The Remembered Peter: in Ancient Reception and Modern Debate

Description

Although Simon Peter was evidently a central figure in both the ministry of Jesus and the mission of the earliest church, his life and thought are shrouded in historical uncertainty. Markus Bockmuehl approaches this problem through focused studies of Peter's highly diverse profile and reception in subsequent Christian sources from Rome and Syria. In Part I of this book, Bockmuehl documents the persistent presence of Peter in personal and collective memory - a phenomenon that usefully illustrates his importance as a "centrist" figure in the early church. The author goes on to examine the apostle's place in recent historical Jesus research as well as in ongoing debates concerning the so-called "New Perspective on Paul" and the problem of Peter's relationship with Paul. Part II discusses the complexity of that Petrine memory in Syria and Rome in particular, paying specific attention to Ignatius, Justin and Serapion in the East, as well as to the significance of Roman memory for the long-standing debate about the place of Peter's death. Finally, in Part III of the book Bockmuehl reconnects this investigation of the apostle's "aftermath" to more conventional historical and exegetical problems, seeking to shed light on their generative function for his subsequent prosopographical profile. In this vein the author examines Jewish meanings and implications of Peter's names, the cultural and religious significance of his origin in the newly excavated village of Bethsaida, and the puzzling Lucan theme of Peter's "conversion" as this came to feature in early Christian faith and praxis. Cover Preface Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Part One: Simon Peter Re-Remembered Chapter 1: Re-Introducing the “Remembered” Peter The Intrinsic Case for Peter Why We Need a Fresh Approach How We Know Simon Peter From Memory to Tradition “Living” Memory and the Birth of History “Living” Memory – The Proof of the Pudding Conclusion: Memory and History Chapter 2: Assessing Peter between Jesus and Paul The Elusive “Third Quest” What’s New in the New Perspective? E. P. Sanders Peter and Sanders’ Paul Peter and Sanders’ Jesus Sanders on Peter, Paul, and Jesus John Dominic Crossan Peter and Crossan’s Jesus Peter and Crossan’s Paul Version 1: Peter and the Dehumanizing Platonist Version 2: Peter and the Egalitarian Anti-Imperialist Crossan on Peter, Paul, and Jesus N. T. Wright Peter and Wright’s Paul Peter and Wright’s Jesus Wright on Peter, Paul, and Jesus James D. G. Dunn Peter and Dunn’s Paul Peter and Dunn’s Jesus Dunn on Peter, Paul, and Jesus Conclusion Chapter 3: Peter and Paul Between History and Reception A Defining Conflict? Peter vs. Paul in the History of Scholarship Re-Remembering a Tense but Vital Partnership Part Two: Peter in Syrian and Roman Memory Chapter 4: Peter in Syria: Ignatius, Justin and Serapion Tradition, Memory, and the “House of Peter” Three Named Individuals in Syria Serapion Justin Ignatius The Letter to Smyrna The Letter to Rome What Else Might Ignatius Know? Chapter 5: Peter, Paul and Simon in the Pseudo-Clementines Peter vs. Paul: From Gal 2 to the Pseudo-Clementines Understanding the Pseudo-Clementines Peter the Apostle Excursus: Petrine Stress on Memory Peter’s Adversary: Simon Magus Evaluation Conclusion Chapter 6: Peter’s Death in Rome? Rome and Peter: the Status Quaestionis in AD 393 Goulder’s Razor Grappe’s Kaleidoscope Living Memory: Re-Reading History Back to Front 1 Clement: Slam Dunk? Concluding Observations Part Three: The Memory of Peter’s Futures Chapter 7: Simon Peter’s Names in Jewish Sources An Unpromising Rabbinic Line of Inquiry Simon: A Name of the Hasmonean Revival First-Century Popularity Biblical Disappearance Eschatological Reappearance Simon Called Peter Bar Yonah: A Galilean Patronym Yonah – A Name of the Second Temple Period? Peter as Jonah Redivivus? “Son of Yonah” or “Terrorist”? John or Jonah? Simon Bar Yonah’s Ossuary in Jerusalem? Cephas Peter? Petros as a Jewish Name? Matthew and Midrash on Petros and Abraham Conclusion Chapter 8: Simon Peter and Bethsaida Peter and Bethsaida: The Gospel Traditions The Synoptic Evidence What’s in a Name? Simon, Peter, Cephas Bethsaida’s Place in Jesus’ Ministry Simon Peter’s Social Background The Johannine Evidence The Social Context of Bethsaida in the Gospels Geography Village or City? Galilee or Gaulanitis? Language Fishing Puns Bethsaida Fishing Techniques Peter and the Archaeology of Bethsaida-Julias Et-Tell (“Tell Bethsaida”) Architecture Material Culture El-Araj and El-Mes‘adiyeh? Assessment and Conclusion Chapter 9: The Conversions of Simon Peter Problems of Method Converting Simon? The Problem of Luke 22.31–32 Three Clues: Hagiographical, Allegorical, Exegetical The Cock’s Crow in Christian Art Conversion and Subversion in the Acts of Peter The New Testament’s Born-Again Peter 1 Peter 1 John 21 Conclusion Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources Hebrew Bible and Septuagint New Testament Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Dead Sea Scrolls Josephus Rabbinic Sources Other Jewish Sources Classical Greek and Latin Sources Patristic Sources Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects