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12/26/2016

Textweek ATLAS - Epiphany 3A January 22, 2017

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:

Epiphany 3A
January 22, 2017

“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.”

12/26/2016 at 03:36 PM |

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