Mid-term Exam Flashcards
Hellenism
The spreading of Greek culture into other parts of the world.
The Greek culture that dominated the Mediterranean world after Alexander the Great; but Judaism and Christianity worked out their identity in the context of Hellenism
Alexander the Great
356-323 bce
Quickly, boldly and ruthlessly overran Greece to the south
Desire to spread Greek culture to lands that were conquered.
Greco-roman
The cultural mix of the first century Mediterranean world, in which Greek civilization continued to exercise influence within roman political rule
Herod the great
Jewish puppet king of Jerusalem
Septuagint
Greek interpretation of the Jewish bible completed in 250 BCE.
LXX- 70 translators
Heavily used by christians as their first scripture
Polis
The Greek city-state, one of the instruments by which Alexander hoped to create a pan-Hellenistic world.
Maccabean revolt
When Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to impose syncretistic worship by placing a statue of Zeus Olympus in the temple and forbidding observance of Torah
Monotheism
A belief distinctive to Judaism in antiquity-although some philosophers approached it-that God was singular in existence, the one power that creates, sustains and judges the world.
Polytheism
The religious system that thinks of the divine power as distributed among many gods and goddesses, often envisaged in terms of an extended family (e.g. The Olympians)
Roman Empire
Established in 27bce Powerful and efficient Extended right of citizenship Over-populated cities reliant on roman government High taxation.
Mystery religions
Religious cults that developed in Greece. In the Hellenistic era proliferated in honor of different gods and goddesses.
Philosophy
The love of wisdom
In Hellenism, Dealt more with the art of living. Shift from theory to therapy.
Theoretical differences were less significant than practical results.
Socrates
Taught virtue and self-control
Founder of western philosophy
Ethical issues of life
Plato
Student of Socrates
Denying the reality of the material world
Influenced by St. Augustine
Aristotle
Student of Plato
Diversity of subject matter
Philo and Josephus
Josephus- Jewish historian
Philo- Hellenistic Jewish philosopher
Apocalypticism
A vision of history as tending toward a divinely ordered goal. Often in two stages:
- a present age of oppression
- An age of triumph for the righteous/ messianic age/resurrection
Dualism
Reality consists of two opposing elements.
Pharisees
Believed in separatism, only hebrew bible, coming judgment, resurrection, existence of spiritual beings. Strict interpretation of torah, which was enabled through midrash. Standard Judaism after destruction of temple in 70ce.
Zealot
In opposition to Roman Empire. Believed in apocalypse. Simon the zealot. Sought victory over Rome and establishment of Jewish nation.
Sadducees
Upperclass, made primarily of priestly class. Did not believe in coming judgment, etc. did not agree with entire Torah.
Diaspora Judaism
Part of diaspora outside of Palestine that wasn’t forced to equate religious and political symbols. Not persecuted.
Messianic expectations
Messiah=anointed one
Apocalyptic or political
Many Jews had no messianic beliefs
Historical-critical methodology
The mother of all methodology
Focuses on origin and development of a text
Includes textual, linguistic, form, traditional, source,redaction
Symbolic world
Social structures and the symbols used to express and support such structures, roughly equivalent to culture
Canonical gospels
Luke has a canonical perspective
Previous “attempts” at writing an account of what Jesus said and did.
Hermeneutics
A theory of interpreting scripture. Hermes- messenger or interpreter of the other gods
Torah
First 5 book of the Hebrew bible, and by extension to the entire tradition of lore and learning derived from the Bible as a whole.
Quelle
Source.
Hypothetical Source that Matthew & Luke both used though Luke follows more closely. It is primarily the sayings of Jesus.
Synoptic Problem
How do we account for the similarities between the first 3 gospels? Or the differences? Different perspectives, Different Agenda.
Augustine 1) Matthew was first begins to use the word church 2) Mark shortened Matthew 3) Luke used both Matthew & Mark
Two-Source Theory
Theory that Luke and Matthew used two sources to write their gospels Mark (First written gospel) and Quelle. Yet both contain material unique to their respective gospels
Historical Criticism
What happened? History of text & History in text.
The quest for the events that surround the production of the text, including the purported events narrated by the text itself.
Form Criticism
Discovering what are we reading (narrative, parable, song)
The quest for the original type of oral or written tradition reflected in the text, and for the sort of situation in the life of Israel or the early church out of which such a tradition might have developed.
Redaction Criticism
Who copied it from whom? Synopsis of the 4 gospel.
The quest for perceiving the way in which the final author of the text purposefully adopted and adapted sources.
Source Criticism
where did the writers get their sources/information (oral culture). Witness.
The quest for the written sources used in the text.
Literary Criticism
The quest to understand the text as literature by employing either traditional or more recent models of literary criticism that are employed in the study of literature generally; corollaries of literary criticism are genre and form analysis, the quest to classify a text as to its type.
Narrative Criticism
As a subset of literary criticism, the quest to understand the formal and material features of narrative texts (stories) or other texts that have an implicit or underlying narrative within or behind them.
Social Scientific Criticism
The quest for the social identity, perceptions of the world, and cultural characteristics of the writers, readers/hearers, and communities suggested by the text; usually divided into two distinct subdisciplines, social descriptions and social-scientific analysis.
Exegesis
The task of interpreting a text or passage of scripture from the past to bring out what it means in the present is called exegesis (To lead out)
Careful historical, literary and theological analysis of a text: scholarly reading, close reading, investigation, conversation and art.
Genre
The type of literature the text is and the life situation implied by the text.
Gospel/Euangelion
originally referred to the good news from and about God in the death and resurrection of Jesus;
- Isaiah 52:7
- opposition to Roman rule
Biography
Gospel is similar to ancient Greek biography/novel
Inclusio
Common indication of a self-contained unit in which a word, phrase, or theme found at the beginning of the unit is echoed at the end.
Pseudonymity
referring to writers of the Gospels? (in OT, writers not concerned with their authorship and usually attribute it to their teacher/predecessor)
Gospel of the Church
Matthew is called this because it is the only gospel to use the term church (ekklsia) and because both its contents and structure indicate an interest in providing clear and coherent guidance to a community of believers.
Parables
In the Gospels, a (usually) short story or example spoken by Jesus, often which reference to the kingdom of God.
Genealogy
Matthew 1 (Abraham to Joseph), Luke 3 (Adam to Mary)
Ascension
Unique to Luke, took place 40 day after appearing to witnesses. Does not signal an end or removal of Jesus from story, become a spiritual bridge/connection links Jesus, the disciples and the Church to God’s story in the Hebrew Bible. After this the disciples receive the Holy Spirit.
Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the mount (Matthew) to Jewish Christians reminds them of Moses/Exodus. Sermon on the plain (Luke) writing to Jews & Gentiles, God is for all people therefore the world is flat (equalizing).
The Magnificat/Canticle
Mary’s Prayer in Matthew, similar to Hannah’s prayer
Geography in Luke-Acts
Jerusalem is the center of Luke’s story. Each movement circles back to Jerusalem
Jerusalem in Luke-Acts
Luke is about going to Jerusalem, Acts is about going away from Jerusalem
The Kingdom of God/Heaven in Mark, Matthew, and Luke-Acts
Luke- JX teaches about the kingdom of God on way to Jerusalem
Prophet and the Holy Spirit in Luke Acts
Holy Spirit enables people to prophesy
Discipleship
This term translates the Greek mathetes, which means literally “a learner”; used for followers of Jesus in the Gospels.
Reign of God
(Kingdom of God) Space where God’s purposes for world are revealed The kingdom of God is not a thing it’s God himself taking over as King – taking over the empire. To come under the rulership and kingship of God – To enter into the kingdom is to enter into the shadow of God who is King. Revealed in the teaching, healing, exorcism of Jesus.
Messiah
anointed one, one coming to be the king (in the line of King David) To anoint with oil (Kings and priests anointed)
In Hebrew, the “anointed one,” whose role was to deliver the Jewish people from danger and restore them as a people; the concept is both individual and communal. In Christianity, it is applied to Jesus; in Judaism, it has had several referents.
Passion Narrative
- Cry of abandonment found in both Mark and Matthew becomes in Luke a prayer of acceptance
- Matthew’s passion narrative concerns the role of the populace in the death of Jesus. Luke puts rejection of Jesus on Jewish leadership
Prologue
Introduction in Acts it is a summary of the Gospel of Luke in Mark it establishes the theological claims purpose for the remainder of the book.
Personification of Wisdom
Jesus as Torah
Shekinah
dwelling or settling, and denotes the dwelling or settling of the Divine Presence of God.
The Great Commission
Go and make disciples of all nations…
Teacher/Lord
In Matthew…did not want to be called teacher/rabbi?
Literary technique used by the author to show insiders from outsiders. Outsiders (religious leaders) call Jesus teacher, Insiders (those who want to be followers) use Lord. Judas never uses Lord.
Theophilus
God lover, name found in the prologue of Luke that would normally denote a sponsor. It is unknown if this is a person or a symbol.
Transfiguration
Connection with founder Moses prophet Elijah
Caesarea Philippi
Visited before transfiguration, where JX says Peter is the Rock of the church
Parousia
Christ’s second coming
Luke-date written
80-90CE in Antioch
for Theophilus/Jewish Christians and Gentiles
Luke-Author
Luke
Luke-Theme
“Make the fish clean”
God is a God of salvation for all people, God’s fidelity
Holy Spirit in worship & prayer
to fulfill the old testament
faithfulness and witness
continuity between Judaism and Christianity
Mark-date written
70CE, around the destruction of the temple
Written for both Greeks and Jews
Mark-Author
Mark, “the interpreter of Peter”
Mark-Theme
- Jesus as Son of God
- Reign of God
Jesus embodies faithfulness of Israelites out of Egypt, kingdom manifested in JX
Matthew-date written
75-100CE
to Greek-speaking Jewish Christians in Antioch
Matthew-author
Unknown
Matthew-theme
Bridging the OT to the NT
The abiding presence of God
Jesus the Messiah and Son of God
Gospel of the church
