Ch. 1 The Roman World

Liberation Theology

a movement in Christian theology, developed mainly by twentieth-century Latin American Roman Catholics, that emphasizes liberation from oppression.

Oracle

a person, usually female, capable of receiving messages from the gods in response to particular queries, including questions about the future.

Patron/Client Relationship

a social system according to which people with power serve as benefactors to those lacking power. Sig. for Christian theology

Tetrarch

an ancient Roman ruler of a (fourth part) of a province

Dualistic

exhibiting the tendency to separate phenomena into sharply opposed categories.

eucharistic meal or Eucharist:

from a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving"; the Christian rite or sacrament also known as the "Lord's Supper" or "Holy Communion

Procurator

in the Roman Empire, an official in charge of a province for an indefinite period of time

Pagan

nonconverted gentiles, often associated by Jews and Christians with idolatry, polytheism, erratic religious beliefs, and an immoral lifestyle.

Divination

practice used to discern the will of divine beings and/or To predict the future

Ascetic

religiously strict or severe, especially with regard to self-denial or renunciation of worldly pleasures.

Augur

someone who predicts future events according to omens

Fertility

the ability to produce offspring; used of humans able to conceive children, or of fields able to produce crops.

Dead Sea Scrolls

A collection of Jewish documents copied and preserved between 250 BCE and 70CE Produced the Dead Sea Scrolls

Augury/Divination

Attempt to determine the will of the gods by observing flight patterns or eating habits of birds (the "auspices"). Professional oracles, usually women, claimed to have the ability to predict the future for those who sought them out (and performed required services). The most famous of these was at Delphi in Greece. Astrology was also practiced

Herod the Great in the Bible

Ruler of Palestine when Jesus was born; confronts the magi and orders massacre of babies in Bethlehem

Herod Antipas in The Bible

Ruler of the entire life of Jesus and ministry in Galilee; had john arrested and beheaded; referred to as fox by Luke; speculation that Jesus maybe john raised from the dead; examined Jesus when arrested in Jerusalem, hoping to see a miracle

Pontius Pilate in the Bible

Sentenced Jesus- declared innocent; used EX force to suppress Samaritan prophet;

Widespread Spiritual beliefs/practices in NT world

Animism, augury/divination, supernaturalism

Essenes

A group of pious, ultraconservative Jews who left the Temple of Jerusalem and began a community by the Dead Sea, known as Qumran. Produced the Dead Sea Scrolls

Epicureanism

A philosophical orientation that emphasized free will, questioned fate, and encouraged the attainment of true pleasure through avoidance of anxiety, concentration on the present, and enjoyment of all things in moderation

Cynicism

A philosophical orientation that emphasized radical authenticity, repudiation of shame, simplicity of lifestyle, and a desire to possess only what is obtained naturally and freely

Stoicism

A philosophical orientation that emphasized the attainment of virtue through acceptance of fate, based on the notion that all things are predetermined and that there is logic to all that transpires

Platonism

A philosophical orientation that emphasized the reality of a transcendent world of "ideals" standing behind everything physical or earthly

Pythagoreanism

A philosophical orientation that emphasized the value of intelligent reasoning, memory, and radical honesty, all in service of a quest to attain harmony of ideas and of body and soul

Diatribe

A rhetorical device derived from Greek philosophy in which an author argues with an imaginary opponent by proposing objections and then responding to them.

Roman Emperor when Jesus was born

Caesar Augustus (27 BCE- 14CE)

Scholars believe first followers of Jesus in common with this philosophical group

Cynic

Philosophical thought movements popular in time period when NT was written

Cynicism; Epicureanism; Platonism; Pythagoreanism; Stoicism

Roman Culture (Brief)

Economy: no middle class- %3 rich, 90 EX poor, other beggars Social: friendships built on obligation; exchange of favors Honor/shame: status one has in another's eyes

Herod Agrippa I (37-41 CE) Galilee + (41-44 CE) Palestine

H. The Great his grandfather; persecuted Christians in Jerusalem; put James to death; imprisoned Peter; killed by Angel of the Lord- eaten by worms

Prefect

In the Roman Empire, a magistrate or high official whose duties and level of authority varied in different contexts

Three different worlds in the NT

Jewish, Christian, and Roman

Pontius Pilate (26-36 CE)

Judea as a prefect or procurator; essentially representative of Caesar; cruel to Jews- did not understand their religion; banners; aqueduct-killed protesters

Supernaturalism

Miracles often were attributed to individuals who seemed to have an especially close link to the spiritual realm; a person believed to have such a link was called a theios anēr ("divine man"). Examples of such "divine men" include Honi the Circle Drawer (a Jewish teacher from the first century BCE) and Apollonius of Tyana (a Greek philosopher from the first century CE

Herod the Great (37-4 BC)

Palestine; appointed by king MarcAntony; Jewish temple in Jerusalem; idumean (half-Jewish); murdered sons and wife

Theory of Limited Good

People believed that money and the things that money can buy were in short (or at least finite) supply; the common perception—in stark contrast to modern capitalism—was that acquisition of wealth or resources by some necessitated depletion of wealth or resources for others. Simply put, virtually everyone in New Testament times believed that there was only so much "stuff" to go around and that some people had less than they needed because other people had more than they needed.

Herod Antipas (4BCE- 39CE)

Perea, Galilee; Tetrarch (not a king);

Philosophy style of letter of Hebrews

Plato

Roman authority In conquered areas

Set up local leaders (Sanhedrin) but answered to Roman authority

Gnosticism

Spirit fundamentally good; matter fundamentally evil;Thus the physical world in general and individual human bodies in particular are understood to be material prisons in which divine souls or spirits have been trapped. The most prevalent form of gnosticism known to us held that the world was created by an evil or at least inferior god known as the Demiurge. Gnostic Christians believed that Christ had come as a spiritual redeemer (disguised as a human being) to impart secret knowledge (Greek, gnōsis).

Scholars believe Pharisees in common with this philosophical group

Stoics

Animism

There was widespread belief in the existence of spirits, good and bad, and in the possibility that these spirits could possess people and animals. They could also dwell in rocks, trees, streams, and other phenomena. The common perception was that such spirits interacted with the world of nature. Wore protective amulets; magical potions and spells; Ephesus center of animism;

Roman emperor when Jesus conducted ministry

Tiberius (14-37 CE)