Repetition in Hebrews: Plurality and Singularity in the Letter to the Hebrews, Its Ancient Context, and the Early Church

Description

Repetition has had a chequered and often negative reception in Christian history, especially in connection with ritual and liturgy, and the Letter to the Hebrews lies at the heart of this contested understanding. Nicholas Moore shows that repetition in Hebrews does not operate in uniform contrast to the once-for-all death of Christ but rather functions in a variety of ways, many of them constructive. The singularity of the Christ event is elucidated with reference to the once-yearly Day of Atonement to express all-surpassing theological sufficiency, and repetition can contrast or coexist with this unique event. In particular, Moore argues that the daily Levitical sacrifices foreshadow the Christian's continual access to and worship of God. This reappraisal of repetition in Hebrews lays foundations for renewed appreciation of repetition's importance for theological discourse and religious life. Cover Preface Table of Contents Note Part One: Hebrews and Repetition Chapter 1: Hebrews and the Problem of Repetition 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Repetition in Hebrews Scholarship 1.2.1 Repetition as Self-Evidently Ineffective 1.2.2 Repetition as a Uniform Phenomenon 1.2.3 Repetition–Singularity and Platonic Earth–Heaven Dualism 1.2.4 Repetition–Singularity and the Transition from Old Covenant to New 1.3 Approaching Repetition 1.3.1 Definition 1.3.2 Hebrews’ Portrayal of Repetition 1.3.3 The Relationship of Repetition to Ritual 1.3.4 Approaching the Relationship of Repetition to Effect 1.3.5 Charting Repetition and Effect 1.4 Argument of this Study Chapter 2: Repetition in the Historical Settings of Hebrews 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Locating Hebrews 2.3 Old Testament 2.3.1 Repetition in the Old Testament Prophetic ‘Critique’ of Sacrifice 2.3.2 Uniqueness in the Old Testament (1): The Shema 2.3.3 Uniqueness in the Old Testament (2): The Day of Atonement 2.3.4 Conclusion: Hebrews and the Old Testament 2.4 Jubilees and Qumran 2.4.1 Repetition in Jubilees (1): Calendar 2.4.2 Repetition in Jubilees (2): Chronology 2.4.3 Repetition, Worship, and Liturgy in the Qumran Texts 2.4.4 Conclusion: Hebrews and Qumran 2.5 Middle Platonism (1): Philo of Alexandria 2.5.1 Plurality in Philo (1): The Earthly Realm 2.5.2 Plurality in Philo (2): Sacrifices 2.5.3 Plurality in Philo (3): Recollection and Repentance 2.5.4 Singularity in Philo: God and the Jerusalem Cult 2.6 Middle Platonism (2): Plutarch 2.6.1 Plurality in Plutarch 2.6.2 Singularity in Plutarch 2.6.3 Conclusion: Hebrews and Middle Platonism 2.7 Early Christianity 2.7.1 Plurality and Repetition in the New Testament 2.7.2 Uniqueness in the New Testament (1): The Shema 2.7.3 Uniqueness in the New Testament (2): Jesus’ Death 2.7.4 Conclusion: Hebrews and Early Christianity 2.8 Conclusion Chapter 3. Repetition in the Early Church 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Repeating Repentance 3.2.1 The Unrepeatability of Christian Baptism 3.2.2 The Shepherd of Hermas on Postbaptismal Repentance 3.2.3 Clement of Alexandria on Postbaptismal Repentance 3.2.4 Origen on the Means of Postbaptismal Forgiveness 3.3 Repeating Baptisms 3.3.1 Controversies over ‘Rebaptism’ 3.3.2 Jewish and Jewish-Christian Baptismal Groups 3.3.3 Critiques of Repeated Baptisms 3.3.4 Epiphanius against Baptistic Sects 3.4 Repeating Sacrifices 3.4.1 First Clement and Barnabas on Old Covenant Sacrifices 3.4.2 Emperor Julian on the Christians’ Failure to Repeat Sacrifices 3.4.3 Chrysostom on Repetition and Uniqueness in the Eucharist 3.5 Conclusion Part Two: Repetition in Hebrews Chapter 4: Repetition and Revelation 4.1 Introduction 4.2 A Plurality of Prophets – the Exordium (Hebrews 1.1–4) 4.2.1 Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως in the Context of Hebrews 4.2.2 Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως in Wider Context 4.3 Repetition of Divine Speech in ‘These Last Days’ 4.3.1 Repetition of Divine Speech in the New Covenant: Heb 2.1–4 4.3.2 Repetition of Divine Speech in the Rest of Hebrews 4.4 Plurality and Hebrews’ Interpretation of the Old Testament 4.4.1 The Uses of Plurality in Hebrews: Previous Scholarship 4.4.2 The Creation and Use of Plurality: Psalm 8 4.4.3 Exploiting Textual and Temporal Plurality: Psalm 95 4.5 Conclusion Chapter 5. Repetition and Repentance 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Repeated and Unrepeatable Acts in Hebrews 5.11–6.12 5.3 Repentance in Hebrews 5.3.1 Μετάνοια in Wider Context 5.3.2 Μετάνοια in Hebrews 5.4 Why is Repentance Unrepeatable? 5.4.1 ‘Impossible’ vs ‘Very Difficult’ 5.4.2 The Nature of ‘Falling Away’ 5.4.3 ‘Crucifying’ vs ‘Recrucifying’ 5.4.4 Early Evidence for the Recrucifixion Motif in the Acts of Peter 5.4.5 The Increased Gravity of New Covenant Apostasy 5.4.6 Ἅπαξ: Atonement and Repentance as ‘Once-for-All’ 5.5 The Relationship between Repeated and Unrepeatable Acts 5.6 Conclusion Chapter 6. Repetition and Ritual 6.1 Introduction 6.2 The Cultus in Hebrews 6.2.1 The Relationship between the Heavenly and the Earthly Cult 6.2.2 The Nature of Cultic Language in Hebrews 6.3 Priesthood 6.3.1 Hebrews 2.10–3.6 and 4.14–5.10: A Perfect Priest 6.3.2 Hebrews 7.1–22: Melchizedek Made Like the Son 6.3.3 Hebrews 7.23–24: Mortals and the Immortal One 6.4 Sacrifice 6.4.1 Hebrews 7.26–28: Sinners and the Sinless One 6.4.2 Hebrews 9.23–28: Dying Once 6.4.3 Hebrews 10.1–4: The Inadequacy of Animal Sacrifices 6.4.4 Hebrews 10.5–10: Christ’s Obedient Sacrifice 6.4.5 Hebrews 10.11–18: Singular, Seated, and Perfect 6.4.6 Hebrews 9.6: The Tamid 6.4.7 Hebrews 9.1–14: Typology and the Tabernacle 6.5 A Repeated New Covenant Cultus 6.5.1 Regular Meetings and their Cultic Context 6.5.2 The (Anti-?)Cultic Argument of Hebrews 13 6.5.3 The New Covenant Altar 6.5.4 New Covenant Sacrifices 6.6 Conclusion Conclusion Chapter 7: Repetition, Redemption, and Eternity 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Repetition, Singularity, and Effect in Hebrews 7.3 Hebrews and Kierkegaardian Repetition 7.4 ‘Let Us Go On’: The Implications of this Study 7.4.1 Repetition and Hebrews’ Historical Context 7.4.2 Hebrews and Repetition in Christian Tradition Bibliography Primary Literature Reference Works Secondary Literature Index of Ancient Sources Ancient Near Eastern Literature Old Testament Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Dead Sea Scrolls Greco-Roman Literature Philo of Alexandria Plutarch Josephus New Testament Apostolic Fathers Other Early Christian and Patristic Literature Rabbinic Literature Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects