Suffering in the Face of Death: The Epistle to the Hebrews and Its Context of Situation

Description

Suffering and death are two topics that are frequently referred to in the Epistle to the Hebrews, but have rarely been examined within scholarship on this important New Testament text. Dyer redresses the balance in this study of these topics, conducting a thorough investigation using semantic domain analysis. He incorporates recent advancements in modern linguistics, in particular the 'context of situation', and then connects these topics to the social situation addressed in Hebrews. In so doing he is able to reveal how the author is responding to the reality of suffering in the lives of his audience. With this awareness, it becomes clear how the author also responds to his audience's pain by creating models of endurance in suffering and death. These serve to motivate his audience toward similar endurance within their own social context. Dyer shows that it is possible to make significant determinations about the social setting of Hebrews based upon an examination and analysis of the language used therein. Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction A Note on Methodology and Terminology Outline for This Study Chapter 1 Previous Studies on the Topics of Suffering and Death in Hebrews Introduction N. Clayton Croy Charles Talbert Alan Bulley Craig Koester Jean Costé Knut Backhaus Pamela Eisenbaum Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner Norman Young Luke Timothy Johnson Conclusion Chapter 2 History of Research on the Situation Addressed in Hebrews Introduction Pessimism toward Identifying the Situation Addressed in Hebrews Assessment Jewish-Christian Relapse into Judaism Assessment Gentile-Christian Relapse into Paganism Assessment Essene-Christians and Former Qumran Members Assessment Realized Eschatology Assessment Response to the Destruction of the Temple Assessment Loss of Honor and Social Status Assessment Persecution Assessment Conclusion Chapter 3 Methodology: Moving From a Text to its Context Introduction Beyond a Simple Word Study Semantic Domain Theory and the Louw–Nida Lexicon Application of the Theory to the New Testament Text M. A. K. Halliday and “Context of Situation” Application Determining Context from a Text: More Than Just a “Mirror-Reading” Barclay and Gupta on Mirror-Reading Assessment Determining a Social Context from a Text Linguistic Principles for Moving from a Text to Its Context Pervasiveness Semantic Variation Type of Utterance Prominence Cohesion and Coherence Conclusion: Putting Forth a Procedure Chapter 4 Suffering and Death Language in Hebrews Introduction Step One: Identification of Relevant Vocabulary and Passages Step Two: Examination of Death and Suffering Language Hebrews 2.2 Hebrews 2.9–18 Hebrews 3.17 and 4.11 Hebrews 5.7–8 Hebrews 6.1–2 Hebrews 6.6 Hebrews 6.12–13 Hebrews 7.1, 8, 23 Hebrews 9.14 Aἷµa Hebrews 9.15–18, 26–27 Hebrews 10.26–31 Hebrews 10.32–39 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 12.1–4 Hebrews 12.5–11 Hebrews 12.20, 29 Hebrews 13.3, 7 Hebrews 13.11–13, 20 Conclusion Chapter 5 Clues of a Social Context From the Suffering and Death Language in Hebrews Step Three: Principles for Determining a Social Context Pervasiveness Semantic Variation Types of Utterance Prominence Hebrews 2.5–18 Hebrews 10.32–39 Hebrews 12.1–14 Concluding Thoughts on Prominence Cohesion and Coherence Eschatology Faithfulness Jesus the High Priest Concluding Thoughts on Coherence Conclusion Chapter 6 The Use of Exempla in Responding To a Context of Suffering and Death in Hebrews Introduction The Use of Exempla in Hebrews’ Milieu Exempla in Greco-Roman Literature Exempla in Jewish Literature Exempla in the New Testament Summary The Use of Exempla in the Epistle to the Hebrews The Author’s Use of Examples and Exemplars Suffering/Death Exemplar Group #1: Figures from Israel’s History Suffering/Death Exemplar Group #2: The Community Suffering/Death Exemplar Group #3: Jesus Christ Conclusion Chapter 7 Conclusion and Further Research Introduction Significant Motifs Sonship and Suffering Victory over Death Suffering and Death Language within Early Christianity Reconstructing a Historical Scenario for Hebrews Ideas for Further Research Bibliography Author Index Sources Index