Alcuin Blamires
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198186304
- eISBN:
- 9780191674501
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198186304.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Early and Medieval Literature
Misogyny is of course not the whole story of medieval discourse on women: medieval culture also envisaged a case for women. But hitherto studies of profeminine attitudes in that period's culture have ...
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Misogyny is of course not the whole story of medieval discourse on women: medieval culture also envisaged a case for women. But hitherto studies of profeminine attitudes in that period's culture have tended to concentrate on courtly literature, on female visionary writings, or on attempts to transcend misogyny by major authors such as Christine de Pizan and Chaucer. This book sets out to demonstrate something different: that there existed from early in the Middle Ages a corpus of substantial traditions in defence of women, on which the more familiar authors drew, and that this corpus itself consolidated strands of profeminine thought that had been present as far back as the patristic literature of the 4th century. The book surveys extant writings formally defending women in the Middle Ages; identifies a source for profeminine argument in biblical apocrypha; offers a series of explorations of the background and circulation of central arguments on behalf of women; and seeks to situate relevant texts by Christine de Pizan, Chaucer, Abelard, and Hrotsvitha in relation to these arguments. Topics covered range from the privileges of women, and pro-Eve polemic, to the social and moral strengths attributed to women, and to the powerful models frequently disruptive of patriarchal complacency presented by Old and New Testament women. The contribution made by these emphases (which are not to be confused with feminism in a modern sense) to medieval constructions of gender is throughout critically assessed.Less
Misogyny is of course not the whole story of medieval discourse on women: medieval culture also envisaged a case for women. But hitherto studies of profeminine attitudes in that period's culture have tended to concentrate on courtly literature, on female visionary writings, or on attempts to transcend misogyny by major authors such as Christine de Pizan and Chaucer. This book sets out to demonstrate something different: that there existed from early in the Middle Ages a corpus of substantial traditions in defence of women, on which the more familiar authors drew, and that this corpus itself consolidated strands of profeminine thought that had been present as far back as the patristic literature of the 4th century. The book surveys extant writings formally defending women in the Middle Ages; identifies a source for profeminine argument in biblical apocrypha; offers a series of explorations of the background and circulation of central arguments on behalf of women; and seeks to situate relevant texts by Christine de Pizan, Chaucer, Abelard, and Hrotsvitha in relation to these arguments. Topics covered range from the privileges of women, and pro-Eve polemic, to the social and moral strengths attributed to women, and to the powerful models frequently disruptive of patriarchal complacency presented by Old and New Testament women. The contribution made by these emphases (which are not to be confused with feminism in a modern sense) to medieval constructions of gender is throughout critically assessed.
David G. Hunter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199279784
- eISBN:
- 9780191707391
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279784.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
A survey of the history of the idea of Mary's virginitas in partu shows that the notion had only marginal support in the tradition of the first three centuries. Associated with both docetism and ...
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A survey of the history of the idea of Mary's virginitas in partu shows that the notion had only marginal support in the tradition of the first three centuries. Associated with both docetism and encratism, the doctrine was opposed even by ascetically minded teachers, such as Tertullian and Origen. In the late fourth century, however, the notion of Mary's virginitas in partu reappeared in the sermons of Zeno of Verona and the ascetical treatises of Ambrose; Jerome, by contrast, was more reticent about embracing the idea. Jovinian's opposition to the virginitas in partu, therefore, stood squarely in the mainstream of Christian opinion, as it had developed by the late fourth century.Less
A survey of the history of the idea of Mary's virginitas in partu shows that the notion had only marginal support in the tradition of the first three centuries. Associated with both docetism and encratism, the doctrine was opposed even by ascetically minded teachers, such as Tertullian and Origen. In the late fourth century, however, the notion of Mary's virginitas in partu reappeared in the sermons of Zeno of Verona and the ascetical treatises of Ambrose; Jerome, by contrast, was more reticent about embracing the idea. Jovinian's opposition to the virginitas in partu, therefore, stood squarely in the mainstream of Christian opinion, as it had developed by the late fourth century.
Brian Murdoch
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199564149
- eISBN:
- 9780191721328
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199564149.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
This book examines the development in medieval European literature of the story of Adam and Eve after the expulsion from paradise. The gaps in what the Bible records of their lives were filled in ...
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This book examines the development in medieval European literature of the story of Adam and Eve after the expulsion from paradise. The gaps in what the Bible records of their lives were filled in early and medieval times to a great extent by apocrypha or pseudepigrapha such as the Latin Life of Adam and Eve (which merges at some points with a series of legends of the Holy Rood). It describes their attempt to return to paradise by undertaking penance whilst immersed in a river, Eve's second temptation, and the ways in which Adam and Eve cope with the novelties of childbirth and death. The Vita Adae et Evae is part of a broad apocryphal tradition, but is not a unified text, and there are very many variations within the substantial number of extant versions. It was translated and adapted in prose, verse, and drama (as tracts, in chronicles, or as literary works) in virtually all western and some eastern European languages in the Middle Ages, and survived sometimes beyond that. These adaptations are examined on a comparative basis. There is a limited iconographical tradition. The book argues that the study of the apocryphal tradition demands examination of these vernacular texts; and also brings to light a very widespread aspect of European culture that disappeared to a large extent—though it did not die out completely—at the time of the Renaissance and Reformation, with their renewed insistence on canonicity and on the establishment of a foundation text for works of antiquity.Less
This book examines the development in medieval European literature of the story of Adam and Eve after the expulsion from paradise. The gaps in what the Bible records of their lives were filled in early and medieval times to a great extent by apocrypha or pseudepigrapha such as the Latin Life of Adam and Eve (which merges at some points with a series of legends of the Holy Rood). It describes their attempt to return to paradise by undertaking penance whilst immersed in a river, Eve's second temptation, and the ways in which Adam and Eve cope with the novelties of childbirth and death. The Vita Adae et Evae is part of a broad apocryphal tradition, but is not a unified text, and there are very many variations within the substantial number of extant versions. It was translated and adapted in prose, verse, and drama (as tracts, in chronicles, or as literary works) in virtually all western and some eastern European languages in the Middle Ages, and survived sometimes beyond that. These adaptations are examined on a comparative basis. There is a limited iconographical tradition. The book argues that the study of the apocryphal tradition demands examination of these vernacular texts; and also brings to light a very widespread aspect of European culture that disappeared to a large extent—though it did not die out completely—at the time of the Renaissance and Reformation, with their renewed insistence on canonicity and on the establishment of a foundation text for works of antiquity.
J. K. Elliott (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198261827
- eISBN:
- 9780191600562
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198261829.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
An English translation of the oldest and most important early Christian non‐canonical writings. It is based on the earlier collection edited in 1924 by Montague Rhodes James. The book is divided into ...
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An English translation of the oldest and most important early Christian non‐canonical writings. It is based on the earlier collection edited in 1924 by Montague Rhodes James. The book is divided into the conventional categories of gospels, acts, epistles, and revelatory texts. A long subsection deals with stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood. Another section deals with fragmentary gospel texts on papyrus. The bulk of the book is given over to second‐century legends of individual apostles. Another section covers apocryphal acpocalypses. An appendix gives a selection of stories about the Virgin Mary's assumption and dormition. Each translated text is prefaced with an introduction and select bibliography. Full indexes of citations and themes are provided.Less
An English translation of the oldest and most important early Christian non‐canonical writings. It is based on the earlier collection edited in 1924 by Montague Rhodes James. The book is divided into the conventional categories of gospels, acts, epistles, and revelatory texts. A long subsection deals with stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood. Another section deals with fragmentary gospel texts on papyrus. The bulk of the book is given over to second‐century legends of individual apostles. Another section covers apocryphal acpocalypses. An appendix gives a selection of stories about the Virgin Mary's assumption and dormition. Each translated text is prefaced with an introduction and select bibliography. Full indexes of citations and themes are provided.
Brian Murdoch
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199564149
- eISBN:
- 9780191721328
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199564149.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
This chapter discusses the question of apocryphal and pseudepigraphic texts within church history and the canon, and places the Vita Adae et Evae as a Christian Old Testament apocryphon within the ...
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This chapter discusses the question of apocryphal and pseudepigraphic texts within church history and the canon, and places the Vita Adae et Evae as a Christian Old Testament apocryphon within the context of the very broad apocryphal Adambook tradition, especially the Greek Life of Adam and Eve. It provides a summary of the narrative, and shows that there is no fixed text in Latin. It indicates how many versions and adaptations are known in vernacular languages of medieval Europe, and the kind of contexts in which they are found. It argues that these are an integral part of the apocryphal tradition. Some were printed at an early stage, and some were written down well after the Reformation; others remain unedited. The chapter also shows the relationship of the Adam stories to those of the Rood, the cross before Christ.Less
This chapter discusses the question of apocryphal and pseudepigraphic texts within church history and the canon, and places the Vita Adae et Evae as a Christian Old Testament apocryphon within the context of the very broad apocryphal Adambook tradition, especially the Greek Life of Adam and Eve. It provides a summary of the narrative, and shows that there is no fixed text in Latin. It indicates how many versions and adaptations are known in vernacular languages of medieval Europe, and the kind of contexts in which they are found. It argues that these are an integral part of the apocryphal tradition. Some were printed at an early stage, and some were written down well after the Reformation; others remain unedited. The chapter also shows the relationship of the Adam stories to those of the Rood, the cross before Christ.
Zvi Ben‐Dor Benite
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195307337
- eISBN:
- 9780199867868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195307337.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter describes the development of the myth during the time of the Persian and Roman empires after the “sealing” of the Bible and, later, the destruction of temple in 70 CE. The return of the ...
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This chapter describes the development of the myth during the time of the Persian and Roman empires after the “sealing” of the Bible and, later, the destruction of temple in 70 CE. The return of the Judahite exiles from Babylonia under the leadership of Ezra presented the Jews of the Second Temple period with a serious theological problem: if, as promised, God allowed the return of Two tribes of Judah from exile, why didn't He bring back the remaining Ten Tribes. The problem was also geographical: if they did not return, where are they “now”? These two questions gave rise to two paralleling sets of discussions among Jewish and Christian authors and thinkers. The theological one explained that Ten Tribes were exiled to a special place “beyond” the boundaries of this world as part of their special punishment. The geographical discussion delineated the location of that special place. Both Christian and Jewish thinkers promised the return of the tribes, but framed the ultimate return from exile as part of the “end of the days.” In both discussions geographical knowledge produced in the wake of Roman and Persian imperial expansion played a key role.Less
This chapter describes the development of the myth during the time of the Persian and Roman empires after the “sealing” of the Bible and, later, the destruction of temple in 70 CE. The return of the Judahite exiles from Babylonia under the leadership of Ezra presented the Jews of the Second Temple period with a serious theological problem: if, as promised, God allowed the return of Two tribes of Judah from exile, why didn't He bring back the remaining Ten Tribes. The problem was also geographical: if they did not return, where are they “now”? These two questions gave rise to two paralleling sets of discussions among Jewish and Christian authors and thinkers. The theological one explained that Ten Tribes were exiled to a special place “beyond” the boundaries of this world as part of their special punishment. The geographical discussion delineated the location of that special place. Both Christian and Jewish thinkers promised the return of the tribes, but framed the ultimate return from exile as part of the “end of the days.” In both discussions geographical knowledge produced in the wake of Roman and Persian imperial expansion played a key role.
Terryl L. Givens
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195313901
- eISBN:
- 9780199871933
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313901.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In the Hellenistic era, the center of Christian learning shifted to Alexandria. Philo effects a synthesis of Platonic and Hebraic ideas, including preexistence. The idea persists through numerous ...
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In the Hellenistic era, the center of Christian learning shifted to Alexandria. Philo effects a synthesis of Platonic and Hebraic ideas, including preexistence. The idea persists through numerous apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal traditions, associated with Enoch, Moses, Joseph, Ezra, and Solomon. It also appears in Gnostic texts from Nag Hammadi, often in connection with the figure of Sophia. In Paul, the preexistent church and Christ's preexistence are important.Less
In the Hellenistic era, the center of Christian learning shifted to Alexandria. Philo effects a synthesis of Platonic and Hebraic ideas, including preexistence. The idea persists through numerous apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal traditions, associated with Enoch, Moses, Joseph, Ezra, and Solomon. It also appears in Gnostic texts from Nag Hammadi, often in connection with the figure of Sophia. In Paul, the preexistent church and Christ's preexistence are important.
Lawrence M. Wills (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151428
- eISBN:
- 9780199870516
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151429.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
An introduction and translation of Greek Esther, or Esther as it appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha. This novel deals with Esther and Mordecai in the court of the King of Persia. It includes the ...
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An introduction and translation of Greek Esther, or Esther as it appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha. This novel deals with Esther and Mordecai in the court of the King of Persia. It includes the motifs of prayer, penitence, the competition of ethnic groups, the role of women, and the construction of gender.Less
An introduction and translation of Greek Esther, or Esther as it appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha. This novel deals with Esther and Mordecai in the court of the King of Persia. It includes the motifs of prayer, penitence, the competition of ethnic groups, the role of women, and the construction of gender.
Lawrence M. Wills (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151428
- eISBN:
- 9780199870516
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151429.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
An introduction and translation of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon (also called Bel and the Serpent), added to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament Apocrypha. Bel and the Dragon is a satire or ...
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An introduction and translation of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon (also called Bel and the Serpent), added to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament Apocrypha. Bel and the Dragon is a satire or parody of worship of idols. These stories include the motifs of penitence and prayer, competition of ethnic groups, the role of women, and the construction of gender.Less
An introduction and translation of Susanna and Bel and the Dragon (also called Bel and the Serpent), added to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament Apocrypha. Bel and the Dragon is a satire or parody of worship of idols. These stories include the motifs of penitence and prayer, competition of ethnic groups, the role of women, and the construction of gender.
Lawrence M. Wills (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151428
- eISBN:
- 9780199870516
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151429.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
An introduction and translation of Tobit, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, which is set in Israel and Persia. It is a family drama with a fairy‐tale‐like quality; the characters are ...
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An introduction and translation of Tobit, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, which is set in Israel and Persia. It is a family drama with a fairy‐tale‐like quality; the characters are beset by evil demons and protected by angels who perform miracles in human guise. It also includes interesting references to Jewish customs.Less
An introduction and translation of Tobit, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, which is set in Israel and Persia. It is a family drama with a fairy‐tale‐like quality; the characters are beset by evil demons and protected by angels who perform miracles in human guise. It also includes interesting references to Jewish customs.
Lawrence M. Wills (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151428
- eISBN:
- 9780199870516
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151429.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
An introduction and translation of Judith, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha. Judith is a heroine who chops off the head of Holofernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar, thus saving ...
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An introduction and translation of Judith, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha. Judith is a heroine who chops off the head of Holofernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar, thus saving Jerusalem from his attacking armies. She is a pious widow who lives a life of prayer and penitence; her example is also transitional to asceticism. This satire includes the motifs of irony, penitence and prayer, competition of ethnic groups, the role of women, and the construction of gender.Less
An introduction and translation of Judith, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha. Judith is a heroine who chops off the head of Holofernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar, thus saving Jerusalem from his attacking armies. She is a pious widow who lives a life of prayer and penitence; her example is also transitional to asceticism. This satire includes the motifs of irony, penitence and prayer, competition of ethnic groups, the role of women, and the construction of gender.
Henry Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199246953
- eISBN:
- 9780191600463
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199246955.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Amid the diversity of mid‐second century Christianity, with different groups adopting different gospels as their supreme authority, the writings of Irenaeus of Lyon constituted an important link ...
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Amid the diversity of mid‐second century Christianity, with different groups adopting different gospels as their supreme authority, the writings of Irenaeus of Lyon constituted an important link between churches scattered throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. His greatest work was a five‐part argument against gnosticism, and he repeatedly emphasizes the one faith shared by believers everywhere. Irenaeus ‘embodies the process towards standardization’, with a fixed list of writings deemed to be authoritative. Nevertheless, ‘apocryphal’ material, including Christian apocalypses, continued to be influential.Less
Amid the diversity of mid‐second century Christianity, with different groups adopting different gospels as their supreme authority, the writings of Irenaeus of Lyon constituted an important link between churches scattered throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. His greatest work was a five‐part argument against gnosticism, and he repeatedly emphasizes the one faith shared by believers everywhere. Irenaeus ‘embodies the process towards standardization’, with a fixed list of writings deemed to be authoritative. Nevertheless, ‘apocryphal’ material, including Christian apocalypses, continued to be influential.
Timothy H. Lim
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780300164343
- eISBN:
- 9780300164954
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300164343.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides unprecedented insight into the nature of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament before its fixation. This book presents a complete account of the formation ...
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The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides unprecedented insight into the nature of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament before its fixation. This book presents a complete account of the formation of the canon in Ancient Judaism from the emergence of the Torah in the Persian period to the final acceptance of the list of twenty-two/twenty-four books in the Rabbinic period. Using the Hebrew Bible, the Scrolls, the Apocrypha, the Letter of Aristeas, the writings of Philo, Josephus, the New Testament, and Rabbinic literature as primary evidence the book argues that throughout the post-exilic period up to around 100 ce, there was not one official “canon” accepted by all Jews; rather, there existed a plurality of collections of scriptures that were authoritative for different communities. Examining the literary sources and historical circumstances that led to the emergence of authoritative scriptures in ancient Judaism, the book proposes a theory of the majority canon that posits that the Pharisaic canon became the canon of Rabbinic Judaism in the centuries after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.Less
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides unprecedented insight into the nature of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament before its fixation. This book presents a complete account of the formation of the canon in Ancient Judaism from the emergence of the Torah in the Persian period to the final acceptance of the list of twenty-two/twenty-four books in the Rabbinic period. Using the Hebrew Bible, the Scrolls, the Apocrypha, the Letter of Aristeas, the writings of Philo, Josephus, the New Testament, and Rabbinic literature as primary evidence the book argues that throughout the post-exilic period up to around 100 ce, there was not one official “canon” accepted by all Jews; rather, there existed a plurality of collections of scriptures that were authoritative for different communities. Examining the literary sources and historical circumstances that led to the emergence of authoritative scriptures in ancient Judaism, the book proposes a theory of the majority canon that posits that the Pharisaic canon became the canon of Rabbinic Judaism in the centuries after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.
Gerald O'Collins SJ and Mario Farrugia SJ
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199259946
- eISBN:
- 9780191602122
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199259941.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter offers a Catholic view of divine revelation, the response of human faith, the tradition that hands on belief in God, and the scriptures that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The saving ...
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This chapter offers a Catholic view of divine revelation, the response of human faith, the tradition that hands on belief in God, and the scriptures that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The saving self-revelation of God comes through an interplay of deeds and words, is centred on Christ, and is a past, present, and future reality. Tradition should be understood both as a process (the act of tradition) and as a living heritage (tradition as content). Being an inspired, written record, the Bible is not to be simply identified with revelation. Biblical truth is progressive, personal, and salvific. The canon of scriptures, the closed list of inspired books, arose through their subsequent recognition by the Church.Less
This chapter offers a Catholic view of divine revelation, the response of human faith, the tradition that hands on belief in God, and the scriptures that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The saving self-revelation of God comes through an interplay of deeds and words, is centred on Christ, and is a past, present, and future reality. Tradition should be understood both as a process (the act of tradition) and as a living heritage (tradition as content). Being an inspired, written record, the Bible is not to be simply identified with revelation. Biblical truth is progressive, personal, and salvific. The canon of scriptures, the closed list of inspired books, arose through their subsequent recognition by the Church.
Timothy Michael Law
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199781713
- eISBN:
- 9780199345168
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199781713.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World
This new book narrates in a fresh and exciting way the story of the Septuagint, the Greek Scriptures of the ancient Jewish Diaspora that became the first the Christian Old Testament. Consisting both ...
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This new book narrates in a fresh and exciting way the story of the Septuagint, the Greek Scriptures of the ancient Jewish Diaspora that became the first the Christian Old Testament. Consisting both of translations of the Hebrew Scriptures and further original Greek compositions produced between the third century BCE and the second CE, the Septuagint is a window into a critical stage of the Bible's history, during its final formation and its developing authoritative status. Throughout this period, the Jewish Scriptures existed in a plurality of forms, still growing and being subjected to continual editorial modification, and the Septuagint is often our only surviving witness to this phase of the Bible's history. The Septuagint also became the first Christian Old Testament, being used by the New Testament and early Christian writers. This book illustrates the character of the Greek Septuagint, and the significance of its use by the New Testament writers and early Christian thinkers in the construction of early Christian belief. Providing the Jewish Scriptures which Christians read as preliminary to their story to a Greek-speaking Mediterranean world, the Septuagint helped to transform the early Christian movement from a small, insignificant stream of Judaism, to a tide that would quickly rush over the inhabited world. But what happened to the first Christian Old Testament? Slowly at first but then entirely the Western Church abandoned its first Bible and embraced the Hebrew Bible of the early rabbinic movement. When did the shift to the Hebrew begin, and why?Less
This new book narrates in a fresh and exciting way the story of the Septuagint, the Greek Scriptures of the ancient Jewish Diaspora that became the first the Christian Old Testament. Consisting both of translations of the Hebrew Scriptures and further original Greek compositions produced between the third century BCE and the second CE, the Septuagint is a window into a critical stage of the Bible's history, during its final formation and its developing authoritative status. Throughout this period, the Jewish Scriptures existed in a plurality of forms, still growing and being subjected to continual editorial modification, and the Septuagint is often our only surviving witness to this phase of the Bible's history. The Septuagint also became the first Christian Old Testament, being used by the New Testament and early Christian writers. This book illustrates the character of the Greek Septuagint, and the significance of its use by the New Testament writers and early Christian thinkers in the construction of early Christian belief. Providing the Jewish Scriptures which Christians read as preliminary to their story to a Greek-speaking Mediterranean world, the Septuagint helped to transform the early Christian movement from a small, insignificant stream of Judaism, to a tide that would quickly rush over the inhabited world. But what happened to the first Christian Old Testament? Slowly at first but then entirely the Western Church abandoned its first Bible and embraced the Hebrew Bible of the early rabbinic movement. When did the shift to the Hebrew begin, and why?
Christine Mollier
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824831691
- eISBN:
- 9780824868765
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824831691.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
This book reveals previously unexplored dimensions of the interaction between Buddhism and Taoism in medieval China. While scholars of Chinese religions have long recognized the mutual influences ...
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This book reveals previously unexplored dimensions of the interaction between Buddhism and Taoism in medieval China. While scholars of Chinese religions have long recognized the mutual influences linking the two traditions, the book brings to light their intense contest for hegemony in the domains of scripture and ritual. It demonstrates the competition and complementarity of the two great Chinese religions in their quest to address personal and collective fears of diverse ills, including sorcery, famine, and untimely death. In this context, Buddhist apocrypha and Taoist scriptures were composed through a process of mutual borrowing, yielding parallel texts, the book argues, that closely mirrored one another. Life-extending techniques, astrological observances, talismans, spells, and the use of effigies and icons to resolve the fundamental preoccupations of medieval society were similarly incorporated in both religions. In many cases, as a result, one and the same body of material can be found in both Buddhist and Taoist guises. Through case-studies, the patterns whereby medieval Buddhists and Taoists each appropriated and transformed for their own use the rites and scriptures oftheir rivals are revealed with precision.Less
This book reveals previously unexplored dimensions of the interaction between Buddhism and Taoism in medieval China. While scholars of Chinese religions have long recognized the mutual influences linking the two traditions, the book brings to light their intense contest for hegemony in the domains of scripture and ritual. It demonstrates the competition and complementarity of the two great Chinese religions in their quest to address personal and collective fears of diverse ills, including sorcery, famine, and untimely death. In this context, Buddhist apocrypha and Taoist scriptures were composed through a process of mutual borrowing, yielding parallel texts, the book argues, that closely mirrored one another. Life-extending techniques, astrological observances, talismans, spells, and the use of effigies and icons to resolve the fundamental preoccupations of medieval society were similarly incorporated in both religions. In many cases, as a result, one and the same body of material can be found in both Buddhist and Taoist guises. Through case-studies, the patterns whereby medieval Buddhists and Taoists each appropriated and transformed for their own use the rites and scriptures oftheir rivals are revealed with precision.
ANNETTE VOLFING
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199246847
- eISBN:
- 9780191714597
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199246847.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, Early and Medieval Literature, European Literature
This chapter provides an overview of the biographical tradition associated with John the Evangelist. It covers the principal sources contributing to this tradition: the Bible, apocrypha, patristic ...
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This chapter provides an overview of the biographical tradition associated with John the Evangelist. It covers the principal sources contributing to this tradition: the Bible, apocrypha, patristic writing, early medieval exegesis, and the Legenda Aurea. It also covers key biographical themes: the virginity of John and the story of his engagement to Mary Magdalene (culminating at the wedding in Cana); the authorship of John; and the stories surrounding the death of John. These disparate themes and episode took on a diversity of meanings for later German authors.Less
This chapter provides an overview of the biographical tradition associated with John the Evangelist. It covers the principal sources contributing to this tradition: the Bible, apocrypha, patristic writing, early medieval exegesis, and the Legenda Aurea. It also covers key biographical themes: the virginity of John and the story of his engagement to Mary Magdalene (culminating at the wedding in Cana); the authorship of John; and the stories surrounding the death of John. These disparate themes and episode took on a diversity of meanings for later German authors.
Edmon L. Gallagher and John D. Meade
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198792499
- eISBN:
- 9780191834493
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198792499.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This book contributes to the discussion on the development of the biblical canon by presenting clearly the early Christian lists of canonical books. Scholarly and popular literature frequently ...
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This book contributes to the discussion on the development of the biblical canon by presenting clearly the early Christian lists of canonical books. Scholarly and popular literature frequently mentions the views of early Christians on the biblical canon, and frequently the information is wrong or insufficiently nuanced. This book clearly presents the early canon lists, with notes to guide the interpretation of the lists, and will clear up some confusion on the state of the Bible in early Christianity. The lists certainly do not solve every problem about the development of the Bible, and close study of their contents will in some ways add to the complexities of the subject. But in the belief that scholarship advances most soundly by constant interaction with the ancient sources that it seeks to interpret, ready access to a collection of canon lists in the original language with translation and notes should serve as a boon to biblical scholars and patristic scholars alike.Less
This book contributes to the discussion on the development of the biblical canon by presenting clearly the early Christian lists of canonical books. Scholarly and popular literature frequently mentions the views of early Christians on the biblical canon, and frequently the information is wrong or insufficiently nuanced. This book clearly presents the early canon lists, with notes to guide the interpretation of the lists, and will clear up some confusion on the state of the Bible in early Christianity. The lists certainly do not solve every problem about the development of the Bible, and close study of their contents will in some ways add to the complexities of the subject. But in the belief that scholarship advances most soundly by constant interaction with the ancient sources that it seeks to interpret, ready access to a collection of canon lists in the original language with translation and notes should serve as a boon to biblical scholars and patristic scholars alike.
Alicia Myers
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190677084
- eISBN:
- 9780190677114
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190677084.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Mothers appear throughout the New Testament. Called “blessed among women” by Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most obvious example. But Mary is joined by Elizabeth, ...
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Mothers appear throughout the New Testament. Called “blessed among women” by Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most obvious example. But Mary is joined by Elizabeth, a chorus of unnamed mothers seeking healing or promotions for their children, as well as male mothers, including Paul (Gal 4:19–20) and Jesus. Although interpreters of the New Testament have explored these maternal characters and metaphors, many have only recently begun to take seriously their theological aspects. This book builds on previous studies by arguing maternal language is not only theological but also indebted to ancient gender constructions and their reshaping by early Christians. Especially significant are the physiological, anatomical, and social constructions of female bodies that permeate the ancient world where early Christianity was birthed. This book examines ancient generative theories, physiological understandings of breastmilk and breastfeeding, and presentations of prominent mothers in literature and art to analyze the use of these themes in the New Testament and several, additional early Christian writings. In a context that aligned perfection with “masculinity,” motherhood was the ideal goal for women—a justification for deficient, female existence. Proclaiming a new age ushered in by God’s Christ, however, ancient Christians debated the place of women, mothers, and motherhood as a part of their reframing of gender expectations. Rather than a homogenous approval of literal motherhood, ancient Christian writings depict a spectrum of ideals for women disciples even as they retain the assumption of masculine superiority.Less
Mothers appear throughout the New Testament. Called “blessed among women” by Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most obvious example. But Mary is joined by Elizabeth, a chorus of unnamed mothers seeking healing or promotions for their children, as well as male mothers, including Paul (Gal 4:19–20) and Jesus. Although interpreters of the New Testament have explored these maternal characters and metaphors, many have only recently begun to take seriously their theological aspects. This book builds on previous studies by arguing maternal language is not only theological but also indebted to ancient gender constructions and their reshaping by early Christians. Especially significant are the physiological, anatomical, and social constructions of female bodies that permeate the ancient world where early Christianity was birthed. This book examines ancient generative theories, physiological understandings of breastmilk and breastfeeding, and presentations of prominent mothers in literature and art to analyze the use of these themes in the New Testament and several, additional early Christian writings. In a context that aligned perfection with “masculinity,” motherhood was the ideal goal for women—a justification for deficient, female existence. Proclaiming a new age ushered in by God’s Christ, however, ancient Christians debated the place of women, mothers, and motherhood as a part of their reframing of gender expectations. Rather than a homogenous approval of literal motherhood, ancient Christian writings depict a spectrum of ideals for women disciples even as they retain the assumption of masculine superiority.
Juliana Dresvina
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780197265963
- eISBN:
- 9780191772061
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265963.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
Chapter 11 focuses on St Margaret’s encounter with the dragon and the black demon. It argues that the saint’s conversation with the black demon, in which Margaret is tempted with arcane knowledge and ...
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Chapter 11 focuses on St Margaret’s encounter with the dragon and the black demon. It argues that the saint’s conversation with the black demon, in which Margaret is tempted with arcane knowledge and then casts out the devil, is an act of exorcism influenced by the early Judaeo-Christian writings such as the Testament of Solomon or Questions of Bartholomew. Margaret’s role as an exorcist connects her with King Solomon who was also believed to be efficient against the demons harming expectant mothers and newborn children. This, and not her miraculous ‘birth’ from the dragon, may have initially made her specialise in protecting women in labour – the specialisation that later made Margaret the patron saint of childbirth.Less
Chapter 11 focuses on St Margaret’s encounter with the dragon and the black demon. It argues that the saint’s conversation with the black demon, in which Margaret is tempted with arcane knowledge and then casts out the devil, is an act of exorcism influenced by the early Judaeo-Christian writings such as the Testament of Solomon or Questions of Bartholomew. Margaret’s role as an exorcist connects her with King Solomon who was also believed to be efficient against the demons harming expectant mothers and newborn children. This, and not her miraculous ‘birth’ from the dragon, may have initially made her specialise in protecting women in labour – the specialisation that later made Margaret the patron saint of childbirth.
