Two Especially Worthwhile Posts from James McGrath...

... some brief comments on homosexuality in Romans 1-3, and a review of Bart Ehrman's latest offering, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them).

Check them out!

Forthcoming from Brill: The Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John, and the Literacy of Jesus

Thanks to the folks at bibbiablog for passing this one along... I'm looking forward to checking it out. Given its arguments concerning the most familiar placement of the pericope (John 7:53-8:11), I'm curious as to what judgments Keith makes regarding its alternative placements in other New Testament manuscripts (e.g., after John 21:25, after Luke 24:53, etc.). Are these also deliberate insertions? Deviations? Something else entirely?

Although consistently overlooked or dismissed, John 8.6, 8 in the Pericope Adulterae is the only place in canonical or non-canonical Jesus tradition that portrays Jesus as writing. After establishing that John 8.6, 8 is indeed a claim that Jesus could write, this book offers a new interpretation and transmission history of the Pericope Adulterae. Not only did the pericope’s interpolator place the story in John’s Gospel in order to highlight the claim that Jesus could write, but he did so at John 7.53–8.11 as a result of carefully reading the Johannine narrative. The final chapter of the book proposes a plausible socio-historical context for the insertion of the story.

Readership
All those interested in text criticism, the New Testament, the Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John, early Christian book culture, literacy in the ancient world, and New Testament backgrounds.

About the author(s)
Chris Keith, Ph.D. (2008), University of Edinburgh, is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Lincoln Christian University.

The Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John, and the Literacy of Jesus
Chris Keith

Expected: June 2009
Series: New Testament Tools, Studies and Documents, 38
ISBN-13 (i)The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has been changed from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2007: 978 90 04 17394 1
ISSN: 0077-8842
Cover: Hardback
Number of pages: xvi, 350 pp

GBCS Lobbies Obama Regarding Racism

The latest from the General Board of Church and Society:

GBCS directors urge Obama to send delegation to racism review conference

U.N. conference to review progress since South Africa event that U.S. walked out of in protest.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Board of Directors of the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) issued a statement this week that urges the Obama administration to send a U.S. delegation to the Durban Review Conference on Racism in Geneva, Switzerland, April 20-24.

In their statement, GBCS’s directors declare that silence and inaction are not the ways to engage the painful issues stemming from racism. The statement calls President Obama to fulfill his commitment to diplomacy and engagement in U.S. foreign policy.

The United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries and GBCS will send delegations to Geneva to review progress since the U.N. World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa, in September 2001 just days before the atrocities of 9/11. The United States and Israel walked out of the Durban conference in protest of a resolution that equated Zionism with racism.

In Durban, United Methodists were part of a faith-based presence, which produced a 10-point Ecumenical Caucus statement that declared: “Racism is a sin.” The 10-point statement was read to the media on Sept. 5 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (The 10 points are available on the World Council of Churches website: www.wcc-coe.org.)

GBCS Assistant General Secretary Liberato Bautista chaired the committee that prepared the 10-point statement. He directs GBCS’s United Nations and International Affairs ministry. He is also president of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO).

“Some quarters described the Durban Conference as a ‘fiasco,’” Bautista said, “due to bitter wrangling on issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and slavery reparations. The United States and Israel walked out just before the resolution by Arab nations was dropped from the final conference declaration.”

Some U.N.-member states and non-governmental organizations are wary of the review conference, according to Bautista. He said they fear conferees may use the platform to attack Israel. The draft declaration of the review conference contained references to Israel and Palestine, as well as to “defamation of religion.”

Bautista identified paragraphs in the draft that were problematic to the United States and others, including Israel, Canada and Australia. All have withdrawn from the review conference.

Offensive paragraphs in the draft include the following:

Paragraph 53: “Acknowledges that a most disturbing phenomenon is the intellectual and ideological validation of Islamophobia …”;

Paragraph 160: “Calls on States to develop, and where appropriate to incorporate, permissible limitations on the exercise of the right to freedom and of expression into national legislation” (relating to the defamation of religion, which the U.S. identifies as a threat to freedom of speech and expression);

Paragraph 156: “Urges States that have not yet condemned, apologized and paid reparations for the grave and massive violations as well as the massive human suffering caused by slavery, the slave trade, the transatlantic slave trade, apartheid, colonialism and genocide, to do so at the earliest.”

The Obama administration inherited a Bush administration stance that distanced itself from the process, according to Bautista. He said President Obama “reengaged” by sending a team to Geneva to explore rewriting the outcome document in hopes of dropping objectionable language. The team returned dissatisfied with revised draft language, though.

According to the Irish Times, a new compromise draft, circulated to diplomatic missions, removed all specific references to Israel and the Palestinians. "Passages relating to so-called ‘defamation of religion’ were also dropped from the reworked draft,” the Times reported.

“Prior to this reworked version, the Obama administration said it will not officially participate,” Bautista pointed out. “Instead, the administration said it will send a ‘note taker,’ who will not sit behind the U.S. delegation name.”

Bautista said there are other active calls for the United States to send a delegation to Geneva. He mentioned the TransAfrica Forum, which described U.S. non-engagement as a “painful irony” because it is happening under its first African-American president. The forum asserted that U.S. non-engagement will be felt throughout the African-American and African-diaspora communities. The forum urged the Obama administration to reconsider its decision, participate in the preparatory meetings and send an official delegation.

The General Board of Church & Society is one of four international general program boards of The United Methodist Church, which has more than 11 million members worldwide. The board’s primary areas of ministry are Advocacy, Education and Leadership Formation, United Nations and International Affairs, and resourcing these areas for the denomination. It has offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and at the Church Center at the United Nations in New York City.

The GBCS statement follows:

The Durban Review Conference on Racism

Geneva, April 20-24, 2009

The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) of The United Methodist Church urges President Barack Obama to send a U.S. delegation to the Durban Review Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, this April. The conference is a follow up to the 2001 United Nations World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa.

The United States cannot afford to vacillate on such an urgent issue as racism. U.S. participation in Geneva will demonstrate President Obama’s commitment to diplomacy and engagement in U.S. foreign policy.

Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance are crucial issues. We cannot relegate them to silence and inaction. Silence will only postpone the debates. Inaction will only exacerebate the many ways people are being violated.

It would be disappointing if the Obama administration chose inaction, or worse, absence, from the Geneva conference. It is imperative that we discuss racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance in an open debate. Engaging the issues now will surely help usher in, sooner than later, a world that is diverse and plural, equal and equitable, just and peaceable.

We must deal honestly and openly with racism that for too long has perpetuated violence and has killed far too many in the name of slavery, colonialism and occupation. Surely, we have reached a point in human history where we can abandon racism and hatred, and instead pursue tolerance and equality. Abandonment of hate and pursuit of peace and justice cannot be postponed, let alone ignored.

The Durban Review Conference is an opportunity for members of the world community to speak openly with one another to resolve the issues stemming from racism. We must not be sidetracked by contentions over our varied understandings of racism, painful and dissonant as they may be.

Differences can be turned into blessings as we collectively identify the many ways to address the complexity of racism. Embracing the exchange of views will no doubt develop advocacies.

The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) holds a common purpose with the United Nations in pursuing human rights, social justice, sustainable development and a just, peaceable governance in communities and nations. To this end we, as GBCS, will be present at the Durban Review Conference.

We therefore urge President Obama’s leadership in healing the painful wounds of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.

Washington, D.C.,
March 21, 2009

SBL Newsletter: April and May

A number of upcoming events:

April 2009

4/1-4/3
The Septuagint and Christian Origins - Die Septuaginta und das frühe Christentum
Place: Theologicum (Universität Tübingen), Liebermeisterstr. 12-14, D-72076 Tübingen
informational pdf


4/4
First International Scientific Conference Of Belgrade Theological Seminary in Belgrade. Topic: Scholarly Understanding Of The Language Of Religion.
For further information contact Laslo Galus, academic dean BTS


4/14-16
ARAM Twenty Eighth International Conference: The Western Missions in the Levant
University of Chicago
Click Here for more information.


4/23-4/24
The Duke Symposium on Archaeology, Politics, and the Media
The Duke Symposium will explore the often-strained relations between archaeologists and the media and the concomitant impact on local communities in the United States and the Middle East. Specifically, the conference will investigate the methods and values of media representation and those of archaeological investigation, as well as the effects of archaeological excavation and media coverage on the scholarly world, local inhabitants, and American faith communities. Ultimately, the symposium intends to outline better methods of communication between archaeologists, media representatives, and non-specialist audiences.

For more information about conference registration and funding opportunities please contact Erin Kuhns-Darby, Conference Coordinator.


4/23-4/24
Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls and Biblical Interpretation Conference
Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
More information


4/24
SBL New England Regional Meeting
More information


4/24-4/26
SBL Pacific Northwest Regional Meeting
More information


4/30
Registration Closes
Genesis 2009 Conference, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK. Conf. dates: July 14-18
Call and Meeting information


May 2009

Ongoing -5/17
Reel Religion: A Century of the Bible and Film
An exhibit at the Museum of Biblical Art in NYC.


5/14
The Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Day Conference at King's College London (Strand Campus)
More Information


5/28-5/29
Scholarly Publishing in Africa: Opportunities and Impediments. A two-day international conference hosted by The Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA).
e-mail for Meeting information


5/31
Deadline for Proposals
'Texts beyond Borders: Multilingualism and Textual Scholarship' Sixth International Conference of the European Society for Textual Scholarship Location: Academy for Science and the Arts (KVAB), Brussels, Belgium 11/19-11/21 2009

See Informational PDF or contact Dr. Caroline Macé (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) or Dr. Dirk Van Hulle (University of Antwerp).

From Dove: JPS Commentaries, and the Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters

One of these days I'll end up buying the Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters, although I wish that it included more living examples...

McKim, Donald K (ed)
Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters
(InterVarsity Press, 2007)
Hardcover List: $55.00 Dove Price: $43.99
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From Athanasius to Albright, the history of Christian biblical interpretation has been shaped by great thinkers who delved deeply into the structure and meaning of Christianity's sacred texts. With over two hundred in-depth articles, the Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters introduces readers to the principal players in that history: their historical and intellectual contexts, their primary works, their interpretive principles and their broader historical significance. In addition, six major essays offer an overview of the history of biblical interpretation from the second century to the present. This one-volume reference by Donald K. McKim, a revised and vastly expanded edition of IVP's Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters, will serve as an invaluable tool for any serious student of the Bible and the history of biblical interpretation.

JPS Torah Commentary Series

The JPS Torah Commentary series guides readers through the words and ideas of the Torah. Each volume is the work of a scholar who stands at the pinnacle of his field. Every page contains the complete traditional Hebrew text, with cantillation notes, the JPS translation of the Holy Scriptures, aliyot breaks, Masoretic notes, and commentary by a distinguished Hebrew Bible scholar, integrating classical and modern sources. Each volume also contains supplementary essays that elaborate upon key words and themes, a glossary of commentators and sources, extensive bibliographic notes, and maps.

Levine, Baruch A
Leviticus
(Jewish Publication Society, 1989)
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Milgrom, Jacob
Numbers
(Jewish Publication Society, 1990)
Hardcover List: $75.00 Dove Price: $62.99
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Sarna, Nahum
Exodus
(Jewish Publication Society, 1991)
Hardcover List: $75.00 Dove Price: $62.99
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Sarna, Nahum
Genesis
(Jewish Publication Society, 1989)
Hardcover List: $75.00 Dove Price: $62.99
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Tigay, Jeffrey H
Deuteronomy
(Jewish Publication Society, 1996)
Hardcover List: $75.00 Dove Price: $62.99
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Other JPS Commentaries

Berlin, Adele
Esther
(Jewish Publication Society, 2001)
Hardcover List: $34.95 Dove Price: $26.99
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Fishbane, Michael
JPS Bible Commentary on the Haftarot
(Jewish Publication Society, 2002)
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Fox, Michael V
Ecclesiastes
(Jewish Publication Society, 2004)
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Simon, Uriel
Jonah
(Jewish Publication Society, 1999)
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Tabory, Joseph
JPS Commentary on the Haggadah: Historical Introduction, Translation, and Commentary
(Jewish Publication Society, 2008)
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RBL Highlights: 3/30/09

I'm admittedly a little behind, but here are some recent highlights from the Review of Biblical Literature (hey, maybe some of you missed them the first time around):

Stephen P. Ahearne-Kroll
The Psalms of Lament in Mark's Passion: Jesus' Davidic Suffering
Reviewed by Steve Moyise
Reviewed by Adam Winn

Adele Berlin
The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism
Reviewed by Allan Rosengren

Gabriele Boccaccini and John J. Collins, eds.
The Early Enoch Literature
Reviewed by William Loader

Pieter Craffert
The Life of a Galilean Shaman: Jesus of Nazareth in Anthropological Perspective
Reviewed by Robert J. Miller

Pauline Nigh Hogan
"No Longer Male and Female": Interpreting Galatians 3.28 in Early Christianity
Reviewed by Susan G. Eastman

Uwe-Karsten Plisch
The Gospel of Thomas: Original Text with Commentary
Reviewed by Tobias Nicklas

Good Book: A Review

Courtesy of my father: a recent review of Good Book, in which David Plotz (the editor of the popular electronic magazine Slate) chronicles his journey through the entire text of the Hebrew Bible. It sounds interesting, although reminiscent of other similar accounts which have appeared in recent years (e.g., A.J. Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically).

Sunday Book Review: Good Book, by David Plotz

Plotz also blogged about his readings here.

New Testament Notes: Week 10 (Wednesday)

A summary treatment of the principal contexts and themes of Paul's Letter to the Galatians:

RELC 122 Notes: 3/25

Herodotus Comes to Charlottesville

He'll be here next week:

The Department of Classics of the University of Virginia is pleased to
announce that Paul Cartledge, A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at
the University of Cambridge, will be giving a lecture entitled Herodotus
and The West.

The lecture will take place at 5 pm on Tuesday, 31 March 2009, in the Gibson
Room, Cocke Hall. A reception will follow.

One of the world's leading experts on the history of Ancient Greece,
especially Sparta, Professor Cartledge is the author of numerous books,
including The Greeks: Crucible of a Civilization, The Spartans: An Epic
History, Sparta and Lakonia, Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past,
Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World, and Agesilaos and the Crisis
of Sparta, and he is the editor of the The Cambridge Illustrated History of
Ancient Greece. Not only a first-rate scholar, he has also devoted much
energy to communicating his work to a wider audience, serving frequently as
consultant to the BBC and Britain's Channel Four.

Transcripts of Ehrman's Recent Debates

Thanks to Nick Norelli for posting transcripts of two recent debates between Bart Ehrman and James White and William Lane Craig concerning the textual stability of the New Testament and historical evidence for the resurrection, respectively. I don't know when I'll get the chance to read these in full, but hopefully I can spare a few minutes this weekend. A brief glance at the Ehrman/White exchange piqued my interest... although I suspect that neither will win any new converts, as their partisans are pretty polarized. Check these out if you get a chance!

James R. White vs. Bart D. Ehrman — Did the Bible Misquote Jesus?

William Lane Craig vs. Bart D. Ehrman — Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?

From Dove: More Anchor (Yale) Bible

Discounts on more recent releases and forthcoming titles, including the second volume of Joel Marcus' commentary on Mark, and the fourth volume of John Meier's A Marginal Jew series.

Recent Releases

From the Commentary Series

Fitzmyer SJ, Joseph A
First Corinthians
(Yale University Press, 2008)
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A Biblical masterpiece and a seminal contribution to Christian theology, FIRST CORINTHIANS was written by St. Paul to the congregation at Corinth in response to a letter asking him for clarification of some of his teachings. In it, Paul discusses the basic tenets of Christian faith, including the Lord's Supper and the Resurrection, and addresses questions about marriage, celibacy, and other down-to-earth matters of moral conduct and Christian living. It also contains Paul's memorable definition of Christian love. With Fitzmyer's masterful, completely up-to-date commentary, FIRST CORINTHIANS is an important addition to the Anchor Bible series.

Reumann, John
Philippians
(Yale University Press, 2008)
Hardcover List: $65.00 Dove Price: $49.99
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Paul's Epistle to the church at Philippi has long stood out as his most joyful letter. It is addressed to his favorite congregation, the converts who were his most devoted followers. At a time when Paul lacked the support of most of the other churches he founded, the Christians at Philippi sent him financial gifts and even an "apostle" of their own, Epaphroditus, to aid him in his mission and comfort him during his imprisonment. In appreciation, Paul offered them praise and support, encouraging them to pursue a creative theology (in 2:6-11) and to seek greater maturity in their faith in the face of considerable civic opposition and threats from Hellenistic ideologies. For centuries, PHILIPPIANS was thought to be a single letter written by Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome. In recent years, however, Reumann and other scholars have come to the consensus that it is actually three separate letters, two of which were written from a prison in Epheus. Reumann discusses in the introduction why he reached this conclusion, and goes on to provide a translation and commentary that will stand as the definitive study of this important Epistle for decades to come.

From the Reference Library

Garrett, Susan R
No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus
(Yale University Press, 2008)
Hardcover List: $30.00 Dove Price: $21.99
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In this provocative, intelligent, and highly original addition to the Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library, Susan R. Garrett argues that angel talk has never been merely about angels. Rather, from ancient times until the present, talk about angels has served as a vehicle for reflection on other fundamental life questions, including the nature of God?s presence and intervention in the world, the existence and meaning of evil, and the fate of humans after death. In No Ordinary Angel, Garrett examines how biblical and other ancient authors addressed such questions through their portrayals of angels. She compares the ancient angel talk to popular depictions of angels today and considers how the ancient and modern portraits of angels relate to Christian claims about Jesus. No Ordinary Angel offers important insights into the development of angelology, the origins of Christology, and popular Western spirituality ranging from fundamentalist to New Age. In doing so, it provokes stimulating theological reflection on key existential questions.
Pre-Publication Announcements

Mark 8-16 by Joel Marcus

Marcus, Joel
Mark 8-16
(Yale University Press, 2009)
Hardcover List: $55.00 Dove Price: $40.99
Save $14.01 (25%) NYP Due: 05/01/2009

In the final nine chapters of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus increasingly struggles with his disciples? incomprehension of his unique concept of suffering messiahship and with the opposition of the religious leaders of his day. The Gospel recounts the events that led to Jesus? arrest, trial, and crucifixion by the Roman authorities, concluding with an enigmatic ending in which Jesus? resurrection is announced but not displayed. In this volume New Testament scholar Joel Marcus offers a new translation of Mark 8?16 as well as extensive commentary and notes. He situates the narrative within the context of first-century Palestine and the larger Greco-Roman world; within the political context of the Jewish revolt against the Romans (66?73 C.E.); and within the religious context of the early church?s sometimes rancorous engagement with Judaism, pagan religion, and its own internal problems. For religious scholars, pastors, and interested lay people alike, the book provides an accessible and enlightening window on the second of the canonical Gospels.

Marginal Jew Volume 4

Meier, John P
Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 4: Law and Love
(Yale University Press, 2009)
Hardcover List: $55.00 Dove Price: $42.99
Save $12.01 (22%) NYP Due: 05/15/2009

John Meier's previous volumes in the acclaimed series A Marginal Jew are founded upon the notion that while solid historical information about Jesus is quite limited, people of different faiths can nevertheless arrive at a consensus on fundamental historical facts of his life. In this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the series, Meier approaches a fresh topic the teachings of the historical Jesus concerning Mosaic Law and morality with the same rigor, thoroughness, accuracy, and insightfulness on display in his earlier works. After correcting misconceptions about Mosaic Law in Jesus' time, this volume addresses the teachings of Jesus on major legal topics like divorce, oaths, the Sabbath, purity rules, and the various love commandments in the Gospels. What emerges from Meier's research is a profile of a complicated first-century Palestinian Jew who, far from seeking to abolish the Law, was deeply engaged in debates about its observance. Only by embracing this portrait of the historical Jesus grappling with questions of the Torah do we avoid the common mistake of constructing Christian moral theology under the guise of studying 'Jesus and the Law,' the author concludes.

RBL Highlights: 3/20/09

Highlights from the most recent Review of Biblical Literature:

James Rowe Adams
From Literal to Literary: The Essential Reference Book for Biblical Metaphors
Reviewed by Christine Treu

Dianne Bergant
Scripture: History and Interpretation
Reviewed by Sean P. Kealy

Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert and Martin S. Jaffee, eds.
The Cambridge Companion to the Talmud and Rabbinic Literature
Reviewed by Daniel R. Schwartz

Randall Heskett
Messianism within the Scriptural Scrolls of Isaiah
Reviewed by J. Todd Hibbard

Lynn R. Huber
Like a Bride Adorned: Reading Metaphor in John's Apocalypse
Reviewed by Tobias Nicklas

Susan Niditch
Judges: A Commentary
Reviewed by Yairah Amit

Susanne Scholz
Introducing the Women's Hebrew Bible
Reviewed by Amelia Devin Freedman

Joseph B. Soloveitchik; edited by David Shatz, Joel B. Wolowelsky, and Reuven Ziegler
Abraham's Journey: Reflections on the Life of the Founding Patriarch
Reviewed by Ralph K. Hawkins

Charles H. Talbert
Ephesians and Colossians
Reviewed by Andrew T. Lincoln

Henry A. Virkler and Karelynne Gerber Ayayo
Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation
Reviewed by Oda Wischmeyer

Robert L. Webb and John S. Kloppenborg, eds.
Reading James with New Eyes: Methodological Reassessments of the Letter of James
Reviewed by Peter Frick

It's Actually Revelation

Jim West notes that NPR has succumbed to the common (and incredibly annoying) fallacy of tacking an s onto the title of the last book of the New Testament. Bleh! I'm constantly correcting my students on this point; I will not allow it to become commonplace, even among non-specialists. I will personally stem the tide of incorrect usage. And I will come after you, if you fall into the trap. So be warned! ;-)

Christian Iconography: A Brief Review (Part II)

The second (and final) portion of my review of Andre Grabar's Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins.

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The final two chapters discuss images of a more explicitly theological nature, which are partitioned into two general categories: the fairly basic “dogmas expressed in a single image” and the elaborate “dogmas represented by juxtaposed images.” Together these groups represent the most novel and innovative aspects of early Christian art, as “the pagan religions had no iconography of their dogmas, lacking, as they did, any dogmas to express” (p. 110). Due to the ever-present constraints of time and space, Grabar restricts his analysis to images illustrative of the five major dogmas of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, baptism, and communion. He does not consider the initial stage of the marriage between depiction and doctrine to have been particularly successful, but rather “incomplete and accidental” (p.112). The thorny difficulties which still plague any attempt to visually present the Trinity account for its virtual absence from the early Christian portfolio, and also for the fact that only one Trinitarian trope (the hand and the dove with Christ at his baptism) survived through the medieval era. In short, “[W]hile such representations as these [of the Trinity and the Resurrection] were sometimes attempted, themes corresponding to dogmas seem nevertheless not to have held a central place in early Christian works” (p.127).

Grabar concludes with a brief survey of doctrines expressed through combinations of images. His whirlwind tour of illustrations of the Incarnation notes the general importance of the theme of (miraculous) conception, as well as clues to the development of the iconographical language behind this tenet. For example, the occasional representation of Joseph as an aloof figure, with his back turned to the rest of the Holy Family, may symbolize his status as surrogate parent only (as it does in a pavement mosaic depicting the birth of Alexander the Great, who, according to legend, also had no human father). Eventually, some artisans adopted a more abstract approach, preferring to use signs such as a star or rays of light to represent the divine presence in the Incarnational act. Grabar also discusses the utilization of Old Testament pericopes as prefigurations of and buttresses for the New Testament counterparts with which they often appear. He closes with the apt observation that the Christian artist’s use of both testaments “increased his potentiality for expression and rendered him more capable of accomplishing the tasks that the Christian religion set for him” (p. 146).

The fact that this study remains in print and available after so many years reflects the enduring quality and value of both its research and its conclusions. The painstakingly selected visual examples provide the perfect complement to Grabar’s learned examination of the interplay between early Christian art and its contemporaries. As Alfred Neumeyer writes, “The important message of Grabar’s work is presented in a dry and self-effacing style.” The study is, however, susceptible to a few minor critiques. In the introductory section, Grabar describes the iconographical language of the Greco-Roman world as “the most nearly perfect we know” (p. xliv), without elaborating further upon this apparently obvious conclusion. What is it that makes this particular language inherently superior to any other? This seems to be a bias in favor of Western culture and traditions. Similarly, Grabar states that the lack of any extant Christian imagery prior to 200 CE is a result of iconoclasm, without providing any evidence to support such a claim. Iconoclastic struggles certainly play a prominent role in later Christian history, but this does not require us to retroject them into the first and second centuries. It is equally possible that the nascent Christian movement’s intensely eschatological bent, with its disdain for most established cultural norms and practices, accounted for the first generations’ seeming failure to express themselves visually. Furthermore, while Grabar’s representation of ancient Christianity and Judaism as entirely separate communities was most likely a reflection of then-current scholarship, such views have since become dated. A number of influential scholars, including E.P. Sanders and Daniel Boyarin, have argued persuasively that the partition of Christianity from Hellenistic Judaism was a gradual occurrence, and may not have been completed for centuries. Finally, it should be noted that recent critics such as Thomas Mathews have objected to Grabar’s linkage of post-Constantinian Christian art and imperial propaganda. Mathews contends that only two early images of Christ, which amount to less than one-tenth of one percent of the total, display unmistakable imperial elements. But in Grabar’s defense, Mathews may be overstating his case; Grabar himself writes that only between the sixth and seventh centuries did the connection between portraits of Christ and those of the emperors become explicit (p. 86).

A volume which benefits experienced scholars, introductory students, and interested laymen is rare indeed, but Andre Grabar’s Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins fills this difficult order. The scholar will find provocative conclusions to weigh and consider and a dazzling array of images to pursue further. The student will find the perfect “buffet” introduction to early Christian iconography—just enough of everything to stimulate the palette, without providing too much of any single dish. And the layman will find expert analysis presented in a readable style surprisingly free of the convoluted sentences and excessive jargon which often mar academic writing. Other handbooks on this subject will certainly appear in the coming years; this one, however, is likely to continue to stand the test of time.

1 Alfred Neumeyer, “Review of Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins,” in Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 29.1 (1970), 139.
2 Thomas F. Mathews, The Clash of Gods: A Reinterpretation of Early Christian Art (rev. ed.; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003), 193.

Christian Iconography: A Brief Review (Part I)

Another review discovered deep within the bowels of my old computer: a review of Andre Grabar's landmark Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins. As this study (originally presented as a series of lectures in 1961) has had a profound impact on the study of early Christian art, I thought it worthy of an appearance on the blog. I've also posted a PDF copy here. Enjoy!

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Andre Grabar, Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins (Bollingen Series XXXV.10; Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968). 432 pp.

Nearly forty years after its initial publication, Andre Grabar’s landmark study of early Christian iconography (originally presented as a series of lectures at the A. W. Mellon Institute for the Fine Arts in 1961) remains required reading for all scholars, students, and others interested in this topic. Grabar states that his intention is not to provide a systematic or comprehensive treatment of early Christian imagery, but rather to demonstrate “that from its beginnings Christian imagery found expression entirely, almost uniquely, in the general language of the visual arts and with the techniques of imagery commonly practiced within the Roman Empire from the second to the fourth century” (p. xliii). Although this contention may appear self-evident to many readers—a possibility which Grabar himself admits—its importance for the evaluation of Christian art, and of the religion as a whole, certainly merits a rich and thorough reexamination.

The study begins with an analysis of the earliest extant Christian artwork, primarily funerary pieces such as catacomb murals and sarcophagi (the first of which are usually dated to 200 CE and 230 CE, respectively). Sensitive exegesis of the images of this category benefits from a number of significant observations which Grabar makes here. The images are more superficially decorative than they are inherently communicative or meaningful, although their “schematic” (i.e., they “imply more than they actually show”; p. 8) nature indicates that this simplicity is somewhat deceptive. The most frequently depicted biblical scenes are those which emphasize God’s salvific intercession on behalf of his faithful servants of old: the deliverance of Noah and his family from the flood, of Isaac from the sacrificial slab, of Daniel from the lion’s den, etc. New Testament pericopes are much rarer, apart from the raising of Lazarus—which should not be particularly surprising, given its similar content. While all of these images are certainly indebted to their larger Greco-Roman milieu, it is interesting that they do not include any explicit references to death. Furthermore, the iconic likeness of Christ, and his principal symbols, are largely absent at this point; more generic representations such as “The Good Shepherd” appear instead. Finally, frequent allusions to the sacraments of baptism and communion strongly suggest that the nascent Christian community was already endowing its art with some theological significance, however basic.

Grabar then turns to a more specific discussion of “Paleo-Christian art” and its reliance upon “the vocabulary of the current language of the visual arts” (p. 31), a language which is also expressed in Greco-Roman work of the same era. A number of relevant examples are offered, including similarities between the sleeping Jonah and the reclining Endymion, the Christian orant and its pious pagan counterpart, and the scroll of knowledge clutched by saint and philosopher alike. But while Christian and Greco-Roman artisans may have shared a single artistic tongue, they were certainly speaking different dialects. Thus Christians could portray Christ with a head similar to those of Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto without incorporating any pagan religious significance; “the powerful head… was a part of the repertory of the art of the period, and both the Christians and the pagans used it, as one can use the same word in different senses” (p. 35). Among the most notable uniquely Christian symbols to appear during this formative period was the Chi-Rho monogram, popularized by Constantine the Great after his successful bid for the Roman throne and subsequent publication of the Edict of Milan in 314 CE. These historical developments inaugurated a surge of imperial influences upon early Christian art.

Having properly set the stage for further discussion, Grabar devotes the next two chapters to the sub-genres of portraiture and scriptural scenes. In both cases, he finds additional affinities between early Christian and Greco-Roman exemplars—strong enough, in fact, to “set aside, or appreciably diminish the weight of, opinions that tend to regard all the early Biblical images as proceeding from direct illustration of the text of the Old and New Testaments” (p. 58). He rightly identifies the critical disparity between all ancient portraits and their modern descendents: the former’s preference for visual and emotional impact rather than accurate physical depiction. But if second-century medallions bearing images of Peter and Paul are greatly removed from Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1 (Whistler’s Mother) or American Gothic, they remain closely tied to contemporary Roman commemorative coinage; both include additional symbols which identify and describe the chosen figures. By the beginning of the seventh century ornate portraits of Christ and the saints had attained a religious quality similar to that enjoyed by earlier portraits of the Roman emperors.

Likewise, representations of biblical events “also bear the imprint of traditions proper to this genre in [other] contemporary art” (p. 87). Grabar traces the evolution of Christian narrative art from the relatively crude, ambiguous “image-sign” to the more explicit “descriptive representation,” and notes that both types are employed by Roman art. While one might naturally expect narrative scenes to appear in biblical manuscripts alongside the corresponding pericopes as a kind of hermeneutical key, the few early illustrated manuscripts do not confirm this hypothesis. Nevertheless, numerous such scenes are extant in a variety of other media—including mosaic, ivory, gold, and wood—and at this point, it should come as no surprise that “pagan art supplies counterparts for the Christian cycles with which we have been concerned” (p. 102). Miniature illustrations of Christ’s childhood which surround portraits of Mary (e.g., a portion of a sixth-century ivory diptych now housed in Yerevan) unmistakably recall the widely portrayed deeds of the heroes Hercules and Mithras, or the deity Dionysus.

New Testament Notes: Week 9 (Wednesday)

Conflicts between "Hebrews" and "Hellenists," and the emergence of Gentile Christianity:

RELC 122 Notes: 3/18

GBCS, NCC, and Eco-Justice

A recent release from the UMC General Board of Church and Society:

General Board of Church & Society executive testifies before House subcommittee

Represents National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group in urging legislators to avoid economic injustices in any global warming bills.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The director of Economic and Environmental Justice at the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee March 12 that the faith community supports strong and quick action to address the dangers of climate change. He emphasized, though, that solutions must mitigate rather than compound economic injustices.

John Hill testified at a hearing on Capitol Hill on “Consumer Protection Provisions in Climate Legislation.” He spoke on behalf of the National Council of Churches (NCC) as a member of its Eco-Justice Working Group. The NCC represents 35 Christian denominations in the United States.

“Global climate change is a real and growing threat to Creation with profound and potentially devastating environmental, economic and social consequences,” Hill said.

4 principles guide policy solutions

Hill pointed out that for more than 15 years, the NCC has worked to educate and equip its members and congregations to take action to reduce their own contributions to climate change. “And, [we] have petitioned our government to provide strong leadership in developing domestic and international frameworks to lower greenhouse gas emissions,” he added.

Hill was one of six persons asked to speak at the subcommittee hearing. Primary emphasis of the hearing was to examine a proposal to assist consumers under a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hill identified four principals that guide the faith community in considering potential policy solutions: justice, stewardship, sustainability and sufficiency. He said a just climate policy must contain effective, mandatory emissions reduction targets “to prevent catastrophic impacts” for the people and planet.

“For too long climate change advocates have minimized the potential impact of climate legislation on the poor,” Hill said, “and opponents have used such impacts as a justification for inaction.” He cautioned the legislators not to “forget the devastating impact of inaction.”

Rising sea levels, more intense storms, floods, droughts and spreading disease were cited by Hill as global warming effects that disproportionately affect persons living in poverty, communities of color and other vulnerable communities. “The Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2004 demonstrated all too painfully the devastating consequences that occur when storms of nature interact with the storms of poverty and racism that batter communities in the United States and around the world,” he said.

Least responsible are most vulnerable

In developing policies, Hill urged the legislators to ensure that solutions don’t push families deeper into poverty due to higher energy-related costs. He said there are proposals that can “efficiently, effectively and justly” provide benefits to offset cost increases for low-income individuals and families. He mentioned one outlined by the Center on Budget Policies and Priorities, whose executive director, Robert Greenstein, also testified at the hearing.

“Those least responsible for the emissions that created this problem,” Hill said, “are most vulnerable to its effects. Let us not perpetuate further this injustice by forcing those same individuals to shoulder additional and disproportionate cost of proposed solutions.”

Hill said financial help for those living in poverty in the United States and international adaptation assistance for vulnerable communities abroad must be a part of any climate policy.

Using established, proven methods that provide funds sufficient to offset all energy-related price increases to deliver benefit for low-income consumers would be supported, according to Hill. He said mechanisms such as an electronic benefits transfer card and an expanded earned income tax credit would allow individuals and families flexibility to adapt to price increases for a variety of goods and services.

Hill said proposals that would use local distribution companies or other utilities to deliver a consumer rebate ignore over half the estimated costs to low-income families. He said these proposals require new delivery systems and outreach programs to encourage participation. "We believe established methods offer a more effective and efficient approach to reach the greatest percentage of low-income consumers," he said.

Four other persons testified before the subcommittee. They were Sonny Popowsky, Pennsylvania Office of the Consumer Advocate; Steve Kline, vice president of Corporate Environmental and Federal Affairs, PG&E Corp.; Steven Hayward, American Enterprise Institute; and Mike Carey, Ohio Coal Assn.

The full text of Hill's statement is available on GBCS's web site, www.umc-gbcs.org. Under "Issues and News," go to statements.

Next SIP Lunch: David Dault

Courtesy of Prof. Peter Ochs:

The SIP Faculty and Grads invite you to their next SIP Lunch featuring:

Prof. David Dault (PhD Vanderbilt University)

Chair of the Division of Bible and Theology American Baptist College, Nashville, TN.

on

THE COVERT MAGISTERIUM: THEOLOGY, TEXTUALITY AND THE QUESTION OF SCRIPTURE

Hosted by Peter Ochs

Prof. Dault is author of the forthcoming: The Accessorized Bible: the Rise of "Designer" Scripture, Yale University Press (2010); and THE COVERT MAGISTERIUM: THEOLOGY, TEXTUALITY AND THE QUESTION OF SCRIPTURE (in preparation)

Wednesday March 25, 12:00 (sharp) to 1:30: HALSEY FACULTY LOUNGE

(You are welcome to bring your own bag lunch; we'll provide cold drinks and cookies)

Best, The SIP Program

From Dove: Anchor (Yale) Bible Sale

All of Dove's stock of Anchor Yale Bible titles, old and new, are currently on sale, albeit at relatively modest discounts. The exception is the six-volume Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, whose sale price of $339.99 is a 33% savings. When did the regular list price for this set become $510.00?!? When I purchased it several years ago, it was $360.00... sigh...

Anchor Bible Dictionary

Freedman, David Noel Astrid Beck (eds)
Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 Volume Set
(Yale University Press, 1992)
Hardcover List: $510.00 Dove Price: $339.99
Save $170.01 (33%)

Recent Commentaries

Propp, William H C
Exodus 19-40
(Yale University Press, 2006)
Hardcover List: $65.00 Dove Price: $56.99
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Knoppers, Gary
1 Chronicles 1-9
(Yale University Press, 2004)
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Knoppers, Gary
1 Chronicles 10-29
(Yale University Press, 2004)
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Lundbom, Jack R
Jeremiah 21-36
(Yale University Press, 2004)
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Lundbom, Jack R
Jeremiah 37-52
(Yale University Press, 2004)
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Pre-Publication Announcement

Fox, Michael V
Proverbs 10-31
(Yale University Press, 2009)
Hardcover List: $60.00 Dove Price: $46.99
Save $13.01 (22%) NYP Due: 06/15/2009

This volume completes Bible scholar Michael V. Fox's comprehensive commentary on the book of Proverbs. As in his previous volume on the early chapters of Proverbs, the author here translates and explains in accessible language the meaning and literary qualities of the sayings and poems that comprise the final chapters. He gives special attention to comparable sayings in other wisdom books, particularly from Egypt, and makes extensive use of medieval Hebrew commentaries, which have received scant attention in previous Proverb commentaries. In separate sections set in smaller type, the author addresses technical issues of text and language for interested scholars. The author's essays at the end of the commentary view the book of Proverbs in its entirety and investigate its ideas of wisdom, ethics, revelation, and knowledge. Out of Proverbs? great variety of sayings from different times, Fox shows, there emerges a unified vision of life, its obligations, and its potentials.

On My Doorstep...

... a lovely review copy of Philip W. Comfort's New Testament Text and Translation Commentary. Thanks to Christy Wong at Tyndale House Publishers for passing this along! My initial impressions are very positive; hopefully I'll have some more substantive comments next week. Stay tuned!