Metaphors and Social Identity Formation in Paul's Letters to the Corinthians

by Kar Yong Lim
Metaphors and Social Identity Formation in Paul's Letters to the Corinthians
Author: Kar Yong Lim
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2017-05-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 149828289X
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Why did Paul frequently employ a diverse range of metaphors in his letters to the Corinthians? Was the choice of these metaphors a random act or a carefully crafted rhetorical strategy? Did the use of metaphors shape the worldview and behavior of the Christ-followers? In this innovative work, Kar Yong Lim draws upon Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Social Identity Theory to answer these questions. Lim illustrates that Paul employs a cluster of metaphors--namely, sibling, familial, temple, and body metaphors--as cognitive tools that are central to how humans process information, construct reality, and shape group identity. Carefully chosen, these metaphors not only add colors to Paul's rhetorical strategy but also serve as a powerful tool of communication in shaping the thinking, governing the behavior, and constructing the social identity of the Corinthian Christ-followers.

1 Corinthians: A Social Identity Commentary

by J. Brian Tucker
1 Corinthians: A Social Identity Commentary
Author: J. Brian Tucker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2024-10-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 056771859X
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Paul's first letter to the Corinthians deals with key aspects of the formation of the Christian community at Corinth. Paul uses his correspondence with the Corinthians to address issues of morality, of community structure, of ritual and of religious behaviour. The letter is a key document for understanding the development of Christianity and for understanding Christianity in its earliest context. In this Social Identity Commentary, J. Brian Tucker provides a comprehensive coverage of the issues and concerns related to 1 Corinthians from the perspective of social identity. Tucker outlines his interpretation of the theoretical issues concerned, and then applies this to provide a clear overview of historical and critical issues related to the study of 1 Corinthians. This provides a clear engagement with the text that will serve as a useful resource for scholars, students, clergy, and people interested in the formation and purpose of the letter.

2 Corinthians: A Social Identity Commentary

by Philip Esler
2 Corinthians: A Social Identity Commentary
Author: Philip Esler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 441
Release: 2021-09-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567668746
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Philip F. Esler provides a comprehensive coverage of the issues in 2 Corinthians from the perspective of social identity, with a focus on Paul's leadership. Esler enlists social identity theory-in critical dialogue with existing scholarship-to show how Paul sought to persuade the Corinthian Christ-followers to adopt certain views on four critical issues that had arisen in his relationship with them, with his discourse demonstrably reflecting the ancient Mediterranean culture they shared. Two introductory chapters set out those four issues, summarise the events reflected in 1 and 2 Corinthians, make an initial case for the integrity of the letter against partition theories, explain and defend the use of social identity theory in biblical interpretation, and describe the social identity approach to leadership. In the commentary, Esler explores how Paul re-establishes his leadership role by reconnecting with the Corinthians, urges their participation in the collection for Jerusalem, and defends his position against recently arrived opponents, all the while reinforcing his addressees' social identity as Christ-followers. Prominent features of the commentary fostered by its social identity perspective include its cumulative case for the letter's unity, for Paul's opponents being similar to those in Galatia, and for the interweaving of social and theological dimensions in the text.

Urgency and Severity: Pauline Rationale for Expulsion in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

by David E. Bosworth
Urgency and Severity: Pauline Rationale for Expulsion in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Author: David E. Bosworth
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 326
Release: 2024-05-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9004693130
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When Paul heard that a Christ-follower in Corinth was in an incestuous relationship with his stepmother, the apostle insisted the man be removed immediately from the congregation. This dramatic response is surprising, as Paul responds to other serious situations with much less vehemence. Why did Paul react to the immoral man with such urgency and severity? Using socio-cultural tools, this study explains the importance of group identity and witness for Paul’s ecclesiology. The argument lays a foundation for contemporary readers to appraise contexts where an expulsive response to sin might be appropriate.

Dictionary of Paul and His Letters

by InterVarsity Press
Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
Author: InterVarsity Press
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 1883
Release: 2023-04-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 083084936X
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In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of a classic reference work, topics like Christology, justification, and hermeneutics receive careful treatment by trusted specialists. New topics like politics, patronage, and different cultural perspectives expand the volume's breadth and usefulness for scholars, pastors, and students today.

Suffering in Paul

by Siu Fung Wu
Suffering in Paul
Author: Siu Fung Wu
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2019-04-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1532611781
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One can hardly ignore the significance of suffering in Paul's letters. Respected scholars (e.g., Scott Hafemann, Christiaan Beker, and Ann Jervis) have demonstrated the indispensable role of suffering in Paul's teaching. Despite that, the topic does not often "hit the headlines" in Pauline studies. Meanwhile, Christians around the world testify to the encouragement and comfort Paul gives them in times of pain and distress. The purpose of this book is to arouse interest in Pauline scholarship on the topic and provide a resource for educators, theological students, and thoughtful pastors. New Testament scholars in five countries across three continents contribute to this volume. They study the texts, intertexts, and the language of suffering in Paul. They explore the notion of participation in Christ's suffering and glory, and examine the significance of identity formation and solidarity in the Christ community. In addition, the authors reflect on the implications for the church today from different social locations and cultural backgrounds. The result is an exegetical and critical reflection that invites the church to seriously engage with Paul on the topic. Contributors: Sunny Chen, Roy Ciampa, Timothy Gombis, Sanyu Iralu, Haley Goranson Jacob, Kar Yong Lim, David Starling, Sean Winter, Siu Fung Wu, and Xiaxia Xue.

Salvific Intentionality in 1 Corinthians

by Scott Goode
Salvific Intentionality in 1 Corinthians
Author: Scott Goode
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 117
Release: 2023-07-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1666771783
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There are few matters more important than God's mission in the world. This book offers a fresh contribution to a long-standing debate in Pauline and missional studies regarding the apparent absence of a missionary mandate for the churches of the New Testament. Through a literary and socio-rhetorical study of 1 Corinthians, and in conversation with the emerging discipline of social identity theory, this book invites the reader to consider how Paul's missional expectations may have been received and put into practice in first-century Corinth by the first readers. Along the way some new lines of inquiry are opened for certain texts which have remained for a long time in a state of scholarly stalemate. But these technical discussions give way to a larger goal: to offer a missiology in action, in all its Corinthian complexity. Could such an approach inform a robust missional identity for the church of today? As the Western church searches for a new self-understanding in an increasingly post-Christian culture, the intention of this book is to cultivate the missional imagination of contemporary believers for their ongoing participation in God's mission in the world.

From Pentecost to Patmos, 2nd Edition

by Craig L. Blomberg
From Pentecost to Patmos, 2nd Edition
Author: Craig L. Blomberg
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 681
Release: 2021-07-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1535940425
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Pairing depth of scholarship with contemporary application, the authors of From Pentecost to Patmos have produced a unique introductory New Testament textbook. Craig Blomberg and Darlene Seal provide the context and clarity that readers need to better understand Acts through Revelation, showcasing the historical, linguistic, and theological implications found in each book. This second edition includes expanded footnotes and a lengthier, up-to-date introduction to Paul. Newly added review questions, maps, and diagrams enhance the scholarship and make the resource truly user-friendly.

Disability, Medicine, and Healing Discourse in Early Christianity

by Susan R. Holman
Disability, Medicine, and Healing Discourse in Early Christianity
Author: Susan R. Holman
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2023-08-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 1000922944
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Using contemporary theories drawn from health humanities, this volume analyses the nature and effects of disability, medicine, and health discourse in a variety of early Christian literature. In recent years, the "medical turn" in early Christian studies has developed a robust literature around health, disability, and medicine, and the health humanities have made critical interventions in modern conversations around the aims of health and the nature of healthcare. Considering these developments, it has become clear that early Christian texts and ideas have much to offer modern conversations, and that these texts are illuminated using theoretical lenses drawn from modern medicine and public health. The chapters in this book explore different facets of early Christian engagement with medicine, either in itself or as metaphor and material for theological reflections on human impairment, restoration, and flourishing. Through its focus on late antique religious texts, the book raises questions around the social, rather than biological, aspects of illness and diminishment as a human experience, as well as the strategies by which that experience is navigated. The result is an innovative and timely intervention in the study of health and healthcare that bridges current divides between historical studies and contemporary issues. Taken together, the book offers a prismatic conversation of perspectives on aspects of care at the heart of societal and individual "wellness" today, inviting readers to meet or revisit patristic texts as tracings across a map of embodied identity, dissonance, and corporal care. It is a fascinating resource for anyone working on ancient medicine and health, or the social worlds of early Christianity.