The Hellenization Of Judea In The First Century After Christ

This short but highly significant study is the first real sequel to Professor Martin Hengel's classic and monumental work 'Judaism and Hellenism'. It demonstrates from a wealth of evidence, much of it made readily available here for the first time, that in the New Testament period Hellenization was so widespread in Palestine that the usual distinction between Hellenistic Judaism and Palestinian Judaism is not a valid one and that the word Hellenistic and related terms are so vague as to be meaningless. The consequences of this for New Testament study are, of course, considerable.

Martin Hengel gathers an encyclopedic amount of material, ancient and modern, to present an exhaustive survey of the early course of Hellenistic civilization as it related to developing Judaism. The result is a highly readable account of a largely unfamiliar world which is indispensable for those interested in Judaism and the birth of Christianity alike. An extensive section of notes and bibliography is included.

Hengel...here marshals a vast body of learning to illuminate brilliantly a few specific questions about the New Testament.... For anyone who has read much in contemporary European New Testament scholarship, this wise little book will come as a tonic. And for the beginning adult student of the New Testament, the book will serve as an excellent introduction to the question of historicity in early Christian writings. 'Review for Religious' The book is extremely well written and gives evidence of an astonishing command of ancient literature. 'Journal of the American Academy of Religion'

This work significantly advances the critical discussion of New Testament Christology. Hengel examines the titles Son and God. He points toward an inner consistency and dynamic in the development of the doctrine of Christ in primitive Christianity as the movement proceeded from the Gospels' account of the death of Jesus to the high Christology present in the Pauline writings. Historical scholarship and theological -- one might even say dogmatic -- questions must not stand in unresolved contradiction. On the contrary, the historian misunderstands the nature of New Testament Christology if he does not grasp its theological concern and its inner consistency, while a dogmatic approach that does not take seriously the historical course of Christianity is in danger of becoming no more than abstract speculation. It is therefore vitally important to unite historical research and the theological search for truth.

In the wake of suggestions that the doctrine of the atoning death of Christ did not come into being in the earliest stages of Christianity, Martin Hengel forcefully argues with impeccable scholarship that the doctrine can be traced back to the earliest church, indeed to the sayings of Jesus himself. In the first part of this examination, Hengel explores a wide area of classical antiquity. Would it have made sense to Greeks and Romans of the first century to say that Jesus had died for them? Were there points of contact in their traditions? Surveying Greek and Latin literature, Hengel shows just how widespread the theme "dying for actually was, from Homer, through the Greek tragedians and orators, to Plutarch, Livy, and Caesar. The second part of the book is devoted to tracing the doctrine of atonement, moving back from the letters of Paul, through the pre-Pauline tradition, to Jesus.

More happened in the period between Jesus and Paul, Professor Hengel argues, than in the whole of the next seven centuries, up to the time when the doctrine of the early church was completed. Certainly these decades are crucial to our understanding of the development of earliest Christianity. However, they are very much a "tunnel" period, and there is little to shed light on it. This volume does something to pierce the darkness. Among other issues, it considers the origins of the Christian mission, the role of the Hellenists, the reliability of Luke as a geographer when he is dealing with events in Palestine in the Acts of the Apostles, and the development of christological belief, particularly in Christian worship. Those familiar with Professor Hengel's work will know that they will find here a wealth of valuable insight based on painstaking examination of all available sources.

This dissertation argues against the widespread belief among current scholars that Galilee experienced extensive Hellenization, rapid urbanization, and a socio-economic crisis in the first-century C.E. as a result of major socio-economic changes initiated by Herod the Great and his successors. My research indicates that earlier studies allowed the textual evidence to have an undue influence on the way that scholars interpret the archaeological evidence, and vice-versa. Unlike previous studies on Early Roman Galilee, the dissertation begins by attempting to interpret each source for the region individually and without recourse to other sources. After establishing what each source says on its own about Galilee, the dissertation analyzes the data as a whole and offers a reconstruction of Galilean society in the first-century C.E. that better reflects the available evidence. The major findings are that the region was politically stable until the Great Revolt of 66 C.E., that the region was much less Hellenized than some prominent scholars claim, that the urbanization process initiated by Herod Antipas had less of a negative immediate impact on Galilean society than modern scholars usually assume, and that Galilee was not experiencing any unusual or severe socio-economic problems prior to the revolt.

'Victory over Violence' This book, 'Victory over Violence', deals with Òpolitical theologyÓ - as it developed within Palestinian Judaism between 334 B.C. and the time of Christ, and as it is being advocated now by radical theologians and groups within the Christian community. The book is, therefore, not simply an academic discussion of a bygone era. It is an attempt to bridge the gap between New Testament theology and contemporary Christian social ethics. Hengel clearly intends to speak to the contemporary situation, which forces Christians to debate the possible use of violence in revolution. He is appalled that those who advocate a Òtheology of revolutionÓ pay so little attention to the political situation of Jesus and primitive Christianity. According to Hengel's interpretation, the position of Jesus and the early Christians on the question of violence was radically different from that of the Zealots: Jesus was the model of nonviolence who demanded of his followers that they renounce violence and love their enemies. Further, since the situation today is similar to the situation in Jesus' time, Hengel argues that the Christian response should be similar too. 'Was Jesus a Revolutionist?' Jesus has often been portrayed as a forerunner of modern revolutionary movements. Martin Hengel believes that this judgment must be scrutinized carefully to determine if revolutionists are reading their own views back into Jesus. The author considers the political background at the time of Jesus, especially the Zealot movement, then looks at key passages in the Gospels that seem to support the revolutionist label. This study shows that Jesus' ethical system was revolutionary, but his political actions were not. Students of politics and religion will want to read Hengel's comments on Jewish movements, depth psychology, and today's theology of revolution.