A Reinterpretation of Paul and Empire
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Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2018 Paul in Context: A Reinterpretation of Paul and Empire Najeeb Turki Haddad Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Haddad, Najeeb Turki, "Paul in Context: A Reinterpretation of Paul and Empire" (2018). Dissertations. 2959. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2959 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2018 Najeeb Turki Haddad LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO PAUL IN CONTEXT: A REINTERPRETATION OF PAUL AND EMPIRE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN THEOLOGY BY NAJEEB T. HADDAD CHICAGO, IL AUGUST 2018 1 Copyright by, Najeeb T. Haddad 2018 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The path towards the completion of this dissertation was arduous, but rewarding. This dissertation is due, in large part, to the continued support of several people. For this acknowledgment, I shall mention those men and women who directly affected this dissertation, and to offer them a most sincere “thank you” in helping me finish this work. The Department of Theology at Loyola University has been a strong supporter of my continued success in this PhD program. A most heartfelt thank you to my dissertation director, the Reverend Dr. Thomas H. Tobin S.J., whose contributions to my research is without bounds. Moreover, he has been an inspiration for my academic studies, and, in many ways, a comforter when faced with difficult times. Dr. Edmondo Lupieri, not only served as a reader for my dissertation, but also as my professor over the course of my MA and PhD programs. An Italian immigrant to the United States, he is a constant inspiration for me being a first-generation Arab American. To Dr. Christopher Skinner who took on the task of becoming a reader for the dissertation at “the last hour.” His insights were especially useful, and I am most thankful for his time. To my colleagues in the Department of Theology, I offer my gratitude for their moral support. I especially wish to thank our office coordinators, Marianne Wolfe and Joanne Brandstrader for their aid and encouragement along the way. The Graduate School awarded me the Research Mentoring Fellowship in the summer of 2017. Dr. Jessica Horowitz, associate dean of the graduate school and director of the fellowship, has been a strong supporter of my continued success as a graduate student. I wish to iii acknowledge Hiroki Lory, my undergraduate research assistant, who in the summer of 2017 helped me complete my research for chapter four of this dissertation. To my family, both on earth and those among the saints, I owe my greatest thanks. I wish to thank mother, who suggested that she struggled along with me during my PhD studies. She has been my strongest supporter. I also acknowledge the good thoughts and continued support of my brothers and their families. Finally, I will like to acknowledge my brother Walid, my father Munier, and my uncle Raymond who passed away during the duration of my PhD program. They are my constant inspiration. This dissertation, as the culmination of my PhD studies, is due to my family’s love. iv In memory of my brother, my father, and my uncle. ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF ABREVIATIONS .............................................................................................. ix Epigraphical and Papyrological Abbreviations .............................................................. ix CHAPTER ONE: State of the Question ............................................................................. 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Anti-Imperial Agenda in Paul .......................................................................................... 3 1 Thessalonians ............................................................................................................. 3 1 Corinthians ............................................................................................................... 17 Philippians................................................................................................................... 22 Romans ....................................................................................................................... 28 Parallelism and the Pauline “Hidden Transcripts” ......................................................... 34 The Reference of Parallels and Their Proper Use ....................................................... 34 The Presence of Hidden Transcripts and Recognizing Their Presence ...................... 44 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER TWO: Figured Speech and Pauline Rhetoric................................................. 56 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 56 Defining and Understanding Figured Speech ................................................................ 57 What is Figured Speech? A General Definition ......................................................... 57 Types of Figured Speech ............................................................................................ 58 Circumstances for Figured Speech ................................................................................ 66 Implied Meaning Regarding Fear and Respect (Caution) .......................................... 66 Implied Meaning with Regard to Propriety ................................................................ 67 Strategies for Creating and Detecting Figured Speech .................................................. 68 Rhetorical Strategies for Creating Implied Meaning .................................................. 68 Identifying and Detecting Figured Texts .................................................................... 72 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 75 Detection of Figured Speech in Paul Hidden Transcripts, Irony, and the Letters of Paul ..................................................................................... 75 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 75 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 ............................................................................................. 76 Philippians 3................................................................................................................ 87 Romans 13:1-7 ............................................................................................................ 92 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 102 CHAPTER THREE: Roman Imperialism and Foreign Cults ......................................... 105 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 105 Transitioning from Republic to Empire Roman Imperialism ...................................... 107 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 107 Economic Gains and War ......................................................................................... 108 vi Conquest and Defensive Imperialism ....................................................................... 111 Praise, Glory, and the Res gestae divi Augusti.......................................................... 114 Summary ................................................................................................................... 122 Rome and Foreign Cults Bacchus, Isis, and Judaism .................................................. 123 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 123 Cult of Bacchus ......................................................................................................... 125 Cult of Isis ................................................................................................................. 132 The Cult of Yahweh - Judaism ................................................................................. 138 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 146 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 146 CHAPTER FOUR: Pauline Assemblies and Greco-Roman Voluntary Associations .... 149 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 149 The Ancient Greco-Roman Voluntary