Justifying Language: Paul and Contemporary Literary Theory

217 Pages·1995·22.211 MB·

by  Kevin Mills (auth.)

JUSTIFYING LANGUAGE
STUDIES IN LITERATURE AND RELIGION
General Editor: David Jasper, Director of the Centre for the Study of
Literature and Theology, University of Glasgow
Studies in Literature and Religion is a series of interdisciplinary titles, both
monographs and essays, concerned with matters of literature, art and
textuality within religious traditions founded upon texts and textual
study. In a variety of ways they are concerned with the fundamental
issues of the imagination, literary perceptions and theory, and an
understanding of poetics for theology and religious studies.
Published titles include:
David Scott Arnold
LIMINAL READINGS
Forms of Otherness in Melville, Joyce and Murdoch
John D. Barbour
THE CONSCIENCE OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHER
Ethical and Religious Dimensions of Autobiography
Tibor Fabiny
THE LION AND THE LAMB
Figuralism and Fulfilment in the Bible, Art and Literature
Max Harris
THEATRE AND INCARNATION
David Jasper (editor)
POSTMODERNISM, LITERATURE AND THE
FUTURE OF THEOLOGY
TRANSLATING RELIGIOUS TEXTS
Ann Loades and Michael McLain (editors)
HERMENEUTICS, THE BIBLE AND LITERARY CRITICISM
Irena S. M. Makarushka
RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION AND
LANGUAGE IN EMERSON AND NIETZSCHE
Linda Munk
THE TRIVIAL SUBLIME
George Pattison
KIERKEGAARD: THE AESTHETIC AND THE RELIGIOUS
Justifying Language
Paul and Contemporary
Literary Theory
Kevin Mills
First published in Great Britain 1995 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the B ri ti sh Library.
ISBN 978-1-349-24285-6 ISBN 978-1-349-24283-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-24283-2
First published in the United States of America 1995 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC.,
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth A venue,
New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-12989-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mills, Kevin.
Justifying language : Paul and contemporary literary theory I
Kevin Mills.
p. em.--(Studies in literature and religion)
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 978-0-312-12989-7
I. Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul-Language, style. Bible as
literature. 3. Literature, Ancient-History and criticism.
4. Christianity and literature. I. Title. II. Series.
BS2655.UM55 1996
227'.066-~c20 95-24537
CIP
© Kevin Mills 1995
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1995
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of
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issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court
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Any person who docs any unauthorised act in relation to this
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I
04 03 02 01 00 99 98 97 96 95
To
Alma and Isla
Contents
General Editor's Preface viii
Preface ix
Textual Note
X
1 Introduction 1
2 Language, Faith, Understanding 11
3 Justification of Faith 45
4 Pressing On 76
5 The Letter of the Spirit 107
6 'Love and Do as You Like' 140
Conclusion 176
Notes 178
Bibliography 195
Name Index 203
Subject Index 206
vii
General Editor's Preface
The field of literary approaches to the Bible has changed and
developed radically in the past few years, and is becoming much
more conscious of the place of the Bible in the complex and
multidisciplinary arena of critical theory. Generally, however, such
study is conducted from a highly sceptical perspective and without
the recognition that the Bible and its long literary history within the
Judaeo-Christian tradition have profound insights to offer to con
temporary critical thought yet remaining within the perspective of
faith.
This perspective is powerfully maintained by Dr Mills, who
yet sustains a learned and lucid commentary on critical thinking.
He uses the thought and writings of Paul to offer a critique of
postmodem thought within theological categories that such thought
might seem to negate or deconstruct.
This is a demanding book, but one which will be welcomed by
those who remain committed to the Christian tradition while
recognizing the difficulties of doing so within the critical space
of postmodemity. It is a real contribution to the vigorous debate
surrounding the problems of 'postmodem theology'.
DAVID ]ASPER
General Editor
Preface
Two spheres of influence have converged to produce this study. I
grew up in a Nonconformist Christian family where the Bible was
habitually read and regarded as sacred scripture. With this back
ground informing my approach to literature and interpretation, I
discovered critical theory as a mature student. The subsequent con
frontation between Truth and discourse, between the Book and tex
tuality, gave rise to a strong desire to follow through its implications
for interpretation and belief.
In both of these spheres of influence I owe large debts of thanks.
My mum and dad, Edith and (the late) Frank Mills introduced me
to the Bible, and have provided me with a living commentary. I am
sure that the people of Zion Christian Fellowship will understand
if I name Royden Morgan in thanking all of them for their material
and moral support over the last few years. Without the technical
back-up and largesse of Gordon Hughes this book would never
have seen the light of day.
My intellectual debt to Christopher Norris will be evident to any
one who reads this work, but I also owe him a great deal of personal
gratitude - he 'never made me fear I and he didn't trample any
hopes/ for he just carried a book ...' . Despite our profound ideolo
gical differences, his generosity of spirit and his critical intelligence
have been deeply appreciated. I am very grateful, too, to David Jas
per for seeing this work through to publishable form, and for the
friendship to which this project has given rise. I also want to thank
Elaine Shepherd, John Schad and Roger Pooley for their encourage
ment, and Charmian Hearne at Macmillan for her help. Thanks also
to Daniel Boyarin for being the only person ever to send me a fax.
Of all my debts the greatest are those to my wife Alma and to
my daughter Isla. Their charity is boundless. My thanks is partly
expressed by dedicating this book to them.
I am grateful to the editors of Literature and Theology and Textual
Practice for permission to reprint material that has appeared in their
respective journals.
K. M.
ix
Textual Note
The Pauline canon is disputed. I work with only those letters which
are universally recognized as genuinely the work of Paul: Romans,
1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and
Philemon. In Chapter 5 I make reference to Colossians. This is
explained in an endnote signalled in the text.
I refer, mainly, to the King James (Authorized) Version of the
Bible (1611). All quotations are from that source unless otherwise
indicated. I have referred to other versions only for comparison of
translation, or, where there seems to be little difference in content,
for the sake of providing a coherent quotation with the minimum
of ellipsis. Greek references are to the Concordant Version (A. E.
Knoch, 1926). Abbreviations of other versions of the Bible used in
the text are as follows:
NIV New International Version (International Bible Society, 1973,
1978, 1984).
RSV Revised Standard Version (Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA,
1946, 1952).
RV Revised Version (1881).
X