A Heavenly Chorus: The Dramatic Function of Revelation's Hymns

Description

The claim that Revelation's hymns function as did Classical tragic choral lyrics insofar as they comment upon or interpret the surrounding narrative has become axiomatic in studies of Revelation.Justin Jeffcoat Schedtler marks an advance in this line of inquiry by offering an exegetical analysis of Revelation's hymns alongside a presentation of the forms and functions of ancient tragic choruses and choral lyrics. Evaluating the hymns in light of the varieties and complexities of ancient tragic choruses, he demonstrate that they are not best evaluated in terms of choral lyrics generally, but in terms of dramatic hymns in particular, insofar as they constitute mythological-theological reflections on the surrounding narrative, and function to situate the surrounding dramatic activity in a particular mythological-theological contexts. Cover Preface Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study of Revelation’s Hymns 1.1. Introduction 1.2 The History of Scholarship on Revelation’s Hymns 1.2.1 Hymnic Qualities and Antecedents 1.2.2 Liturgical Associations 1.2.3 Theological and/or Christological Implications 1.2.4 Structural Functions 1.3 The Dramatic Forms and Functions of Revelation’s Hymns: Status Quaestionis 1.3.1 David Brown 1.3.2 Frederic Palmer 1.3.3 Raymond Brewer 1.3.4 Subsequent Scholarship 1.4 Methodology 1.5 Summary of Argument Chapter 2: The Hymns in Revelation 2.1 Hymnic Material in the Ancient World 2.1.1 Definition of Hymn 2.1.2 Formal Elements of Hymns 2.1.3 Types of Hymns 2.2 Exegetical Analysis of Revelation’s Hymns 2.2.1 The Heavenly Throne Room 2.2.2 Rev 4:8–11 2.2.3 Rev 5:9–14 2.2.4 Rev 7:9–17 2.2.5 Rev 11:15–19 2.2.6 Rev 12:10–12 2.2.7 Rev 15:3–4 2.2.8 Rev 16:5–7 2.2.9 Rev 19:1–8 Chapter 3: The Context for Dramatic Choruses: Choreia in Ancient Greece 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Earliest Choral Forms in Ancient Greece 3.3 Choral Poets 3.3.1 Archaic Poets 3.3.2 Classical Choral Poets 3.3.3 Decline of Choral Poetry in the Post-Classical Period 3.4 Types of Choral Poetry 3.4.1 Issues in Classifying Choral Poetry 3.4.2 Choral Genres 3.5 Formal Features of Choral Poetry 3.5.1 Meter 3.5.2 Dialect 3.5.3 Composition of Choruses 3.5.4 Size of Choruses 3.5.5 Dancing 3.5.6 Musical Elements 3.6 Functions of Choruses and Choral Poetry 3.6.1 Cultic Function(s) 3.6.2 Mythological Function(s) 3.6.3 Pedagogical Function(s) 3.6.4 Social Function(s) Chapter 4: The Dramatic Context of Tragic Choruses: Tragedy 4.1 Origins of Tragedy 4.2 Athenian Tragedy in the Fifth Century 4.2.1 The Poets 4.2.2 The Quasi-Historical, Quasi-Mythological Setting of Tragedy 4.2.3 Structural Features 4.3 Greek Tragedy in the Fourth Century, and into the Hellenistic Period 4.3.1 Evidence of the Tragic Form in the Fourth Century, and Hellenistic Period 4.3.2 Formal Elements of Tragedy in the Hellenistic Period 4.4 Drama in Rome 4.4.1 Origins of Roman Drama 4.4.2 Roman Playwrights 4.4.3 Roman Tragedy 4.5 Tragic Performance Contexts 4.5.1 Festivals in the Fifth Century 4.5.2 Performance Contexts in the Fourth Century and into the Hellenistic Period 4.6 Dramatic Performance in the Roman Period 4.6.1 Increasing Number of Performance Contexts 4.6.2 Roman Acting Guilds 4.6.3 Recitatio 4.7 Theatre Buildings 4.7.1 Theatres in the Classical Period 4.7.2 Theatres in the Fourth Century and Hellenistic Period 4.7.3 Theatres in the Roman Period Chapter 5: Forms and Functions of the Tragic Chorus in the Classical Period 5.1. Introduction 5.2. The Forms of Tragic Choruses in the Classical Period 5.2.1 The Constitution of the Chorus and Choral Personnel 5.2.2 Spatial Elements: The Chorus in the Greek Theatre 5.2.3 Types of Choral Lyrics 5.2.4 Formal Properties of the Choral Lyrics 5.2.5 Musical Dynamics 5.3 The Functions of Tragic Choruses in the Classical Period with Respect to the Surrounding Speech and Dialogue of the Characters 5.3.1 Method 5.3.2 Chorus as “Protagonist” 5.3.3 Moving Forward the Dramatic Action 5.3.4 Casting the Surrounding Dramatic Action in a Particular Light 5.3.5 The “Voice” of the Chorus 5.4. Trends in the Function(s) of the Chorus in the Classical Period 5.4.1 Quantitative Decline 5.4.2 Qualitative Decline Chapter 6: Forms and Functions of the Tragic Chorus in the Fourth Century and Beyond 6.1 The Forms of the Chorus in Post-Classical Tragedy 6.1.1 The Constitution of the Chorus and Choral Personnel 6.1.2 Spatial Elements: The Chorus in the Hellenistic and Roman Theatre 6.1.3 Types of Choral Lyrics in Hellenistic and Roman Tragedy 6.1.4 Formal Elements of Tragic Choral Lyrics in Post-Classical Tragedy 6.2 Functions of Tragic Choruses in the Post-Classical Periods Prior to Seneca 6.2.1 The Rhesus 6.2.2 The Chorus in Roman Republican Tragedy 6.3 Functions of Tragic Choruses in Senecan Tragedy 6.3.1 Moving Forward the Dramatic Action 6.3.2 Casting the Dramatic Action in a Particular Context Chapter 7: Revelation’s Hymns as Choral Lyrics 7.1 A Chorus in Revelation? 7.1.1 Method 7.1.2 The 24 Elders 7.1.3 Other Groups of Heavenly Characters as Choruses? 7.2 Choral Lyrics in Revelation? 7.2.1 Classifying Revelation’s Hymns in Terms of the Various Types of Choral Lyrics 7.2.2 Revelation’s Hymns in Terms of the Formal Characteristics of Tragic Choral Lyrics 7.2.3 Revelation’s Hymns in terms of the Functions of Tragic Choral Lyrics vis-à-vis the Surrounding Dramatic Action 7.3 The “Voice” in Revelation’s Hymns 7.4 Conclusions Bibliography Studies of Hymns in the Apocalypse Studies of New Testament Hymns Studies in Revelation Greek, Hellenistic and Roman Hymns Choral Poets and Choral Phenomena in Antiquity Greek Tragedy Miscellaneous Index of Ancient Sources Hebrew Bible and Septuagint Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha New Testament New Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Qumran Philo and Josephus Rabbinic Literature Apostolic Fathers and Early Christian Literature Greek and Latin Sources Index of Modern Authors Subject Index