Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614114223751168 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Harper, John-Paul |
| author2 | Punt, Jeremy |
| author_browse | Harper, John-Paul Punt, Jeremy |
| author_facet | Punt, Jeremy Harper, John-Paul |
| author_sort | Harper, John-Paul |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109452 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:53.692Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109452 Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple Harper, John-Paul Punt, Jeremy Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old & New Testament. Land tenure -- Biblical teaching Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem) in the Bible Church and state -- History -- To 1500 Bible -- New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH SUMMARY: This study critically compares how Paul and Philo rethought the significant Jewish symbols of Land, Jerusalem and Temple, drawing particular attention to their political significance. Both Paul and Philo were politically engaged Diaspora Jews who shared much by way of a common heritage. Both are also recognized to have rethought these symbols in significant ways. I particularly focus on the way their appropriation of these symbols communicate how they conceptualised authority within the local community, within the wider “people of God”, and in relation to the Roman Empire. In terms of methodology, I follow a broadly socio-literary approach by identifying the relevant texts in each author and interpreting these within their particular social and historical contexts. I then explore aspects of both continuity and discontinuity in their theologising, seeking to account for these similarities and differences in terms of their underlying worldview and social locations. I conclude that both Paul and Philo’s interest in the Land, Jerusalem and Temple as material realities is generally overshadowed by their interest in symbolically appropriating these for their respective communities. I further conclude that their appropriation, although superficially similar and often classified as “spiritualising”, was in many respects substantially different. Although Philo remained committed to literal aspects of his faith, his appropriation tended to be more individualistic and more focussed on other-worldly realities. Paul’s appropriation tended to be more communal and to focus more on this-worldly realities. I argue that both conceptualised authority in charismatic terms, but that Paul’s vision was again more communally oriented. Furthermore, Paul’s more highly politicised appropriation indicates that he was challenging the traditional boundaries of the community in more radical ways than Philo. Finally, while both adopted a type of political realism in the present, Philo was more favourably disposed towards Roman rule while Paul more often emphasised the final rule of the Messiah’s people. The symbol of the community as Temple being built up according to an alternative wisdom and being an anticipation of the final kingdom of God is particularly significant in this subversive aspect of Paul’s thought. I conclude finally that similarities in their perspectives are due largely to their common Diaspora contexts and differences due to their varied acculturation to their Hellenistic environment and Paul’s convictions about Christ. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie vergelyk krities hoe Paulus en Philo die betekenisvolle Joodse simbole van Land, Jerusalem en Tempel herbedink het, met spesifieke aandag vir hul politieke strekking. Paulus en Philo was polities betrokke diaspora-Jode wat baie in gemeen gehad het deur middel van 'n gemeenskaplike erfenis. Dit is ook aanvaar dat albei hierdie simbole op belangrike maniere herdink het. Ek fokus veral op die manier waarop hul gebruik van hierdie simbole gesag kommunikeer in die plaaslike gemeenskap, binne die breer “volk van God” en in verband met die Romeinse Ryk. Wat die metodologie betref, volg ek 'n bree sosio-literere benadering deur die relevante tekste in elke outeur te identifiseer en binne hul spesifieke sosiale en historiese konteks te interpreteer. Daarna ondersoek ek aspekte van kontinuïteit en diskontinuiteit in hul teologisering en probeer rekenskap gee van hierdie ooreenkomste en verskille in terme van hul onderliggende wereldbeskouing en sosiale liggings. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat Paulus en Philo se belangstelling in die Land, Jerusalem en die Tempel as materiele werklikhede oor die algemeen oorskadu word deur hul belangstelling in simboliese gebruike hiervan vir hul gemeenskappe. In hierdie verband kom ek tot die gevolgtrekking dat hul toepassing van hierdie simbole, hoewel oppervlakkig soortgelyk en dikwels geklassifiseer as “vergeestelikend”, in baie aspekte wesenlik verskil. Alhoewel Philo toegewy was aan letterlike aspekte van sy geloof, was sy toepassing daarvan geneig om meer individualisties te wees en meer gefokus op ander wereldse realiteite. Paulus se toepassing was geneig om meer gemeenskaplik te wees en meer op hierdie wereldse werklikhede te konsentreer. Ek argumenteer dat beide gesag in charismatiese terme gekonseptualiseer het, maar dat Paulus se visie weer meer kommunaal gerig was. Verder dui die meer verpolitiseerde toepassing van Paulus daarop dat hy op meer radikale maniere die tradisionele grense van die gemeenskap uitdaag as Philo. Ten slotte, alhoewel albei 'n soort politieke realisme aanneem, is Philo meer gunstig teenoor die Romeinse regering en is Paulus meer vertroud dat die Messias-volk uiteindelik sal regeer. Die simbool van die gemeenskap as tempel wat volgens 'n alternatiewe wysheid opgebou word en wat 'n afwagting van die finale koninkryk van God is, is veral belangrik in hierdie ondermynende aspek van Paulus se denke. Uiteindelik kom ek tot die gevolgtrekking dat ooreenkomste in hul perspektiewe grootliks te wyte is aan hul algemene diaspora-kontekste en verskille as gevolg van hul uiteenlopende akkulturasie met hul Hellenistiese omgewing en Paulus se oortuigings oor Christus. Doctoral 2020-11-18T13:11:32Z 2021-02-01T07:55:46Z 2020-11-18T13:11:32Z 2021-02-01T07:55:46Z 2020-11-18 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109452 en Stellenbosch University ix, 274 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Land tenure -- Biblical teaching Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem) in the Bible Church and state -- History -- To 1500 Bible -- New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc UCTD Harper, John-Paul Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple |
| title | Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple |
| title_full | Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple |
| title_fullStr | Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple |
| title_short | Paul and Philo on the politics of the land, Jerusalem and temple |
| title_sort | paul and philo on the politics of the land jerusalem and temple |
| topic | Land tenure -- Biblical teaching Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem) in the Bible Church and state -- History -- To 1500 Bible -- New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109452 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT harperjohnpaul paulandphiloonthepoliticsofthelandjerusalemandtemple |