New Testament theology : communion and community

508 Pages·2005·9.68 MB·English

by  Philip Francis Esler

NEW TESTAMENT
THEOLOGY
NEW TESTAMENT
THEOLOGY
COMMUNION
AND
COMMUNITY
PHILIP F. ESLER
IN MEMORY OF ANTHONY STEPHEN ESLER
15 NOVEMBER 1985-12 MARCH 2002
CONTENTS
Preface ix
Abbreviations xi
INTRODUCTION: THE NEW TESTAMENT AND CONTEMPORARY
CHRISTIANITY
1. THE NEW TESTAMENT, HISTORY, AND THEOLOGY: THE STATE OF
THE DEBATE 11
2. PERSONS IN COMMUNION: A SOCIO-THEOLOGICAL MODEL 38
3. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING THE MESSAGE OF OUR
ANCESTORS IN THE FAITH 67
4. THE PLACE OF NEW TESTAMENT AUTHORS IN INTERPRETATION
88
5. INTERPERSONAL UNDERSTANDING AND THE SPOKEN WORD IN
SCHLEIERMACHER'S HERMENEUTICS 119
6. FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNION BETWEEN NEW TESTAMENT
CHRIST-FOLLOWERS: 1 CORINTHIANS 10-14 AS A TEST CASE 148
7. NEW TESTAMENT CHRIST-FOLLOWERS AND THE EFFECTS OF
WRITING 171
8. COMMUNION WITH THE SAINTS: ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT
191
9. COMMUNION WITH THE SAINTS: MODELING THE NATURALISTIC
POSSIBILITIES 213
10. COMMUNION WITH THE SAINTS IN THE FULLEST SENSE 229
11. THE CANON AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNION 255
12. HISTORY, HERMENEUTICS, AND COMMUNION: ROMANS 273
Notes 283
Bibliography 313
Index of Subjects 335
Index of Modern Authors 346
Index of Scripture 351
PREFACE
^his book represents the culmination of reflection over many years. Some
of the ideas in it go back to the time of my doctoral studies in Oxford in the early
1980s especially my conviction that the historical investigation of what
messages the New Testament authors conveyed to their original audiences must
have theological significance when the texts are read in a Christian context
today. Yet this work has reached its present form as a result of research I have
conducted in the last few years. I was able to expose the germ of my thesis in the
form of the Manson Memorial Lecture I delivered in the University of
Manchester on 25 October 2001. The warm reception and helpful feedback I
received on that occasion encouraged me to press on and I am most grateful for
the invitation to present the lecture. The bulk of the manuscript was written
during a full year's research leave in 2002-3 that was made possible by a
generous grant from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Board.
I have incurred many debts while thinking about or writing this book, of
which I will mention a few in particular. Robert Morgan of Linacre College,
Oxford, provoked my initial thoughts on New Testament theology back in my
Oxford days and in the years since his writings have continued to stimulate my
reflections; this year he has also offered detailed comments on some draft
chapters. Alan Torrance of the University of St. Andrews was most helpful when
I was formulating my model of socio-theological communion (chapter 2). Bruce
Malina of Creighton University, Omaha, has assisted me with several points. I
have also profited from responses to some aspects of this project by Richard
Bauckham from St. Andrews and Werner Jeanrond of the University of Lund.
While I am most grateful to all of these, they bear no responsibility for the views
here expressed.
I am also grateful for the encouragement and assistance I have received from
the staff of Fortress, especially K. C. Hanson and James Korsmo, in the process
of producing this book.
The circumstances of the dedication of this book to the memory of my
nephew, Anthony Stephen Esler (15 November 1985-12March 2002), appear in
chapter 10. The Greek is based on 2 Cor 5:8: "He is at home with the Lord."
St. Mary's College, St. Andrews
11 April 2005