Tag: fictive family
-
Household: Paul’s Use of Family in 1 Corinthians (Part 2)
The 1 Corinthians epistle is modeled on the Greco-Roman concord discourse. It was a form of oration and writing that implored divided factions to respect the natural hierarchal order. Only by submitting to the natural order of class and status could harmony be achieved. Paul appeals to the Corinthians for order, but his basis for…
-
Household: Theological Implications of the Parable of the Compassionate Father (Part 3)
Yesterday I asked, in what sense does Bailey see the story of the Compassionate Father in Luke 15 as a retelling of the story of Israel? It is easy to forget that the creator of a great story has the freedom to choose where to begin. Jesus sees himself as the divine presence in the…
-
Household: Jesus and Fictive Family (Part 4)
We have seen that the Old Testament contains some fictive family references but not nearly to the extent we see with Jesus. The Old Testament references tend to be more about God as the Father of the Nation, and there is not really the concept of the entire nation being brothers and sisters of each…
-
Household: Household and Diaspora
The Jewish dispersion (diaspora) was another factor that impacted the Jewish idea of family and household. The diaspora began in 722 B.C.E. when the Assyrians conquered the northern Kingdom. Many Israelites were taken to other parts of the Assyrian Empire, and other Assyrians were resettled in their place. The newcomers brought their religions with them,…
-
Household of God
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. (Eph 2:19-20, NRSV) Oikos tou Theou, "household of God." I have done revisioning work over…
-
Theology and Economics: Cathedral Built of Eikons
One day during the Middle Ages, a gentleman was walking through a European village when he came across a large construction site. Curious about the project, he asked a stone mason what he was doing. "I am laying stones," replied the mason somewhat sarcastically. Not satisfied with the answer, the gentleman approached a carpenter busy…