with the corruption and apostasy of Jewish youths-which was given added impetus by the post-exilic controversy over mixed marriages-Proverbs 1-9 sets a foreign seductress in opposition to a personified figure of Wisdom. The two compete for those youths who are uncommitted, and who can only hope to recognize which invitation they should accept if they have already received and internalized instruction. In this context, instruction is associated with the Torah, and is the prerequisite for the wisdom by which God's will can be recognized. These ideas, and elements of the imagery, persist into later Jewish literature, but the linking of wisdom with traditional concepts in Jewish piety goes back to Proverbs 1-9 itself.
Geoffrey Mark Hahneman
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263418
- eISBN:
- 9780191682537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263418.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Early Christian Studies
There is clearly a strong case for proposing that the Fragment is an Eastern list of New Testament works originating from the fourth century. This provenance is supported by many details. Eusebius ...
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There is clearly a strong case for proposing that the Fragment is an Eastern list of New Testament works originating from the fourth century. This provenance is supported by many details. Eusebius appears to be the individual within the history of the Canon who developed and prompted New Testament catalogues, and thus the Fragment most probably derives from some time after Eusebius. Several remarkable parallels with Epiphanius would seem to confirm a Syrian/Palestinian provenance around 375 for the Fragment, specifically the inclusion of the Wisdom of Solomon in a New Testament catalogue, the mention of a Marcionite Laodiceans and the presence of Revelation without comment. These, combined with the public reading of the Revelation of Peter noted in the Fragment and Sozomen, and various similarities with Jerome (392), seem to confirm that the Muratorian Fragment is not a Western late second-century document, but is instead a late fourth-century Eastern catalogue.Less
There is clearly a strong case for proposing that the Fragment is an Eastern list of New Testament works originating from the fourth century. This provenance is supported by many details. Eusebius appears to be the individual within the history of the Canon who developed and prompted New Testament catalogues, and thus the Fragment most probably derives from some time after Eusebius. Several remarkable parallels with Epiphanius would seem to confirm a Syrian/Palestinian provenance around 375 for the Fragment, specifically the inclusion of the Wisdom of Solomon in a New Testament catalogue, the mention of a Marcionite Laodiceans and the presence of Revelation without comment. These, combined with the public reading of the Revelation of Peter noted in the Fragment and Sozomen, and various similarities with Jerome (392), seem to confirm that the Muratorian Fragment is not a Western late second-century document, but is instead a late fourth-century Eastern catalogue.
Stuart Weeks
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199291540
- eISBN:
- 9780191710537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291540.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Proverbs 1-9 uses figurative language intensively, and certain themes or motifs occur throughout. In particular, the work seems to develop an imagery based on competing characters, who invite the ...
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Proverbs 1-9 uses figurative language intensively, and certain themes or motifs occur throughout. In particular, the work seems to develop an imagery based on competing characters, who invite the uninstructed to turn in their direction. Wisdom's invitation, with its genuine promise of benefits, can be distinguished from more dangerous ones (especially that of the ‘foreign woman’) only by those who have accepted instruction. This motif is linked to a figurative use of paths and ways through life.Less
Proverbs 1-9 uses figurative language intensively, and certain themes or motifs occur throughout. In particular, the work seems to develop an imagery based on competing characters, who invite the uninstructed to turn in their direction. Wisdom's invitation, with its genuine promise of benefits, can be distinguished from more dangerous ones (especially that of the ‘foreign woman’) only by those who have accepted instruction. This motif is linked to a figurative use of paths and ways through life.
Stuart Weeks
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199291540
- eISBN:
- 9780191710537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291540.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Where Proverbs 1-9 offers specific advice in chapter 3, this involves commendations of proper behaviour towards God and other humans, linked by an association of wisdom and teaching with God. The ...
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Where Proverbs 1-9 offers specific advice in chapter 3, this involves commendations of proper behaviour towards God and other humans, linked by an association of wisdom and teaching with God. The work also employs terms that strongly evoke the language of Jewish piety, reminding us that this is the religious and literary context from which it emerged. Against this background, the emphasis on instruction can be understood in terms of internalizing the Torah, and so enabling wisdom and fear of God, with the personification of Wisdom further developing the idea of receiving insight into the divine will. This is poetry, however, not precise allegory, and the personification also inhibits clear expression of the theme.Less
Where Proverbs 1-9 offers specific advice in chapter 3, this involves commendations of proper behaviour towards God and other humans, linked by an association of wisdom and teaching with God. The work also employs terms that strongly evoke the language of Jewish piety, reminding us that this is the religious and literary context from which it emerged. Against this background, the emphasis on instruction can be understood in terms of internalizing the Torah, and so enabling wisdom and fear of God, with the personification of Wisdom further developing the idea of receiving insight into the divine will. This is poetry, however, not precise allegory, and the personification also inhibits clear expression of the theme.
Stuart Weeks
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199291540
- eISBN:
- 9780191710537
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291540.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
The date and origin of Proverbs 1-9 are difficult to pin down, but its influence can be identified clearly in some subsequent Jewish literature (most notably Ben Sira and certain texts from Qumran). ...
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The date and origin of Proverbs 1-9 are difficult to pin down, but its influence can be identified clearly in some subsequent Jewish literature (most notably Ben Sira and certain texts from Qumran). The imagery of the work is never reproduced in full, but elements of it are developed on the basis of an understanding close to that presented in this study. Proverbs 1-9 provides a link between these later texts and the other biblical wisdom texts; it also raises interesting questions about the way in which wisdom literature's focus upon the individual corresponds to the more corporate Deuteronomic literature in the post-exilic period. Proverbs 1-9 is an instruction, but that is not the key factor for determining its nature and meaning.Less
The date and origin of Proverbs 1-9 are difficult to pin down, but its influence can be identified clearly in some subsequent Jewish literature (most notably Ben Sira and certain texts from Qumran). The imagery of the work is never reproduced in full, but elements of it are developed on the basis of an understanding close to that presented in this study. Proverbs 1-9 provides a link between these later texts and the other biblical wisdom texts; it also raises interesting questions about the way in which wisdom literature's focus upon the individual corresponds to the more corporate Deuteronomic literature in the post-exilic period. Proverbs 1-9 is an instruction, but that is not the key factor for determining its nature and meaning.
Sean M. McDonough
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199576470
- eISBN:
- 9780191722585
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576470.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This book examines the New Testament teaching that Christ was the one through whom God made the world (John 1: 1–3; 1 Cor. 8: 6; Col 1: 15; Heb. 1: 2). While most scholars are content to see the ...
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This book examines the New Testament teaching that Christ was the one through whom God made the world (John 1: 1–3; 1 Cor. 8: 6; Col 1: 15; Heb. 1: 2). While most scholars are content to see the doctrine arising from the equation of Jesus and the Wisdom of God, I argue that it had its roots in the Church's memories of Jesus' re-creative mighty works. These memories, coupled with the experience of spiritual renewal in the early Church, established Jesus as the definitive agent of God's new creation. By the logic that ‘the end is like the beginning’, this suggested that Christ must also be the agent of primal creation. This insight was developed in light of Old Testament creation texts, viewed from within a ‘messianic matrix’ of interpretation. God gives his Word, his Spirit, and his Wisdom to his Messiah from the very beginning; and the Messiah, as the effulgence of God's glory, establishes the cosmos in accordance with God's purposes. Creation is the beginning of messianic dominion; the Messiah rules the world he made. After a detailed exegesis of the relevant New Testament texts, the book concludes with a survey of the doctrine of Christ as Creator in the work of six theologians: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athanasius, Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, and Wolfhart Pannenberg.Less
This book examines the New Testament teaching that Christ was the one through whom God made the world (John 1: 1–3; 1 Cor. 8: 6; Col 1: 15; Heb. 1: 2). While most scholars are content to see the doctrine arising from the equation of Jesus and the Wisdom of God, I argue that it had its roots in the Church's memories of Jesus' re-creative mighty works. These memories, coupled with the experience of spiritual renewal in the early Church, established Jesus as the definitive agent of God's new creation. By the logic that ‘the end is like the beginning’, this suggested that Christ must also be the agent of primal creation. This insight was developed in light of Old Testament creation texts, viewed from within a ‘messianic matrix’ of interpretation. God gives his Word, his Spirit, and his Wisdom to his Messiah from the very beginning; and the Messiah, as the effulgence of God's glory, establishes the cosmos in accordance with God's purposes. Creation is the beginning of messianic dominion; the Messiah rules the world he made. After a detailed exegesis of the relevant New Testament texts, the book concludes with a survey of the doctrine of Christ as Creator in the work of six theologians: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athanasius, Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, and Wolfhart Pannenberg.
Sean M. McDonough
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199576470
- eISBN:
- 9780191722585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576470.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
While the memories of Jesus' re-creative work could provide a powerful impetus towards speculation about his role in primal creation, a theological framework was needed if these primal insights were ...
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While the memories of Jesus' re-creative work could provide a powerful impetus towards speculation about his role in primal creation, a theological framework was needed if these primal insights were to reach concrete expression in phrases like ‘in him all things were created’, and if they were to be defended in debate with Jewish and pagan interlocutors. Most commentators assert that Wisdom provides this framework. But a careful reading of the Hebrew Bible and early Jewish texts shows that God's act of creation could be depicted in a number of ways: the world could be seen as the product of God's Word, God's Spirit, God's image, or God's glory, not only of God's Wisdom. A close reflection on the relevant New Testament texts shows that messianic dominion provides a more suitable point of departure. Creation is the beginning of messianic dominion; the Messiah rules the world he made.Less
While the memories of Jesus' re-creative work could provide a powerful impetus towards speculation about his role in primal creation, a theological framework was needed if these primal insights were to reach concrete expression in phrases like ‘in him all things were created’, and if they were to be defended in debate with Jewish and pagan interlocutors. Most commentators assert that Wisdom provides this framework. But a careful reading of the Hebrew Bible and early Jewish texts shows that God's act of creation could be depicted in a number of ways: the world could be seen as the product of God's Word, God's Spirit, God's image, or God's glory, not only of God's Wisdom. A close reflection on the relevant New Testament texts shows that messianic dominion provides a more suitable point of departure. Creation is the beginning of messianic dominion; the Messiah rules the world he made.
Cheri Lynne Carr
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781474407717
- eISBN:
- 9781474449724
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474407717.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
Deleuze’s Kantian Ethos explores the potential Deleuze’s reformulation of Kantian critique has for developing a transformative ethical practice. The starting point is the idea that ontology implies ...
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Deleuze’s Kantian Ethos explores the potential Deleuze’s reformulation of Kantian critique has for developing a transformative ethical practice. The starting point is the idea that ontology implies an actual practical attitude that is not a theory but a choice about oneself. This ethical choice must be made today in relation to the myriad ways that what we are capable of doing and becoming have been limited, most troublingly by our desire for our own repression. Deleuze’s energetic, critical ontology leads him to seek to resist all forms of fascism within the self. This ethical orientation towards the self within Deleuze’s ontology allows for the extrapolation of an ethos built on new habits of deterritorializing sedimented ways of thinking and behaving. The idea of critique as a way of life – Deleuze’s critical ethos – expresses the mode of living an ontology of becoming through a critique of subjectivity. Practically, this is lived as a form of self-directed moral pedagogy, the goal of which is developing in our selves the wisdom to perceive unanticipated features of moral salience, evaluate the principles we presuppose, affirm the limits those presuppositions impose, and create concepts that capture new ways of thinking about moral problems.Less
Deleuze’s Kantian Ethos explores the potential Deleuze’s reformulation of Kantian critique has for developing a transformative ethical practice. The starting point is the idea that ontology implies an actual practical attitude that is not a theory but a choice about oneself. This ethical choice must be made today in relation to the myriad ways that what we are capable of doing and becoming have been limited, most troublingly by our desire for our own repression. Deleuze’s energetic, critical ontology leads him to seek to resist all forms of fascism within the self. This ethical orientation towards the self within Deleuze’s ontology allows for the extrapolation of an ethos built on new habits of deterritorializing sedimented ways of thinking and behaving. The idea of critique as a way of life – Deleuze’s critical ethos – expresses the mode of living an ontology of becoming through a critique of subjectivity. Practically, this is lived as a form of self-directed moral pedagogy, the goal of which is developing in our selves the wisdom to perceive unanticipated features of moral salience, evaluate the principles we presuppose, affirm the limits those presuppositions impose, and create concepts that capture new ways of thinking about moral problems.
Marie Noonan Sabin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195143591
- eISBN:
- 9780199834600
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195143590.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Knowing that the earliest Jesus traditions took shape in a Jewish milieu, Sabin sets the composition of the earliest gospel in the context of the theological discourse of first‐century Judaism. That ...
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Knowing that the earliest Jesus traditions took shape in a Jewish milieu, Sabin sets the composition of the earliest gospel in the context of the theological discourse of first‐century Judaism. That discourse took the form of an exchange between current events and Scripture: contemporary persons and events were understood through the lens of the Hebrew Bible, while at the same time, the biblical word was reopened – i.e., reinterpreted – so as to reveal its relevance to the present faith community. Applying this kind of compositional process (which is related to Midrash) to the Gospel of Mark, Sabin uncovers a fresh reading of the Seed, Fig Tree, and Vineyard parables; of the various Temple scenes; of the foolish disciples and the wise women; and of the gospel's open‐ended ending. She highlights the results of her findings by juxtaposing them with interpretations of the same passages by various church fathers as well as by readings from modern critics. Sabin sees Mark as an original theologian shaping his material out of two primary Jewish traditions: the Wisdom traditions, with their emphasis on God's presence in daily life, and Creation theology, which imagined the End Time not as a catastrophe but as a return to the Garden. She thus offers a new way of understanding Mark's use of Scripture, his eschatology, and his presentation of Jesus. In conclusion, she argues that retrieving Mark's voice in the context of Early Judaism brings with it insights much needed in our day: of God's presence in the ordinary, of God's image reflected in female as well as male, of watchfulness as the way of wisdom, and of God's revelation as ongoing.Less
Knowing that the earliest Jesus traditions took shape in a Jewish milieu, Sabin sets the composition of the earliest gospel in the context of the theological discourse of first‐century Judaism. That discourse took the form of an exchange between current events and Scripture: contemporary persons and events were understood through the lens of the Hebrew Bible, while at the same time, the biblical word was reopened – i.e., reinterpreted – so as to reveal its relevance to the present faith community. Applying this kind of compositional process (which is related to Midrash) to the Gospel of Mark, Sabin uncovers a fresh reading of the Seed, Fig Tree, and Vineyard parables; of the various Temple scenes; of the foolish disciples and the wise women; and of the gospel's open‐ended ending. She highlights the results of her findings by juxtaposing them with interpretations of the same passages by various church fathers as well as by readings from modern critics. Sabin sees Mark as an original theologian shaping his material out of two primary Jewish traditions: the Wisdom traditions, with their emphasis on God's presence in daily life, and Creation theology, which imagined the End Time not as a catastrophe but as a return to the Garden. She thus offers a new way of understanding Mark's use of Scripture, his eschatology, and his presentation of Jesus. In conclusion, she argues that retrieving Mark's voice in the context of Early Judaism brings with it insights much needed in our day: of God's presence in the ordinary, of God's image reflected in female as well as male, of watchfulness as the way of wisdom, and of God's revelation as ongoing.
Tessa Rajak
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199558674
- eISBN:
- 9780191720895
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558674.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter shows how continual re-interpretation, adaptation of, and addition to the biblical text allowed it to be a repertoire for all seasons. Late biblical texts in Greek guise, especially the ...
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This chapter shows how continual re-interpretation, adaptation of, and addition to the biblical text allowed it to be a repertoire for all seasons. Late biblical texts in Greek guise, especially the book of Daniel, and newer parabiblical texts, like the story of Bel and the great snake (also a Daniel story), or the Epistle of Jeremiah or the Wisdom of Solomon, expressed a response to external political authority. They could be markedly subversive. Twists and subtle modifications intensified themes that were already prominent in places in the Hebrew Bible. Only occasionally can a Hebrew original different from the Masoretic (standard) text be suspected as lying behind the changes. The denunciation of ‘idol’ and ‘idol worship’ had new force and point when linked with the vanity of rulers in a period in which manifestations of the imperial cult impinged on everyone. Representations of tyrannical rage united motifs taken from Greek political philosophy with those of oriental wisdom literature. They stood in sharp contrast to the justified wrath of the God of Israel.Less
This chapter shows how continual re-interpretation, adaptation of, and addition to the biblical text allowed it to be a repertoire for all seasons. Late biblical texts in Greek guise, especially the book of Daniel, and newer parabiblical texts, like the story of Bel and the great snake (also a Daniel story), or the Epistle of Jeremiah or the Wisdom of Solomon, expressed a response to external political authority. They could be markedly subversive. Twists and subtle modifications intensified themes that were already prominent in places in the Hebrew Bible. Only occasionally can a Hebrew original different from the Masoretic (standard) text be suspected as lying behind the changes. The denunciation of ‘idol’ and ‘idol worship’ had new force and point when linked with the vanity of rulers in a period in which manifestations of the imperial cult impinged on everyone. Representations of tyrannical rage united motifs taken from Greek political philosophy with those of oriental wisdom literature. They stood in sharp contrast to the justified wrath of the God of Israel.
Valerie Tiberius
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199202867
- eISBN:
- 9780191707988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199202867.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of how one can live well. It presents account of how to live — the Reflective Wisdom Account — which says that to live well, we should develop the ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of how one can live well. It presents account of how to live — the Reflective Wisdom Account — which says that to live well, we should develop the qualities that allow us both to be appropriately reflective and to have experiences that are not interrupted by reflection, and we should live our lives in accordance with the ends, goals, or values that stand up to appropriate reflection. The chapter attempts to situate the Reflective Wisdom Account in the larger philosophical literature and to anticipate a few concerns one might have at the outset. It discusses Aristotle and virtue. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of how one can live well. It presents account of how to live — the Reflective Wisdom Account — which says that to live well, we should develop the qualities that allow us both to be appropriately reflective and to have experiences that are not interrupted by reflection, and we should live our lives in accordance with the ends, goals, or values that stand up to appropriate reflection. The chapter attempts to situate the Reflective Wisdom Account in the larger philosophical literature and to anticipate a few concerns one might have at the outset. It discusses Aristotle and virtue. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.
Valerie Tiberius
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199202867
- eISBN:
- 9780191707988
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199202867.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter takes up a challenge to the very idea that the Reflective Wisdom Account constitutes a normative, action-guiding theory of how to live. It argues that the fact that the reasons we have ...
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This chapter takes up a challenge to the very idea that the Reflective Wisdom Account constitutes a normative, action-guiding theory of how to live. It argues that the fact that the reasons we have to develop reflective virtues and act for the sake of our values are contingent does not provide any independent cause for concern about their normative status. It further argues that there is an important role for philosophers in the business of telling us what reasons we have, even within a naturalistic framework.Less
This chapter takes up a challenge to the very idea that the Reflective Wisdom Account constitutes a normative, action-guiding theory of how to live. It argues that the fact that the reasons we have to develop reflective virtues and act for the sake of our values are contingent does not provide any independent cause for concern about their normative status. It further argues that there is an important role for philosophers in the business of telling us what reasons we have, even within a naturalistic framework.
Marie Noonan Sabin
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195143591
- eISBN:
- 9780199834600
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195143590.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Sabin takes up the various identifying terms applied to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark – (1) Messiah, (2) the beloved son, (3) son of man, (4) son of David, and (5) son of Mary – and discusses their ...
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Sabin takes up the various identifying terms applied to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark – (1) Messiah, (2) the beloved son, (3) son of man, (4) son of David, and (5) son of Mary – and discusses their meaning in the context of Jewish tradition. In conclusion, Sabin argues that Mark identifies Jesus most of all with Wisdom, which Jewish tradition presents as the creative, nurturing, restorative aspect of God. Sabin finds Mark's Jesus to resemble Wisdom in his inclusive seeking out of followers, in his concern for feeding those around him, in his restorative acts of healing, forgiveness, and raising to new life. She argues that while Mark speaks of Jesus as an historical male, he describes him with the characteristics of Woman Wisdom. Finally, she sees that Mark, in presenting Jesus as God's Wisdom, also shows him to be God's “image and likeness,” a living parable (mashal) of “what God is like.”Less
Sabin takes up the various identifying terms applied to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark – (1) Messiah, (2) the beloved son, (3) son of man, (4) son of David, and (5) son of Mary – and discusses their meaning in the context of Jewish tradition. In conclusion, Sabin argues that Mark identifies Jesus most of all with Wisdom, which Jewish tradition presents as the creative, nurturing, restorative aspect of God. Sabin finds Mark's Jesus to resemble Wisdom in his inclusive seeking out of followers, in his concern for feeding those around him, in his restorative acts of healing, forgiveness, and raising to new life. She argues that while Mark speaks of Jesus as an historical male, he describes him with the characteristics of Woman Wisdom. Finally, she sees that Mark, in presenting Jesus as God's Wisdom, also shows him to be God's “image and likeness,” a living parable (mashal) of “what God is like.”
Deborah W. Rooke
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269984
- eISBN:
- 9780191600722
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269986.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Surveys the limited evidence that is available for the political situation in Judah during the Ptolemaic period. The sources examined are the Yehud coins, an excerpt from Hecataeus of Abdera that is ...
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Surveys the limited evidence that is available for the political situation in Judah during the Ptolemaic period. The sources examined are the Yehud coins, an excerpt from Hecataeus of Abdera that is preserved in Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, 40. 3. 1–8, Rainer papyrus 24552, Josephus, Antiquities xii, the Letter of Aristeas, and the Wisdom of Ben Sira 50. Although the evidence is only indirect, it suggests that the power of the high priesthood would have been limited by the Ptolemaic administrative structures and by the emergence of a powerful, unofficial lay group of aristocracy.Less
Surveys the limited evidence that is available for the political situation in Judah during the Ptolemaic period. The sources examined are the Yehud coins, an excerpt from Hecataeus of Abdera that is preserved in Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, 40. 3. 1–8, Rainer papyrus 24552, Josephus, Antiquities xii, the Letter of Aristeas, and the Wisdom of Ben Sira 50. Although the evidence is only indirect, it suggests that the power of the high priesthood would have been limited by the Ptolemaic administrative structures and by the emergence of a powerful, unofficial lay group of aristocracy.
Ibrahim Kalin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199735242
- eISBN:
- 9780199852772
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199735242.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The 17th-century philosopher Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī, known as Mullā Ṣadrā, attempted to reconcile the three major forms of knowledge in Islamic philosophical discourses: revelation (Qurʼān), ...
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The 17th-century philosopher Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī, known as Mullā Ṣadrā, attempted to reconcile the three major forms of knowledge in Islamic philosophical discourses: revelation (Qurʼān), demonstration (burhan), and gnosis or intuitive knowledge (ʼirfan). In his grand synthesis, which he calls the “Transcendent Wisdom”, Mullā Ṣadrā bases his epistemological considerations on a robust analysis of existence and its modalities. His key claim, that knowledge is a mode of existence, rejects and revises the Kalam definitions of knowledge as relation and as a property of the knower on the one hand, and the Avicennan notions of knowledge as abstraction and representation on the other. For Ṣadrā, all these theories land us in a subjectivist theory of knowledge where the knowing subject is defined as the primary locus of all epistemic claims. To explore the possibilities of a “non-subjectivist” epistemology, Ṣadrā seeks to shift the focus from knowledge as a mental act of representation to knowledge as presence and unveiling. For Ṣadrā, in knowing things, we unveil an aspect of existence and thus engage with the countless modalities and colors of the all-inclusive reality of existence. In such a framework, we give up the subjectivist claims of ownership of meaning. The intrinsic intelligibility of existence strips the knowing subject of its privileged position of being the sole creator of meaning. Instead, meaning and intelligibility are defined as functions of existence to be deciphered and unveiled by the knowing subject. This leads to a redefinition of the relationship between subject and object.Less
The 17th-century philosopher Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī, known as Mullā Ṣadrā, attempted to reconcile the three major forms of knowledge in Islamic philosophical discourses: revelation (Qurʼān), demonstration (burhan), and gnosis or intuitive knowledge (ʼirfan). In his grand synthesis, which he calls the “Transcendent Wisdom”, Mullā Ṣadrā bases his epistemological considerations on a robust analysis of existence and its modalities. His key claim, that knowledge is a mode of existence, rejects and revises the Kalam definitions of knowledge as relation and as a property of the knower on the one hand, and the Avicennan notions of knowledge as abstraction and representation on the other. For Ṣadrā, all these theories land us in a subjectivist theory of knowledge where the knowing subject is defined as the primary locus of all epistemic claims. To explore the possibilities of a “non-subjectivist” epistemology, Ṣadrā seeks to shift the focus from knowledge as a mental act of representation to knowledge as presence and unveiling. For Ṣadrā, in knowing things, we unveil an aspect of existence and thus engage with the countless modalities and colors of the all-inclusive reality of existence. In such a framework, we give up the subjectivist claims of ownership of meaning. The intrinsic intelligibility of existence strips the knowing subject of its privileged position of being the sole creator of meaning. Instead, meaning and intelligibility are defined as functions of existence to be deciphered and unveiled by the knowing subject. This leads to a redefinition of the relationship between subject and object.
Gordon D. Fee
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199248452
- eISBN:
- 9780191600524
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199248451.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Aletti provides complementary studies on St Paul. Fee offers an exegetical/historical re‐examination of Paul's Christology on the question of Christ's incarnation (and pre‐existence) over against ...
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Aletti provides complementary studies on St Paul. Fee offers an exegetical/historical re‐examination of Paul's Christology on the question of Christ's incarnation (and pre‐existence) over against those who either reject or offer a diminished view of these ideas in the apostle's letters. Fee examines four groups of Pauline passages: those that explicitly presuppose the pre‐existence of Christ as the mediator of creation; texts that speak of his ‘impoverishment’ in becoming human; texts that speak of God's sending his Son into the world so as to redeem it; and several passages that emphasize Christ's humanity in a way that seems to presuppose an incarnational Christology. Since Wisdom Christology plays a major role in most versions of Pauline Christology—in support of both traditional and reductive views—a section of this chapter offers a critique of this wisdom analysis.Less
Aletti provides complementary studies on St Paul. Fee offers an exegetical/historical re‐examination of Paul's Christology on the question of Christ's incarnation (and pre‐existence) over against those who either reject or offer a diminished view of these ideas in the apostle's letters. Fee examines four groups of Pauline passages: those that explicitly presuppose the pre‐existence of Christ as the mediator of creation; texts that speak of his ‘impoverishment’ in becoming human; texts that speak of God's sending his Son into the world so as to redeem it; and several passages that emphasize Christ's humanity in a way that seems to presuppose an incarnational Christology. Since Wisdom Christology plays a major role in most versions of Pauline Christology—in support of both traditional and reductive views—a section of this chapter offers a critique of this wisdom analysis.
Gerald O'Collins, SJ
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199238903
- eISBN:
- 9780191696794
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199238903.003.0015
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter recognizes the universal power and presence of divine Wisdom and the Holy Spirit. It mentions that the role of Christ as a universal Revealer and a Saviour can be interpreted through the ...
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This chapter recognizes the universal power and presence of divine Wisdom and the Holy Spirit. It mentions that the role of Christ as a universal Revealer and a Saviour can be interpreted through the image of Wisdom. Christ works as divine Wisdom in the lives of people who adhere to other religions, honour their founders, and receive knowledge of God and salvation.Less
This chapter recognizes the universal power and presence of divine Wisdom and the Holy Spirit. It mentions that the role of Christ as a universal Revealer and a Saviour can be interpreted through the image of Wisdom. Christ works as divine Wisdom in the lives of people who adhere to other religions, honour their founders, and receive knowledge of God and salvation.
Suzanne Jabro and Kelly Kester-Smith
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520252493
- eISBN:
- 9780520944565
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520252493.003.0043
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
This chapter provides a rich example of the many ways that spirituality can become the golden anchor and sustenance for women prisoners. Once a month, a group of women living at the California ...
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This chapter provides a rich example of the many ways that spirituality can become the golden anchor and sustenance for women prisoners. Once a month, a group of women living at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California, and women from the community “outside” gather to breathe in a sense of peace and sisterhood and breathe out the burdens that wear heavy on the heart. Some of the women in the circle are serving lengthy sentences—most of them are lifers. Some of the women in the circle travel from their homes and busy lives to take an equal part in forming an unlikely community. The sum of the group transcends life circumstances to reach a space, and a place, far beyond the walls that separate women in prison from their sisters in the community. The Women of Wisdom circle, who began gathering in 2004, wanted to create a ritual and design a sacred space. Thus, they planned a full-day retreat. And not just any retreat. A retreat that fed the spirit, mind, and body.Less
This chapter provides a rich example of the many ways that spirituality can become the golden anchor and sustenance for women prisoners. Once a month, a group of women living at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California, and women from the community “outside” gather to breathe in a sense of peace and sisterhood and breathe out the burdens that wear heavy on the heart. Some of the women in the circle are serving lengthy sentences—most of them are lifers. Some of the women in the circle travel from their homes and busy lives to take an equal part in forming an unlikely community. The sum of the group transcends life circumstances to reach a space, and a place, far beyond the walls that separate women in prison from their sisters in the community. The Women of Wisdom circle, who began gathering in 2004, wanted to create a ritual and design a sacred space. Thus, they planned a full-day retreat. And not just any retreat. A retreat that fed the spirit, mind, and body.
Kurt Flasch
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780300204865
- eISBN:
- 9780300216370
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300204865.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter examines Meister Eckhart's commentary on the Old Testament Book of Wisdom (Sapientia). Eckhart's concept of biblical exegesis is more philosophically rigorous than that of Augustine: he ...
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This chapter examines Meister Eckhart's commentary on the Old Testament Book of Wisdom (Sapientia). Eckhart's concept of biblical exegesis is more philosophically rigorous than that of Augustine: he wanted to determine the philosophical truths contained within the text. His concept of philosophy is more elaborate than Augustine's, thanks to Aristotle's Metaphysics and its Islamic interpreters as well as previous studies by Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Dietrich of Freiberg. In his commentary on the Book of Wisdom, Eckhart continues his philosophical inquiry, especially regarding traditional topics of ontology: being and essence, form and matter, difference and similarity, image and exemplar. This chapter considers Eckhart's claim in Expositio Libri Sapientiae that Being is the most basic and fundamental of all primary determinations, along with his philosophical conceptualization of God as Being, Oneness, intellect, and dynamic Wisdom.Less
This chapter examines Meister Eckhart's commentary on the Old Testament Book of Wisdom (Sapientia). Eckhart's concept of biblical exegesis is more philosophically rigorous than that of Augustine: he wanted to determine the philosophical truths contained within the text. His concept of philosophy is more elaborate than Augustine's, thanks to Aristotle's Metaphysics and its Islamic interpreters as well as previous studies by Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Dietrich of Freiberg. In his commentary on the Book of Wisdom, Eckhart continues his philosophical inquiry, especially regarding traditional topics of ontology: being and essence, form and matter, difference and similarity, image and exemplar. This chapter considers Eckhart's claim in Expositio Libri Sapientiae that Being is the most basic and fundamental of all primary determinations, along with his philosophical conceptualization of God as Being, Oneness, intellect, and dynamic Wisdom.