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01/19/2014

Textweek ATLAS Links, February 9, 2014, Epiphany 5 / Ordinary 5

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/epipha5.htm

Epiphany 5 / Ordinary 5
February 9, 2014

Carter, Warren, "Jesus' 'I Have Come' Statements in Matthew's Gospel," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1998.
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“This conclusion suggests that the soteriology of Matthew's Gospel embraces Jesus' death and his actions and teaching. By engaging with these seven sayings containing the expression "I have come" the audience understands that all of Jesus'existence—his words, actions, death, and resurrection —carries out God's purposes for him: that he save from sins and that he manifest God's presence.”

 Craddock, Fred, "Two Arenas for Faithfulness," The Christian Century, 1990.
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“Jesus stood within his own heritage but was not blind to its distortions and falsifications So it was that he often appealed to the tradition to admonish interpretations of it that violated its intent and spirit His mission, he said, was not one of abolition but of completion, and those who follow him are to manifest such a mission in their behavior and relationships Anyone who appeals to faith and freedom in Christ to do less, be less, give less, serve less and love less than our forebears has grossly misunderstood Jesus' message.”

 Minear, Paul Sevier, "The Salt of the Earth," Interpretation, 1997.
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“Despite much misunderstanding among modern readers and preachers, Jesus' saying in Matthew 5:13 ("You are the salt of the earth") concerns sacrificing one's life to follow Christ. Moreover, this high cost of discipleship has cosmic significance.”

Walaskay, Paul W., "Between Text & Sermon, Matthew 5:17-20," Interpretation, 2002.
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“Yes, Jesus requires his followers to honor the codification of God's desire for relationship with us and with one another. The text of that code, down to the smallest fragment of a letter, will never pass from our sight or our obligation. It will outlast this world. Jesus asks his disciples to persist in discerning the will of God embedded in those words. Being aligned with God's will, through love, will keep us on the path of righteousness that leads toward the kingdom of heaven (7:21).”

 

  Cousar, Charles B., "1 Corinthians 2:1-13," Interpretation, 1990.
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“Every Generation of Christians has to wrestle with the fundamental issue of I Corinthians 1—4: What do we know of God and God's purposes for the world and how do we know it?”

  Grindheim, Sigurd, "Wisdom for the Perfect: Paul's Challenge to the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2002.
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“We have seen that, although there is no identifiable heterodox teaching Paul is combating in 1 Cor 1-4, his evaluation of the schisms is profoundly theological. The factionalism is rooted in a misapprehension of the gospel. Instead of having their self-identity in the word of the cross, the Corinthians rely on a kind of rhetoric that was supposed to allow them to excel in personal status, to the detriment of others.”

 

 Barton, Mukti, "I Am Black and Beautiful," Black Theology, 2004. (Metaphor of "light" and "darkness.")
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Abstract: “Racism is perpetuated when the colour black is used in negative, and white in positive, ways. Many believe that these uses have come from the Bible because of the metaphors of light and darkness. In this article I present an examination of the actual biblical usage. I argue that European prejudicial interpretation of the Bible may be responsible for value-loaded usage of black and white.”

 Bruckner, James K., "Justice in Scripture," Ex Auditu, 2006.?
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“The Scripture also has claims to make, presenting God's perspectives on justice. This external perspective may bring comfort to some, but it may also challenge and reshape our categories.”

Chase-Ziolek, Mary, "Repairing, Restoring, and Revisioning the Health of Our Communities: The Challenge of Isaiah 58," Ex Auditu, 2005.
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“The health of each of us is related to the health of all of us. This statement is not only a basic principle of public health, but is also well supported in Scripture…”

01/19/2014 at 08:05 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Textweek ATLAS links, February 2, 2014 Epiphany 4 / Ordinary 4

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/epipha4.htm

Epiphany 4 / Ordinary 4
February 2, 2014

du Preeze, J., "Social Justice: Motive for the Mission of the Church," Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, 1985.
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“The expression tsedäqahumiehpät (= justice and right; what is good and right) is a hendiadys: the two words together express a specific idea which, to a large extent, amounts to what may be called social justice. It is just about a technical term for doing what is right towards the poor and needy, the stranger, the widow and the orphan - the so-called personaemiserae in the community.”

Kim, Jin S., "Walking Humbly," Journal for Preachers, 2009. (Sermon text, Micah 6:8)
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“It's not that there is a deliberate attempt to distort history. It's that there is such a powerful need in America to maintain a parallel myth of the white man as the hero that it overwhelms actual history and prevents white people from speaking honestly about the past, and therefore taking responsibility for the present. Most damning of all is that white Christians are just as prone to drinking this imperial Kool-Aid as anyone else, and so become incapable of offering genuine confession and repentance.”

 

“The modern community of those who would seek to sojourn in Yahweh's holy presence, to live in fellowship with him must remember this and proclaim it at all times. Unfortunately, there is too often a ‘gap’ (if not in knowledge, at least in practice) between the worship of God and the fear of God and practical, everyday godly treatment of one's neighbor! Psalm 15 reminds us that we ‘shall not be moved’ only if we I treat fellow human beings in an honest and godly way.”

 

Brueggemann, Walter, "Bragging about the Right Stuff,"Journal for Preachers, 2003.
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“The city, every great city, that ancient one and this contemporary one, wants to brag about its successes and turn out to brag about the very matters that lead to death: wisdom, might, wealth. Imagine that this great church, and dozens like it, exist in the city to witness loud and endlessly to the city that our true ground for bragging is elsewhere: not the fashionable, urban agenda of wisdom, might, wealth—but the stuff that delights God: steadfast love, justice, righteousness. The gospel to which the church testifies in the city may be put this way: brag! But get it right! Delight in the delights of the God of neighborly fidelity. And then brag...endlessly !”

 

“First Cor 1:23 indicates that both Jews and Gentiles refused to believe Paul's preaching of Christ crucified. They rejected the message in part because of the cultural connotations of crucifixion in the first century. Crucifixion was a vulgar, common execution that the Romans imposed on notorious criminals, prisoners of war, and rebellious slaves. Its harsh brutality symbolized the supremacy of the Roman government over the victim. Gentiles thus viewed crucifixion as a sure sign of the victim's defeat. Jews, on the other hand, held crucified men in even greater contempt because to them crucifixion was a sign of God's curse on the victim. Paul's preaching of Christ crucified thus cut deeply against the grain of his culture. Jews rejected the idea that the Messiah could be crucified (and thus cursed) and looked for signs instead. Gentiles rejected as foolishness the notion that a crucified man could be the only Savior of mankind and sought eloquent rhetoric in its place. Paul's example challenges today's Christian leader to confront the culture with the same message of Christ crucified and not to cater to the latest fads in marketing the gospel to the passing whims of unbelievers.”

 

“This article seeks to recreate a coherent picture of religious life in Roman Corinth in the first century of our era and then support the thesis that the civic identity of the Christ-followers in Corinth was in transition and because of this Paul's approach to mission was one of social integration. This will allow the development of a framework from which to organize research into the formation of identity in these Christ-followers under the Roman Empire and the ensuing mission that developed.”

“The seeming "architectonic grandeur" of Matthew's twenty-eight chapters may simply be an erroneous impression produced by the carefully constructed individual building blocks. In other words, the parts may exhibit something the whole does not. On this view, Matthew would simply follow a rough chronological sequence—birth, baptism, ministry in Galilee, journey to Jerusalem, passion, resurrection—a sequence into which the five long and meticulously crafted sections of teaching material have been regularly inserted. Yet whether or not this supposition can be persuasively defended need not be established for the purposes of this essay. Herein I should like instead to undertake a more modest, manageable task: What is the structure of one particular portion of Matthew, namely, chaps. 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount?”

Carter, Warren, "Love Your Enemies," Word & World, 2008.
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“Jesus' command to "love your enemies" is recognized as an authentic saying of Jesus, one that calls disciples in every age to imitate both God's merciful love for enemies (Luke 6:36) and God's own perfection (Matt 5:48).”

 Carter, Warren, "Matthew's Gospel: An Anti-Imperial/Imperial Reading," Currents in Theology and Mission, 2007. See entire issue of Currents in Theology and Mission 34, image focus on Matthew's gospel.
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“The beatitudes identify God's agenda of eschato-logical transformation or justice (5:6) for the literal poor (97 percent of the population in varying degrees) including those whose very beings or spirits are destroyed by poverty (5:3). Land, the basis of life in an agrarian empire, will be returned to the powerless (5:5, citing Psalm 37). Practices of mercy, worship, and making peace (wholeness not submission under Pax Romana) embody this agenda (5:7-9).”

 Harrington, Daniel J., S.J., "Problems and Opportunities in Matthew's Gospel," Currents in Theology and Mission, 2007. (See especially section on Sermon on the Mount beginning on page 418.) See entire issue of Currents in Theology and Mission 34, image focus on Matthew's gospel.
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“The three great questions of Christian virtue ethics are Who am I? What is my goal in life? and How do I get there? In this context I am an aspirant to God's kingdom, my goal is eternal life with God, and "ethical" teachings are helps along the way. There are no sharp tensions between law and love or between individual and community. While entering God's kingdom is the primary motivation, other motives for good actions include going to the root of biblical commands, mutual self-interest, avoiding punishment, doing the right thing, and imitating God's example. Instead of providing laws to be observed literally and rigidly, Jesus the wise teacher offers principles, analogies, extreme examples, challenges, and other staples of Jewish wisdom instructions to help aspirants to God ' s kingdom reach their goal.”

 Metzger, Paul Louis, "Christ, Culture, and the Sermon on the Mount Community," Ex Auditu, 2008.
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 Pak, G. Sujin, "Response to Metzger," Ex Auditu, 2008.
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“There can be no monolithic view of the relation of Christ to culture, for there is no ideal culture. God's kingdom culture embodied in the church always takes particular form in concrete contexts. This essay on the intersection and concrete engagement of Christ's church as a culture (which itself varies in diverse locations and over time) with other cultures involves the claim that the church's relation to other cultures is to be multifaceted and dynamic, in no way static, always particular, never abstract, ever contemporary, never remote. A quote attributed to Martin Luther states it well: ‘If you preach the gospel in all its aspects with the exception of the issues that deal specifically with your time, you are not preaching the gospel at all.’”

 

01/19/2014 at 07:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

01/18/2014

Textweek ATLAS links January 26, 2014, Epiphany 3 Ordinary 3

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/epipha3.htm

January 26, 2014
Epiphany 3 / Ordinary 3

“Beyond judgment there is redemption, and beyond darkness there is light. Furthermore, that light is to rise first in that very part of Israel which first felt the lash of the Assyrian conquest—Galilee (9:1). Threat may be immediate and promise may be long deferred, but they are inseparable in the mind of God. So, to limit ‘God with us’ to the time of Ahaz is impossible if Isaiah's total vision is to stand.”

 

Abstract: “Handel's Messiah is among the best-known musical compositions of all time, and it is also heavily dependent upon the Bible for its theme and content, thus making it an ideal source for a study of the Bible in music. In this paper I consider how Handel and his librettist Charles Jennens made use of the text of the book of Isaiah (the single most quoted biblical book in the libretto) in both the words and the music of this great oratorio, offering en route some observations on the features of a musical text that need to be taken into account in 'reading' it in this way.”

 

“Rabbi Abraham Heschel claimed that the role of the prophet is ‘to cast out fear.’ The psalmist does this using poetry in the service of prophecy, showing a way to parlay fear into energy, to transmute danger into possibility and to switch power from the scary present to the things that might be.”

 

“Paul uses a variety of metaphors to express the significance of Jesus' death. Far from giving permission to those in power to silence the powerless, the cross becomes the paradigm of self-sacrificing service for the whole community of faith.”

 

Abstract: “It is clear from 1 Corinthians that at least some within the Corinthian church had a very high estimate of Apollos as a leader among them. In writing to them, Paul is critical of their attitude. Paul's letter has often been understood as nothing more than an appeal for unity within the church, which goes beyond the personality of any leader. This article starts from the premise that in 1 Corinthians, as in 2 Corinthians, Paul is concerned that his own authority in the church is under question. It examines his references to Apollos and suggests that he wishes the Corinthians to adopt a more critical appraisal of Apollos, particularly when they compare Apollos's contribution to that of Paul himself.”

 

“It is useless to object that as a religious institution the Christian church enjoyed an immunity from internal struggles. The ηγούμενος of the guild of Zeus Hypsistos also found it necessary to include in the rules of the organization an injunction which forbade action that would create σχίσματα: "No one is permitted to make himself the leader of a party, or cause divisions (σχίσματα συνίστασθαι), or to depart from the fraternity of the leader to another fraternity."119 Like Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians 1-4, this statement illustrates what must have been one of the most important functions of such associations under the empire: they provided scope for the exercise of the political instinct at a time when, as Plutarch reports, "the affairs of the cities no longer included leadership in wars, or the overthrow of tyrannies, or the conclusion of alliances," or any of the other deeds appropriate to a public career (Mor. 805a). In the church, Greek converts may have hoped to experience some of the δύναμις and ελευθερία of which they heard the apostle speak.”

 

“As one reflects on the context within which the church of the early fathers attained sufficient strength (not solely in numerical terms) to attract the interest and then the favor of a Roman emperor, it is difficult not to observe uncanny parallels to the situation facing Christians in much of Western society today. The difference, of course—and it is a massive one—is that today's religiously and culturally pluralist society, so inclusively tolerant and sexually besotted, has emerged out of Christendom. No return to the innocence of pre-Constantinian pre-Christendom is possible. Yet believers today can learn from earlier generations without drowning in nostalgia or painting the past in the hues of Utopian idealism.”

 

Abstract: “Matthew's relationship to the Gentile world has been a somewhat neglected dimension of recent discussion. When the topic has been examined, two issues have been to the fore, namely whether Matthew's largely Jewish community engages in mission to convert Gentiles, and if so, on what terms do converted Gentiles belong to the community. It is argued here that the individualistic and religious focus of the discussion ignores Matthew's macro-theological and socio-political framing of, and systemic engagement with, the Gentile (Roman imperial) world. Discussion of seven aspects of the Gospel (1.1; evoking Isaiah in 1.23 and 4.15; Satan's role; representative Gentiles; Pilate; parousia; discipleship in the meantime) sustains the argument that Matthew engages the Gentile world systemically with a much broader focus on God's just and transforming reign.”

 

“The pattern is clear: Jesus moves his place of dwelling from Bethlehem, to Egypt, back to the land of Israel, to Nazareth and to Capernaum in response to an anticipated act of violence by one of the Herods; each move fulfills Scripture. It is reasonable to conclude that in our text the news of John's imprisonment poses for Jesus himself another imminent danger. The scene before us, then, is painfully familiar. On television screens and on the covers of newsmagazines the picture is a constant one: innocent people fleeing their homes to escape the terror of violent and inhuman authorities…”

 

“Jesus displays audacious personal authority in summoning his followers to join him in advancing the kingdom of God. He does not negotiate with disciples. Moreover, the content of his call implies an alternative political (imperial) as well as religious (spiritual) vocation.”

 

01/18/2014 at 08:17 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

01/08/2014

Textweek ATLAS January 19, 2014, Epiphany 2 / Ordinary 2

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/epipha2.htm

Epiphany/Ordinary 2
January 19, 2014

“FROM THE GOSPEL lesson for the Second Sunday after Epiphany three amazingly appropriate themes for the specific season of the year emerge. Many denominations focus attention in January and February on the church's witness and mission in the world. The pericope offers help for such a concern. The liturgical emphasis calls attention to the revelation of Christ, for which the Fourth Gospel's account of Jesus' baptism provides a natural text. Finally, both themes—witness and epiphany—blend in the ensuing narrative which describes the call of the disciples to follow Jesus.”

Norris, Kathleen, "Living by the Word," The Christian Century, 2008.
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“As any Native American could tell you, naming ceremonies are important. They signify a new creation, in this case the church, full of those flawed people who will bear the name of Christian. Isaiah has told us: listen, pay attention. And the psalmist asks: did you ever find the strength to sing a new song when you were in the pit? Or perhaps you were standing on the banks of a muddy rivulet and discovered there the river of life. How is this possible? What has come into the world so that it can happen? It is not answers that matter here, but the invitation that we can only hope we have the grace to hear: come and se

“SELF-PROMOTION. SELF-INTEREST. SELF-MASTERY. Self-indulgence. How convenient it is, for readers of Scripture in late 2008, that these traits of first-century Corinth so closely parallel the contours of our own place and time. For just as Corinthian Christians struggled to embody a marginalized message of sacrifice in an era of aggrandizement, so too, today's church searches for an authentic voice amid the clamor of our culture's competing claims.”

“The word apocalypse simply means to reveal, to uncover, and if facing reality brings us despair, we need to ask why. Above all, we must reject the literalist notion that apocalyptic literature is about a future pie in the sky. It is a command to come to full attention in the here and now. And that is hard to do.”

The section on this text begins on page 124. “There is not time to explore all the implications of this understanding of Isaiah for a coherent biblical theology of Old and New Testament. Several things do stand out. ( 1 ) The first part of the book contains the theme of a word spoken that is not heeded but is preserved for a later day. (2) It contains the theme of royal promise, beyond the obedience of Hezekiah, foil to Ahaz, and it pushes this in an eschatological direction in Isaiah 11:1-9. (3) The latter Isaiah joins to this theme of royal exultation, obedience, and new creation, the theme of the suffering servant; the servant is the culmination of hopes associated with the prophet like Moses. (4) The servant embodies the hopes associated with Israel, and in particular with Israel vis-à-vis the nations. (5) The servant disciples take up this hope, and in the final chapters of Isaiah, suffer as the righteous servants at the hands of others within Israel who reject or dispute the "light to the nations" role as executed by the servants and the servant followers.”

01/08/2014 at 02:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

01/03/2014

Textweek ATLAS January 12, 2014, Epiphany 1, Baptism of Jesus

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/baptisma.htm

Baptism of Jesus
January 12, 2014

A 1993 article from Interpretation. “…our Lord's baptism is the prototype of the Christian sacrament and, further, that the rite of baptism signifies the saving activity of God in history.”

 Gibbs, Jeffrey A., "Israel Standing with Israel: The Baptism of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel (Matt 3:13-17)," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2002.
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“In sum, then, there is a certain narrative development from Matt 2:13-15 to Matt 3:13-17 to Matt 4:1-11. First, Jesus, son of God, is identified as the recapitulation of Israel and is utterly dependent on divine protection as Israel was. Second, Jesus, son of God, is identified as Israel, yet he comes to stand with the people as they confess the very sins from which he has come to save them. Third, Jesus, son of God, is led out to where Israel failed, but he does not fail; rather, he actively combats Satan and emerges victorious and obedient.”

 Norris, Kathleen, "Marked for a Purpose," The Christian Century, 2007.
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“Baptism, then, is about celebrating the incomparable gift we receive as creatures beloved of God. But baptism is also about more fully engaging the responsibility that this identity entails.”

 Vinson, Richard, "'King of the Jews': Kingship and Anti-Kingship Rhetoric in Matthew's Birth, Baptism, and Transfiguration Narratives," Review & Expositor, 2007.
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“In the times of Jesus and many of Matthew's early readers, "king" meant first Caesar, whose empire overshadowed and controlled every other political entity; and second, whatever local petty kings were the sharp end of the imperial spear.”

  Bowens, Lisa M., "The Role of John the Baptist in Matthew's Gospel," Word & World, 2010.
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 “John the Baptist has frequently been seen as a forerunner and foreshadower of Jesus, hut he can also be seen as a model of discipleship. Both Jesus' crucifixion and the death of John establish the fact that the gospel does not guarantee the avoidance of suffering. To be a disciple means to lose one's life for Christ's sake.”

 Arterbury, Andrew E., "The Ancient Custom of Hospitality, The Greek Novels, and Acts 10:1 - 11:18," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 2002.

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“In Acts 10:1-11:18, Luke explicitly refers to the custom of hospitality while narrating a radical change in the theology and praxis of the early church. First, because of a vision and the instruction of the Holy Spirit, Peter broke with tradition and offered hospitality to the Gentile emissaries. Next, he broke with tradition and accepted hospitality from Cornelius. This included both entering Cornelius's home and eating with him. Finally, Cornelius and his entire household were converted, after Peter testified to what God had done and after God had given the Holy Spirit to them. As a result, Peter's theological framework for evaluating people was drastically revised. In the midst of these three hospitality scenes, Peter was able to recognize that fearing God is more important to God than racial heritage.

 Bond, L. Susan, "Scripture and Theology, Acts 10:34-43,"Interpretation, 2002.
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“PETER'S SERMON TO CORNELIUS CHALLENGES their understandings about what it means to follow Christ. The radical gospel of peace challenges our own notions of what it means to belong to a privileged religious community with the ‘exclusive’ truth about the way of salvation.”

 Matson, David Lertis and Warren S. Brown, "Tuning the Faith: The Cornelius Story in Resonance Perspective," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 2006.
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“This article seeks to identify what those sources arc and demonstrate their congruence at key junctures in the narrative, using an auditory/acoustic metaphor recently developed as a way to consider the relationship between neuroscience and Christian faith.  It is hoped that this integrative approach to the question of truth and its competing sources might provide a working model for the doing of theology today.”

 Mays, James L., "Expository Article: Psalm 29," Interpretation, 1985.

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“Finally, having recognized that the doxological orientation of the Bible is not toward "nature," a plea on behalf of the thunderstorm, we must give attention to the significance for us of its place in the psalm, where it is a "sign" in the Johannine sense of God's sovereignty over the cosmos.”

 Evans, Craig A., "Jesus and Justice," Ex Auditu, 2006.
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“In the Hebrew Scriptures the root for "righteous" and "righteousness," as well as for their approximate English synonyms "just" and "justice," is sdq (i.e., sedeq, sedäqäh, and sadîq). The words for "judge" (verb) and "judgment" are säpat and mispät. Other words, of course, come into play. Their Greek equivalents, in both the Greek version of the OT (i.e., the Old Greek or the Septuagint) and the Greek NT, are the forms that derive from the roots dik- (i.e., dikaios, "just" or "righteous"; dikaiosunë, "justice" or "righteousness") and kri-(i.e., krinein, "to judge"; ¡crisis, "judgment”).”

“The anonymous servant of Isaiah 42:1-9 can be neither Israel nor Cyrus nor any person other than the royal Davidic Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. This first servant song introduces the servant and highlights the successful completion of the task to which He is divinely called. Only a hint is given of the pathway of suffering that the servant must tread to arrive at the glory of a completed mission when He will have caused a righteous order to prevail on the earth. He will bring in a just order on the earth following His second advent at the time of the fulfillment of the promised New covenant for the nation Israel. Gentiles also will benefit from the worldwide blessings of this covenant and kingdom.”

01/03/2014 at 01:24 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)