The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ : deification of Jesus in early Christian discourse /
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There is now a substantial scholarly consensus for the emergence of a high or divine Christology very early and from a Jewish context, but the questions of \'how\' and \'why\' need further study. Within the framework of traditional Jewish monotheism, Paul and other early Christians used the language of deity to describe Jesus. To investigate their view of Jesus, the author examines Paul's discourse in 2 Cor 3:16-4:6, employing insights from rhetorical criticism and Oneness Pentecostal Christology. He explains how early Christians proclaimed the deity of Jesus within their monotheistic Jewish context. He then identifies socio-rhetorical reasons for and practical consequences of the monotheistic deification of Jesus.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 226-248) and indexes. :
9789004397217 :
0966-7393 ;
Imagining the Death of Jesus in Fourth Century Mesopotamia : A Study of Ephrem of Nisibis /
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In this volume Blake Hartung explores the place of the passion and death of Jesus in the writings of Ephrem of Nisibis (ca. 307-373). The book argues that the genre of Ephrem's works (usually short poems for public performance), is key to understanding his unsystematic approach. Ephrem drew widely upon the Passion narratives and traditional motifs related to Christ's death and deployed them differently in distinct settings. Each chapter explores a key theme in Ephrem's discourse about the death of Christ in context (including anti-Judaism, the defeat of death, and economic imagery). Ultimately, Hartung urges further consideration of the role of Christ's death in early Christian thought and practice beyond the traditional confines of atonement theology.
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1 online resource (270 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004680241
Human nature in Gregory of Nyssa : philosophical background and theological significance /
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This volume explores Gregory Of Nyssa's concept of human nature. It argues that the frequent use Gregory makes of phusis -terminology is not only a terminological predilection, but rather the key to the philosophical and theological foundations of his thought. Starting from an overview of the theological landscape in the early 360's the study first demonstrates the meaning and relevance of universal human nature as an analogy for the Trinity in Cappadocian theology. The second part explores Gregory's use of this same notion in his teaching on the divine economy. It is argued that Gregory takes this philosophical theory into the service of his own theology. Ultimately the book provides an example for the mutual interaction of philosophy and Christian theology in the fourth century.
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Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--University of Oxford in Michaelmas, 1997. :
1 online resource (ix, 271 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004274327 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Didache in context : essays on its text, history, and transmission /
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The Didache in Context contains an intriguing look into the background of the Didache, exploring the influence of the text upon the development of early Christianity. It offers an insightful collection of essays that have been gathered from the research efforts of numerous biblical and patristic scholars from around the world. The book seeks to explore questions that relate to the composition of the text itself, the history of the role and function of the Didache within early Christian circles, and the influence of the manuscript upon early Christian traditions and trends of thought. In addition to the numerous, individual investigations that are featured here, the collection includes a fresh translation of the text in English and a comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography of literature on the Didache.
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English, French, German, and Greek; includes English translation of the Didache. :
1 online resource (xviii, 420 pages, 2 pages of plates) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [368]-399) and indexes. :
9789004267237 :
0167-9732 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Talking about God and Talking about Creation : Avicenna's and Thomas Aquinas' positions /
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Comparing Avicenna's and Thomas Aquinas' positions regarding human knowledge, this volumes talks about God and the nature of the creative action and the beginning of the universe. The overall argument of the book is that their conception of theological language plays an important role in shaping their positions concerning the creation of the universe. In the first part, their conception of the theological language and divine formal features are explored and how their positions regarding theological language differ from each other is discussed. The second part includes a comparison of their conceptions of the nature of the divine creative action-which provides a good example showing how their conceptions of theological language affect the way they talk about creation-and their arguments concerning the beginning of the universe.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047415923
9789004144774
The Necessity of Christ's Satisfaction : A Study of the Reformed Scholastic Theologians William Twisse (1578-1646) and John Owen (1616-1683) /
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Could God have saved fallen humanity in some other way than by Christ's satisfaction? This study explores this hotly contested question among the seventeenth-century Reformed orthodox discussions by an analysis of the representative Reformed theologians, William Twisse and John Owen.
The seventeenth century Reformed Orthodox discussions of the work of Christ and its various doctrinal constitutive elements were rich and multifaceted, ranging across biblical and exegetical, historical, philosophical, and theological fields of inquiry. Among the most contested questions in these discussions was the question of the necessity of Christ's satisfaction. This study sets that "great controverted point," as Richard Baxter called it, in its historical and traditionary contexts and provides a philosophical and theological analysis of the arguments offered by two representative Reformed scholastic theologians, William Twisse and John Owen.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004520868
9789004520851
Words, imagery, and the mystery of Christ : a reconstruction of Cyril of Alexandria's christology /
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This volume deals with the christology of fifth-century pastor and theologian Cyril of Alexandria, particularly as it relates to Apollinarianism and Nestorianism. More specifically, it explores the use of a plethora of images to illustrate his understanding of the mystery of Christ. The book traces the background of his analogies in the philosophers and the Scriptures. Included are sections on Cyril's understanding and use of the Scriptures, and the intended force of images in his theology. The final part is a re-reading of his christology through the lens of his christological imagery. Historians of Christian theology and dogma will find a unique look into the word pictures Cyril uses and the picture of Christ the reveal.
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Based on the author's thesis (doctoral)--University of Aberdeen, 1998. :
1 online resource (viii, 242 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-239) and index. :
9789004313217 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Tod und Ritual in den christlichen Gemeinden der Antike /
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The development of Early Christian rituals in connection with death and burial has so far not sufficiently been explored. Volp's study focuses on the surviving literary sources-both pagan and Christian-, together with inscriptions and other archaeological remains while taking into account recent results from science and humanities. A summary of death and ritual in the ancient Mediterranean religions is followed by detailed analyses of the Christian sources from the 2nd to the 5th century. Thus, basic developments are being discovered which led to and accompanied the forming of Christian rituals, such as ritual purity or the social structure of family and society. Being the first such interdisciplinary approach, it also represents the first monographic work on the topic since 1941.
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Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bonn, 2001. :
1 online resource (xii, 337 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-309) and indexes. :
9789004313309 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Proclus of Constantinople and the Cult of the Virgin in Late Antiquity : Homilies 15, Texts and Translations.
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Proclus of Constantinople was an outstanding pulpit orator who established the rhetoric and rationale for the Byzantine devotion to the Mother of God. In this book, the critical editions of Proclus' most celebrated Marian sermons (Homilies 1-5) provide the point of departure for a far-reaching study of the rise of the Virgin's cult in Late Antiquity. The homilies are supported by a historical introduction to the life and work of Proclus, situating him within the larger religious culture of fifth-century Constantinople. Richly documented chapters explore the symbolism of the incarnation and virgin birth, including the notion of virginal \'conception through hearing,\' and the image of Mary's womb as a textile loom wich weaves a veil of flesh the bodiless divinity.
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Description based upon print version of record. :
1 online resource (465 pages) :
9789047404309 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Early Christian-Muslim debate on the unity of God : three Christian scholars and their engagement with Islamic thought (9th century c.e.) /
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Early Christian-Muslim Debate on the Unity of God examines the writings of three of the earliest known Christian theologians to write comprehensive theological works in Arabic. Theodore Abū Qurra, Abū Rā'iṭa and 'Ammār al-Baṣrī provide valuable insight into early Christian-Muslim debate shortly after the rise of the Islamic empire. Through close examination of their writings on the doctrine of the Trinity, Sara Husseini demonstrates the creativity of these theologians, who make use of language, style and argumentation characteristic of Islamic theological thought (kalām), in order to help articulate their long-established religious truths. Husseini offers close analysis of the authors individually and comparatively, exploring their engagement with Islamic theology and their role in this fascinating period.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004279698 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The origin and meaning of Ekklēsia in the early Jesus movement /
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In The Origin and Meaning of Ekklēsia in the Early Jesus Movement , Ralph J. Korner explores the ideological implications of Christ-follower associations self-designating collectively as ekklēsiai . Politically, Korner's inscriptional research suggests that an association named ekklēsia would have been perceived as a positive, rather than as a counter-imperial, participant within Imperial Greek cities. Socio-religiously, Korner argues that there was no universal ekklēsia to which all first generation Christ-followers belonged; ekklēsia was a permanent group designation used by Paul's associations. Ethno-religiously, Korner contends that ekklēsia usage by intra muros groups within pluriform Second Temple Judaism problematizes suggestions, not least at the institutional level, that Paul was "parting ways" with Judaism(s), 'Jewishness', or Jewish organizational forms.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004344990 :
1871-6636 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The fate of the dead : studies on the Jewish and Christian apocalypses /
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These studies focus on personal eschatology in the Jewish and early Christian apocalypses. The apocalyptic tradition from its Jewish origins until the early middle ages is studied as a continuous literary tradition, in which both continuity of motifs and important changes in understanding of life after death can be charted. As well as better known apocalypses, major and often pioneering attention is given to those neglected apocalypses which portray human destiny after death in detail, such as the Apocalypse of Peter, the Apocalypse of the Seven Heavens, the later apocalypses of Ezra, and the four apocalypses of the Virgin Mary. Relationships with Greco-Roman eschatology are explored. Several chapters show how specific New Testament texts are illuminated by close knowledge of this tradition of ideas and images of the hereafter.
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1 online resource (xvi, 425 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004267411 :
0167-9732 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Ontological aspects of early Jewish anthropology : the malleable self and the presence of God /
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In Ontological Aspects of Early Jewish Anthropology , Tyson L. Putthoff explores early Jewish beliefs about how the human self reacts ontologically in God's presence. Combining contemporary theory with sound exegesis, Putthoff demonstrates that early Jews widely considered the self to be intrinsically malleable, such that it mimics the ontological state of the space it inhabits. In divine space, they believed, the self therefore shares in the ontological state of God himself. The book is critical for students and scholars alike. In putting forth a new framework for conceptualising early Jewish anthropology, it challenges scholars to rethink not only what early Jews believed about the self but how we approach the subject in the first place.
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"This book is a revision of my doctoral thesis, completed at Durham University"--Acknowledgements. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004336414 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Irenaeus on creation : the cosmic Christ and the saga of redemption /
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Scholarship on Irenaeus has long acknowledged the centrality of creation to his theology, yet without fitting this theme securely into the Christological vision of Christ the 'Recapitulator'. Studies have considered elements of Irenaeus' cosmology and anthropology in extraction; but without seeing creation as an intrinsic part of his Christocentric vision, these have only partially been able to capture the intricacy and significance of his embrace of the creation saga. Drawing on the most recent Irenaean scholarship, the present volume explores in detail the Christocentric cosmology of one of the second century's greatest writers, setting him in the context of the theological currents of his day. The result is a volume that offers new insights into the trinitarian articulation of early Christianity, the full significance of humanity as bearing God's 'image', and a fuller reading of the details behind the title, 'Irenaeus the creationist'.
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1 online resource (xii, 244 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-237) and index. :
9789047433439 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Basil of Caesarea's anti-Eunomian theory of names : Christian theology and late-antique philosophy in the fourth century trinitarian controversy /
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Basil of Caesarea's debate with Eunomius of Cyzicus in the early 360s marks a turning point in the fourth-century Trinitarian controversies. It shifted focus to methodological and epistemological disputes underlying theological differences. This monograph explores one of these fundamental points of contention: the proper theory of names. It offers a revisionist interpretation of Eunomius's theory as a corrective to previous approaches, contesting the widespread assumption that it is indebted to Platonist sources and showing that it was developed by drawing upon proximate Christian sources. While Eunomius held that names uniquely predicated of God communicated the divine essence, in response Basil developed a "notionalist" theory wherein all names signify primarily notions and secondarily properties, not essence.
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Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Emory University, 2009. :
1 online resource (xiv, 300 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-284) and indexes. :
9789004189102 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Angelomorphic pneumatology : Clement of Alexandria and other early Christian witnesses /
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This book discusses the occurrence of angelic imagery in early Christian discourse about the Holy Spirit. Taking as its entry-point Clement of Alexandria's less explored writings, Excerpta ex Theodoto, Eclogae propheticae, and Adumbrationes, it shows that Clement's angelomorphic pneumatology occurs in tandem with spirit christology, within a theological framework still characterized by a binitarian orientation. This complex theological articulation, supported by the exegesis of specific biblical passages (Zech 4: 10; Isa 11 : 2-3; Matt 18:10), reworks Jewish and Christian traditions about the seven first-created angels, and constitutes a relatively widespread phenomenon in early Christianity. Evidence to support this claim is presented in the course of separate studies of Revelation, the Shepherd of Hermas, Justin Martyr, and Aphrahat.
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1 online resource (xxix, 232 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-215) and indexes. :
9789047444480 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Theoria-Unendlichkeit-Aufstieg : philosophische Implikationen zu "De vita Moysis" von Gregor von Nyssa /
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The relationship between theology and philosophy in Gregory of Nyssa's thought is a subject of great controversy. This study on one of Gregory's key writings does not however focus on the study of the source material, but discusses instead the philosophical implications of Gregory's ideas. Thus it is possible to place Gregory's principles in a broader context while maintaining the differences with philosophy. In the first part of the work, the Prooemium of the De Vita Moysis is examined. Following the classical rhetorical tradition, Gregory here starts off with the central themes of the entire work. The second part is devoted to the concept of theoria . This is explored through discussions of the eternity of God, \'language theory\', human striving towards God, and biblical interpretation. In the last chapter these structures of the notion of theoria are further examined in the light of the theophany in the De Vita Moysis .
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1 online resource (xii, 348 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 277-317) and indexes. :
9789004313026 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The apostolic age in patristic thought /
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This volume deals with how Christians of the first centuries looked back on the period of the nascent Church. Thanks to the incomparable stature of its founder, Jesus Christ, who had descended from heaven and commissioned his Apostles, this period was authorative for all Christians in matters of doctrine, institutions, rites and morality, a new phenomenon in the Graeco-Roman world. Its implications are explored in sixteen essays dealing with various subjects such as liturgy, the canon of Scriptures, the role of miracles, art, monasticism, and ministry. All contributions, taking into account both the views of individual Church fathers and Gnostic and Manichaean texts, make a large amount of primary material available.
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1 online resource (xi, 257 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047404293 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The quest for a common humanity human dignity and otherness in the religious traditions of the Mediterranean /
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The worldview that all human beings belong to one big family has, in the history of religions, never been taken for granted. Moreover, human rights are a modern notion that should not be projected back onto the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. However, from the Hellenistic period onwards one encounters the idea of human duties towards not only parents, neighbours and fellow citizens but to all human beings. This volume explores the development of this idea from Antiquity to the present time focussing on the \'other\' as \'neighbour, enemy, and infidel\', on the interpretation of the Biblical story of Abraham´s sacrifice and on ancient and modern ethical and legal implications of the concept of human dignity.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004211124
The spirit in first century Judaism /
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Conceptions of the divine spirit underwent complex metamorphoses in Jewish biblical interpretation during the Greco-Roman era. This monograph explores those permutations in the writings of Philo Judaeus, Josephus, and Pseudo-Philo ( Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum ). The first section, 'An Anomalous Prophet', unfolds surprisingly divergent transformations of the inspiration of Balaam. The second section, 'An Eclectic Era', unearths both faint and conspicuous traces of Greco-Roman conceptions in early Jewish interpretations. The third section, 'An Extraordinary Mind', undermines the view that the spirit was associated primarily with ecstasy rather than with intellectual insight. By analyzing these interpretations in light of other contemporary Greco-Roman and Jewish writings, this volume offers original and essential data for further study of inspiration in Antiquity, including early Judaism, early Christianity, and the Greco-Roman world. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.
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1 online resource (xiv, 302 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 276-279) and indexes. :
9789004332829 :
0169-734X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.