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What Are They Saying about the Formation of Pauline Churches ?
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Meeks, Wayne A. Churches, Pauline |
| Abstract | Here is a helpful new release in the successful series What Are They Saying About . . . ? The purpose of this series is to acquaint readers with recent research on a particular area, a much-needed service in light of the increasing flood of literature in biblical studies. The question taken up in the present volume is that of the model for the Pauline churches. The author, following Wayne Meeks, organizes his discussion under four major headings: (1) Synagogues, (2) Philosophical Schools, (3) Ancient Mysteries, and (4) Voluntary Organizations. In addition to this, Ascough considers the household and house churches in the introduction, contending that, since households are the basic building blocks of any organization, it is not helpful to view the household as the basic model for the Pauline churches. In keeping with the series format, Ascough’s exploration takes the form of an extended annotated bibliography, including critical interaction with each scholar’s findings and concluding summaries at the end of each section. Regarding synagogues, the author points out that first-century Judaism was multifaceted; that our information about it is limited; that Christianity in all likelihood did not derive its missionary impulse from the synagogue; and that several other differences between the synagogue and the Pauline churches apply. For these reasons the author considers the use of synagogues as an analogy for the churches planted by Paul to be problematic. Ascough’s investigation of philosophical schools as possible models for Paul’s churches comes up empty. The situation is similar with the ancient mysteries, despite the efforts by Bousset, Reitzenstein, and Bultmann earlier in this century to demonstrate such an indebtedness on the part of Christianity. The final category is that of voluntary associations, be they of a religious, social, or professional nature. Again, important differences apply. Christian churches are found to be more exclusive religiously, yet more inclusive socioeconomically. In addition, Voluntary associations usually were not comprised of people interested in instructing their members in ethical principles Interestingly, the author first concludes that a strong, universal missionizing tendency seems to have been unique to Christianity. Other organizations’ efforts at propagating their beliefs and soliciting new members were either not as intentional or methodical, and they lacked a universal thrust. Second, Ascough points out that "there is no way of fitting everyone of the churches to which Paul writes under the rubric of any one of the models proposed" (p. 95), and that Paul’s churches may have taken on certain characteristics from their respective locales. As a result, Ascough advocates a pluriform approach to understand the models underlying the Pauline churches: |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://s3.amazonaws.com/5mt.bf.org/2017/12/35-F-and-M-What-Are-They-Saying-About-Pauline-Churches.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
