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Bangor University DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY The reception history and interpretation of the new testament portrayals of Joseph the Carpenter in nativity and infancy portrayals in early christian and early medieval narratives and art from the second century to the ninth century CE Jacobs, Philip Award date: 2013 Awarding institution: Bangor University Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 07. Oct. 2021 THE RECEPTION HISTORY AND INTERPRETATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PORTRAYALS OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER IN NATIVITY AND INFANCY PORTRAYALS IN EARLY CHRISTIAN AND EARLY MEDIEVAL NARRATIVES AND ART FROM THE SECOND CENTURY TO THE NINTH CENTURY CE By Philip Walker Jacobs A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Philosophy and Religion College of Arts, Education, and Humanities Bangor University 2013 ABSTRACT This thesis undertakes the task of tracing and documenting the development of the Wirkungsgeschichte of the portrayals of Joseph in the canonic gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John, within early Christian and early medieval narratives and art between the period of approximately 150 CE and 800 CE. After providing an initial review of the current state of scholarly research into the subject of the development of the Wirkungsgeschichte of the canonical portrayals of Joseph in Part I, this study then provides a detailed reading, by means of literary and narrative analysis, of the portrayals of Joseph in Matthew, Luke, and John in Part II. The thesis then traces and documents the development of these earlier portrayals of Joseph in four non-canonic narratives, the Infancy Gospel of James, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the History of Joseph the Carpenter, and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and in eighteen works of art, in Parts III and IV. In the process of this analysis several different concerns are addressed. These include: the date, provenance, purpose, and content of the various narratives and compositions; the characterization of Joseph they portray; the independence and distinctiveness these later literary and artistic representations of Joseph exhibit from earlier canonic and non-canonic literary referents and prior artistic creations of Joseph; and the different perceptions and beliefs narrators and artists and their respective ecclesiastical communities held with regard to Joseph. At the same time, consideration is given to the prospect of patterns or trajectories that might emerge as the review occurs. Attention to the development of this Wirkungsgeschichte in the four non-canonic narratives leads to the discovery of the presence of two trajectories --- one that affirms, enhances, and continues the positive narrative portrayals of Joseph found in the canonic literature (and is found to be present in two of these texts); the other that diminishes these portrayals (and is found to be present in the other two texts). Further, similar I attention to the eighteen artistic creations, also leads to two additional discoveries: first, that these two trajectories are present in these artistic creations; and, second, that most of these artistic works present positive portrayals of Joseph. Therefore, the presence of these two different trajectories in both the non-canonic narratives and the artistic compositions helps explain the very different perceptions and beliefs about Joseph found in the development of the Wirkungsgeschichte of the portrayals of Joseph in the canonic gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John between the period of approximately 150 CE and 800 CE. Finally, in Part V, the study revisits the goal of this thesis, evaluates whether or not it reached its goal, explores the implications of the discoveries made in Parts III and IV, and considers the conclusions that can be drawn. II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The idea to explore the subject of the reception history, interpretation, and portrayal of Joseph the Carpenter in the history of western literature and art first emerged some years ago and was inὅpiὄedΝbyΝmyΝinitialΝὄeadinἹΝoἸΝDὄέΝDanΝVia’ὅΝ article on ‘σaὄὄativeΝWoὄldΝandΝϋthicalΝReὅponὅeμΝἦheΝεaὄvelouὅΝandΝ Righteousness in Matthew 1-ἀ’ which highlighted the significance of Joseph.1 It reemerged some years later as I sat reflecting upon prospective topics for homilies one Advent season and realized that in all my years in the Protestant Christian church I had never heard a sermon on the subject of Joseph and his role in the birth and life of Jesus of Nazareth. Since then I have engaged in substantial reflection on this subject from several perspectives and been encouraged in my exploration of this topic by friends and advisors, including Dr. Paul Barolsky, Commonwealth Professor of Art History at the University of Virginia; Dr. Timothy Lyons, Chair, Department of Endocrinology, University of Oklahoma; my thesis supervisor, Dr. John Christopher Thomas, Clarence J. Abbott Professor of Biblical Studies, Pentecostal Theological Seminary, USA and Director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies, Bangor University, Wales; and my closest colleague and friend, Rev. Dwain DePew. Additional support and reflection has also been provided by Dr. Lee Roy Martin, Professor of Old Testament, Pentecostal Theological Seminary, Tennessee, and my fellow Bangor University PhD students, notably, Dr. Larry McQueen, Melissa Archer, Odell Bryant, Michelle Marshall, Jeff and Karen Holly, Steffen Schumacher, Dr. Chris Green, and Randall Auckland. Further, I am especially grateful for the efforts of Mr. Frank Carter, former Chair, Department of Humanities and Fine Arts, Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington, North Carolina who encouraged me to apply for a 1 Dan O. Via, ‘σaὄὄativeΝWoὄldΝandΝϋthicalΝReὅponὅeμΝἦheΝεaὄvelouὅΝandΝRiἹhteouὅneὅὅΝinΝ Matthew 1-ἀ’,ΝSemeia, 12, (1978), pp. 123 - 50. This reading took place in a graduate seminar on New Testament Ethics taught by Dr. Via at the University of Virginia. III sabbatical and supported me in the process. Just as well, I am most thankful for the support of the former President of our college, Dr. Eric McKeithan, and Cape όeaὄΝωommunityΝωolleἹe’ὅΝψoaὄdΝoἸΝἦὄuὅteeὅΝwhoΝἹaveΝἸinalΝappὄovalΝἸoὄΝthiὅΝ sabbatical. It permitted me to engage in further research and study at Duke University and Cambridge University at a critical juncture in this project. Additionally, thanks must also be offered to Susan Mock, librarian extraordinare at Cape Fear, who handled numerous requests for inter-library loans and did so with diligence and kindness. In addition, I am most grateful for the support I received through the graciousness and love of my mother, Helen Saturday Jacobs, who helped make this study feasible. Though she died shortly before this work was finished I have no doubt that she would have celebrated its appearance. With respect to the guidance and supervision I have received from Dr. John Christopher Thomas, I cannot say enough. His scholarly acumen, support, and encouragement throughout this project have been immense and there is little question that it would not have reached fruition without his enduring patience and wisdom and compassion. Finally, I am immensely grateful to my beloved wife, Mimi Langlois. Without her encouragement and constant support this research would never have been completed. She, more than anyone else, has understood the significance and meaning this work has for me. As a result, she has graciously tolerated my absence on numerous occasions and always offered prayerful and loving support. At the same time, I am very thankful to my two children, Thomas Jacobs and Anna Jacobs, as well as numerous other friends and colleagues. In the process of my study, I have been aided by the services of the staff at several libraries, including the librarians at Cape Fear Community College, Duke University, Tyndale House, the Fitzwilliam Museum Library, Cambridge University, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Catholic University of America, the University of Virginia, and the library of the British Museum. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract…………………………………………………………………………έέέΝΝI Acknowledgments……………...………………………………………………έέΝIII Authoὄ’ὅΝDeclaὄationΝand Statements……………………………………………έV Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………έέVIII Illustrations ………………………………………………………………..……έIX Part I. Introduction - Problem, History of Research, and Methodology ..................1 Part II. The Canonic Portrayals of Joseph……………………………………….31 Chapter 1. The Portrayal of Joseph the Carpenter in the Gospel of Matthew ………………………………………………έέέἁἁ Chapter 2. The Portrayal of Joseph the Carpenter in the Gospel of Luke …………………………………………………έέέέέηζ Chapter 3. The Portrayal of Joseph the Carpenter in the Gospel of John ..……κί Conclusion: The Canonic Portrayals of Joseph …………………………………λί Part III. The Response of Later Christian Narrators