Living and Dying Well in Philippians: A Comparative Analysis of Ancient Sources

Description

The contemporary bifurcation of living and dying and the aversion of death are largely absent in ancient conceptions of human flourishing. Gregory Lamb bridges this gap by combining living and dying well as the twin facets of flourishing and by comparing the often-competing conceptions of flourishing within salient ancient sources (up to 100 CE). Beginning with Paul's concept of flourishing in Philippians, and then comparing/contrasting popular Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and Second Temple Jewish views, the volume advocates a »kaleidoscopic« reading of Paul that attunes to the complex diversity and Sitze im Leben of the Philippians. The author argues that Philippians is central to Paul's presentation of flourishing as a Christocentric, cruciform life, and that despite the competing conceptions of living and dying well in the cultures around him, Paul, nonetheless, stands in stark contrast to them. Cover Title Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Human Flourishing as a Subject of Pauline Research A. Kaleidoscopic Scope and Relevance for Biblical Studies I. Thesis, Scope, and Purpose 1. Thesis 2. Scope 3. Purpose II. Why Study Paul’s Conception of Living and Dying Wellin Philippians? B. Review of Literature I. Monographs 1. John Behr, The Mystery of Christ (2006) 2. John M. Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life (2008) 3. John Swinton and Richard Payne, Living Well and Dying Faithfully (2009) 4. Michael J. Gorman, Becoming the Gospel (2015) 5. Alexander N. Kirk, The Departure of an Apostle (2015) 6. Scot McKnight and Joseph B. Modica, eds., The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life (2016) II. Articles 1. James L. Jaquette, “Life and Death, Adiaphora, and Paul’s Rhetorical Strategies” (1996) 2. Rollin A. Ramsaran, “Living and Dying, Living Is Dying (Philippians 1:21)” (2002) 3. Nijay K. Gupta, “‘I Will Not Be Put to Shame’” (2008) 4. Jeremy Punt, “A Biblical Death-Wish” (2009) III. Dissertations 1. James P. Ware, “‘Holding Forth the Word of Life’” (1996) 2. Audrey Lynn Sharon West, “Whether by Life or by Death” (2001) C. Lacunae within the Current State of Research D. Overview of the Study Chapter 2: Comparative Methodology A. Comparative Analysis and Philippians I. Comparative Analysis: Toward an Understanding II. Comparative Analysis: A Viable Methodology to Study Paul and Philippians? B. Criteria for the Selection of Sources Chapter 3: Living and Dying Well in Philippians A. Flourishing as a Foundational Subtext B. Exegetical Analysis I. Paul’s Argumentatio: Propositio (Phil 1:27–30) 1. Philippians 1:27 2. Philippians 1:28 II. Paul’s Argumentatio: Probatio (Phil 2:1–30) 1. Philippians 2:2 2. Philippians 2:3–4 3. Philippians 2:5 4. Philippians 2:12 5. Philippians 2:16 6. Philippians 2:17–18 7. Philippians 2:29 III. Paul’s Argumentatio: Refutatio (Phil 3:1–21) 1. Philippians 3:1 2. Philippians 3:17 IV. Paul’s Peroratio: Repetitio (Phil 4:1–9) 1. Philippians 4:1 2. Philippians 4:3 3. Philippians 4:4 4. Philippians 4:5 5. Philippians 4:6 6. Philippians 4:8 7. Philippians 4:9 V. Synthesis Chapter 4: Living and Dying Well in Greco-Roman, Egyptian, and Second Temple Jewish Sources A. Variegated Voices on Living and Dying Well B. Survey of Selected Sources I. Living and Dying Well in Greco-Roman Sources 1. Historians 1.1 Select Passages from Herodotus, Historiae (ca. 430 BCE) 1.2 Select Passages from Thucydides, Historiae (ca. 411 BCE) 2. Pagan Devotees 3. Philosophers 3.1 Select Passages from Plato, Apologia (ca. 392 BCE) 3.2 Select Passages from Plutarch, Moralia (ca. 100 CE) 3.3 Select Passages from Aristotle, Ethica Nicomachea (ca. 340 BCE) 3.4 Select Passages from Cicero, De Finibus (ca. 45 BCE) 3.5 Select Passages from Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes (ca. 45 BCE) 3.6 Select Passages from Seneca, De Vita Beata (ca. 58 CE) 3.7 Select Passages from Seneca, Epistulae Morales (ca. 65 CE) 4. Summary of the Greco-Roman Sources 4.1 Summary of the Historians 4.2 Summary of the Pagan Devotees 4.3 Summary of the Philosophers II. Living and Dying Well in Egyptian Sources 1. Select Passages from The Book of the Dead (ca. 4266 BCE) 2. Select Passages from the Papyri Graecae Magicae (ca. second century BCE) 3. KIP 506/L252 Inscription to Isis-Regina on Philippi’s Theater (ca. first century CE) 4. Summary of the Egyptian Sources 4.1 Summary of The Book of the Dead 4.2 Summary of the Papyri Graecae Magicae 4.3 Summary of KIP 506/L252 III. Living and Dying Well in Second Temple Jewish Sources 1. Extrabiblical Jewish Literary Sources: Philo 1.1 Select Passages from Philo’s Legum Allegoriae III (ca. 35 CE) 1.2 Select Passages from Philo’s De Specialibus Legibus (ca. 38 CE) 1.3 Select Passages from Philo’s Legatio ad Gaium (ca. 40 CE) 2. Extrabiblical Jewish Literary Sources: Josephus 2.1 Select Passages from Josephus’s Bellum Judaicum (ca. 75 CE) 2.2 Select Passages from Josephus’s Antiquitates Judaicae (ca. 93–94 CE) 2.3 A Select Passage from Josephus’s Contra Apionem (ca. 94 CE) 3. Epigraphic Evidence 4. Summary of the Second Temple Jewish Sources 4.1 Summary of Extrabiblical Jewish Literary Sources 4.2 Summary of Jewish Epigraphic Sources IV. Conclusion Chapter 5: Comparative Analysis of Flourishing between Philippians and Ancient Sources A. Paul’s Christocentric Reappropriation and “Answerability” B. Synthesis of the Comparative Data I. Shared Meta-Categories 1. Flourishing as “Gospel” Work 2. Flourishing as Right Character 3. Flourishing as Community 4. Flourishing as Eschatological Reward II. Non-Shared Meta-Categories 1. Differing Meta-Categories of Flourishing within Greco-Roman Sources 2. Differing Meta-Categories of Flourishing within Egyptian Sources 3. Differing Meta-Categories of Flourishing within Second Temple Jewish Sources III. Hypotheses Generated in Answering the Question, “Why?” 1. Greco-Roman Sources 2. Egyptian Sources 3. Second Temple Jewish Sources IV. Conclusion: A Collision of Ancient Worldviews V. Implications for Interpretation VI. Implications for Christian Praxis C. Areas for Further Research I. The Corpus Paulinum II. The Remainder of the New Testament and Beyond III. What Does It Mean to Flourish? IV. Dual Citizenship and Its Linkage to Flourishing in Philippians V. What Does It Mean to Be Human? D. Concluding Reflections Appendix 1: Maat and the Weighing of the Heart of the Deceased Appendix 2: Summary of Selected Sources’ Comparison to Paul in Philippians Appendix 3: Philippi: The Historical Setting, the City, and Its People Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects