churches in greco-roman context

Hellenistic Backgrounds to the New Testament : 

Hellenistic Backgrounds to the New Testament NT301: Introduction to the New Testament New Brunswick Theological Seminary Virginia Wiles

Map of the Roman Worldof the First Century C.E. : 

Map of the Roman Worldof the First Century C.E. 2

Outline : 

Outline Social Institutions The Hellenistic Church in Context The Communities and Their Literary Representations 3

Social Institutions : 

Social Institutions A social institution is -- a grouping of persons within a society in order to… provide and maintain personal identity provide meaning and purpose for life maintain and perpetuate society Such groupings are -- artificial appear to be “natural” 4

Categories of Social Groupings : 

Categories of Social Groupings Family and Sexual Relations primary socialization perpetuation progress/change Education secondary socialization perpetuation of society progress/change

Social Groupings (continued) : 

Social Groupings (continued) Religious secondary socialization “cosmic” identity meaning and purpose Social secondary socialization friendship social maintenance: behavior social mobility 5

Social Groupings (continued) : 

Social Groupings (continued) Economic business and trade exchange of goods and services training and maintenance other economic relations slavery client/patron

Family and Sexual Relations : 

Family and Sexual Relations The Household Basic building block of the state Aristotle Husband/Wife -- Father/Children -- Master/Slave Patriarchal Sexual Relations 6

Education in the Ancient World : 

Education in the Ancient World Advanced Scholarship: Science, Geology, History, Pedagogy, Mathematics, Medicine, Art, Music, Literature and Oratory Earliest Education Paid Grammarian Gymnasium Higher Education The Philosophical Schools 7

Religion in the Ancient World : 

Religion in the Ancient World Pluralistic and Syncretistic The Greek Mysteries Official Cult

Pluralistic and Syncretistic Features : 

Pluralistic and Syncretistic Features Identification or combination of deities of different origins Oriental religions hellenized Concepts growing out of general Hellenistic religious experience invaded all religions Inherited ancient concepts reinterpreted to fit into new world culture Creation of new religions out of Greek and non-Greek elements

The Greek Mysteries : 

The Greek Mysteries Demeter cult in Eleusis Dionysian Cult Sarapis and Isis Asclepius

Demeter cult in Eleusis : 

Demeter cult in Eleusis “Mother of Grain” Most significant of the mystery religions Ritual Initiation Consecration Higher Consecration Each stage consisted of demonstrations, actions, and words Destroyed in 5th c. C.E.

Dionysian Cult (=Bacchus) : 

Dionysian Cult (=Bacchus) Thracian == “Son of Zeus” Originally only women -- orgiastic feasts in middle of winter Widely accepted Common meal and drinking of wine Myth of the dying and revivification of Dionysius Observances of ritual purity and rules of abstention

Sarapis and Isis : 

Sarapis and Isis Egyptian -- most Hellenized oriental religion Isis = the goddess of the royal throne Horus = the mythical representation of the living Pharoah (=Isis’ son) Osiris = the mythical embodiment of Nile’s fertile lands, also God of the dead Pharoahs

The Isis Myth : 

The Isis Myth Osiris dies Isis revives Isis becomes pregnant with Horus Isis buries Osiris Sarapis = Osiris manifested as “fatherly figure”

THE HELLENISTIC CHURCH “IN CONTEXT” : 

THE HELLENISTIC CHURCH “IN CONTEXT”

A. What did it “look” like? : 

A. What did it “look” like? Synagogue professional collegia religious collegia burial collegia

B. The Structure of the “House Church” : 

B. The Structure of the “House Church” a. “Founder” b. Location c. Meetings -- see, e.g., 1 Cor. 11, 14 songs (Greek or Hebrew?) e.g., Phil. 2:6-11 stories about Jesus, e.g., oral tradition ”prophecy” -- exposition of stories about Jesus Use of LXX The “Meal” -- Agape/’Eucharist’

The Communities and Their Literary : 

The Communities and Their Literary

The “Great Tradition” and the “Little Tradition.” : 

The “Great Tradition” and the “Little Tradition.”

“Great Tradition” = Translocal 10% : 

“Great Tradition” = Translocal 10% The world of the scholars, writers, orators The “official” policy--philosophy, ethics, governance, religion Ideas -- Words -- Interpretation

“Little Tradition” = Local 90% : 

“Little Tradition” = Local 90% The world of the “common folk” The unofficial, operation practices--beliefs, morals, justice, religion Actions -- Folk art and narrative -- “Common sense”

Basic social requirements for the “Local Tradition” : 

Basic social requirements for the “Local Tradition” an attachment to the land or a rlsp to nature an attachment to a local community and its organization family cohesiveness a need for moral authority and precision ceremonial marking of key-season and life-process days

The Geographic distribution of the early churches of the Roman Empire. : 

The Geographic distribution of the early churches of the Roman Empire.

Antioch : 

Antioch Pauline missionary group, originiated in Antioch The birthplace of gentile Christianity Gentile -- Jewish continuing contact and debate Literature -- Matthew, not Antioch but Syrian 2nd c. == Ignatius (==Johannine)

Asia Minor -- Ephesus and other cities : 

Asia Minor -- Ephesus and other cities religious Artemis Cybele active cult of the emperor, cf. 1 Peter, Revelation Paul, cf. Acts 19-20 John

Macedonia : 

Macedonia Philippi Thessalonica Paul

Achaia -- Corinth : 

Achaia -- Corinth immense political and economic power, most important in Greece Isis, women very cosmopolitan, urban, known for low morals Paul

Rome : 

Rome Paul Peter/Mark

Alexandria : 

Alexandria no NT, unless Hebrews is placed there influential in 3rd century philosophical Xny