Full Description
When Paul heard that a Christ-follower in Corinth was in an incestuous relationship with his stepmother, the apostle insisted the man be removed immediately from the congregation. This dramatic response is surprising, as Paul responds to other serious situations with much less vehemence. Why did Paul react to the immoral man with such urgency and severity? Using socio-cultural tools, this study explains the importance of group identity and witness for Paul's ecclesiology. The argument lays a foundation for contemporary readers to appraise contexts where an expulsive response to sin might be appropriate.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1 A Vexing Situation in Corinth
1 An Imbroglio
2 Social Scientific Criticism: Heuristic Tool
3 Psychological Models: Social Identity
4 Sociological Models: Ethics, Honor and Ritual
5 Critical Suppositions
6 Conclusion
2 The Ecclesia as Bounded Entity
1 Lexical Choices Indicating Group Boundedness
2 Group Boundedness in Corinth
3 Examples of Identity-Forming Constructs
4 Conclusion
3 Pauline Emphasis of Ethics and Ethos
1 Liminality in Corinth
2 Moral Ethos of Pagan Corinth
3 Ethical Distinction and Sensitivity to Outsiders
4 Conclusion
4 Roman Perceptions of Incest
1 Paul's Reason for Referencing Gentiles
2 Establishing a Roman View of Incest
3 Extant Evidence for a Roman View of Incest
4 Other Sources
5 Conclusion
5 Derogation as Means of Witness
1 Mediterranean Values of Honor and Shame
2 Honor, Shame and Derogation in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
3 Conclusion
6 Eucharist and the Immoral Man
1 Commensality as a Social Phenomenon
2 Commensal Ritual and Social Identity
3 Sympotic Exclusion in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
4 Conclusion
7 Reputation as Criteria for Expulsion
1 The Argument, in Short
2 Benefits of This Study
3 Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
