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Socratizing Paul: The Portrait of Paul in Acts
Rubén R. Dupertuis Trinity University, [email protected]
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Repository Citation Dupertuis, R. (2009). Socratizing Paul: The portrait of Paul in acts. The Fourth R, 22(6), 11-18, 28.
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion Department at Digital Commons @ Trinity. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religion Faculty Research by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Trinity. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Socratizing Paul The Portrait of Paul in Acts
Ruben Dupertuis
he Acts of the Apostles is poorly named because it Panl much like he does.Jesus in the Gospel of l .uke, where T is prim arily the acts of only Lwo apostles: Pecer and much of Lite narrative chronicles.Jesus' slow and methodi Paul (and Paul is not actually considered to be an cal journey to .Jerusalem anrl his Lrials then�. While Luke "apostle" by Luke, the author of A.els). Funhcrmore, it is has c:cnain ly modeled his "Passion" of Paul after his Passion Paul who emerges as the hero of the narrative, as well over of Jesus, the extended portrait or l'aul 011 trial has striking . half of Acts is devoted t.o his journeys and exploits. The siu1ilarities to traditions about the trial and cxcn11ion of portrait of Paul in Acts is striking for several rea sons, not the most C1mous martyr of' tile ancient world, Socrates. In Lhe least of which is rhe fact that letter writing, the activity 111yjuclgrnent. sH<..:h si111ilaritics a1-c 110 accidt'nt-l.ukc has for which Paul ap pears Lo have heen known, is completely consciously modeled his portrait or Pan! 011 trial after last absent. ln AcL-; Paul travels, preaches, heals, and escapes rbys ofthe famous At h('ll ian philosopher. attempts on his life, but he clocsn 'r write letters. Acts' portrait of Paul is also inLcrcsti11g· for occasional Socrates as a Model differences from the picture of Paul that emcrg·es fro111 :\o other death in t.lw ;lllcicnt world was as we ll-known his own letters. Throughout the letter to the Galatians, for as Lltat of Socrat('S. By the early Ro111;111 i111pnial period, example, Paul is adamant that Gentik: converts do not have Socrates had btTomc th(' prc-C"n1i1H'llt 111artyr, tltt" prototype to follow traditional Jewish law. And Paul himself appears of the philosopher u1�justly accused, tried, an
The Fourth R 22-6 m November-December 2009 tional curriculum. Socrates is the central figure in many of of virtue "every day, ... about which you yourselves heard Plato's dialogues, and his trial and death are the subject or me discuss (Apology 38a). the backdrop of four of Plato's well known dialogues-Cri Paul's initial activity in Athens, Socrates' hometown, is to, Euth)•phm, Phaedo, and Apology-and two of Xenophon's described in typically Socratic terms. It is not surprising, writings-Apology and Memorabilia. then, that he soon encounters some philosophc1-s. Th<:ir Students in the Greco-Roman world would have reaction to him further evokes rhe figure of Socrates, as encountered short aphorisms about Socrates in the early some asked, "What would this idle gossip say?" and others. stages of their education. As they progressed, the writ remarked, "He appears to be a promoter of foreign deiti,s" ings of Plato and Xenophon would have served as liler (Acts 17:18). Paul is then taken to the Areopagus (the hill ary models for more advanced students to imitate. By the of the god Ares), where the philosophers say to him, "May early Roman period, the writings of Plato and Xenophon we know what this new thing is, the teaching of which you were on the short list of authors that any relatively well speak? For you arc intmdur:in!( to our ears some strange educated person was expected to know. Put another way, ideas; we would like to know what. these things are" (Acts
'· 17: 19-20). ,.,.. if you learned to read and write at reasonably advanced The charges leveled against Socrates were strik levels in the Greco-Roman world, you would have learned ingly similar. Plato has Socr.ites paraphrase the charges to do so by using Plato and Xenophon as literary models against him as follows: "Socrates is guilty of corrupting at some point. the youth and of not honoring the gods the city honors, It. is not surprising, then, that the death of Socrates but other new deities"(Apology 24b). Xenophon records the was among the most imitated models of how to die nobly.1 charge as followi>: "Socrates is guilty of not honoring the When Plutarch recounts the death of Cato gods honored by the state and of introduc the rbunger, he does so with the death Socrates became the ideal ing other new deities. He is also guilty of of Socrates as his literary template (Cato model of a maligned corrupting the youth" (Mern. 1.1. l ) . Minor 66.4-60.6) . Like Socrates, Cato V\'hile Paul is not. formally on trial in calms his friends and refilses their efforts philosopher willing to die Athens, the change in venue to the Ale to save him. Plutarch also mentions that fo r his beliefs. opagus does create a trial-like situation. Cato read through Plato's Phaedo twice For although the Areopagus is not the on the night of his death. Lucian also uses traditions of site of Socrates' trial in the literary tradition, by the early Socrates' death explicitly in his account. of the Stoic phi Roman Empire the association of that site with being Ljll<:s losopher Demonax. For these and other writers, including tioned or judged was relatively common in literature. In the authors of .Jewish martyrologies, Socrates became the addition, while Paul's subsequent speech is not a form;tl ideal model of a maligned philosopher willing to die for "apology" or defense, it. certainly has the feel of one, given his beliefs. that he is responding to questions and concerns that evoke·: the accusations for which Socrates was brought to trial in Paul in Athens Athens. Interpreters of Acts have long noticed striking Socratic The speech Paul delivers to the inquisitive philoso features in the description of Paul's visit to Athens in Acts phers on the Areopagus continues the echoes of Socratic 17: 16-34. Paul arrives at the famous home of Socrates and traditions. His first words, "Men of Athens," recall Socrates' engages a group of philosophers in the marketplace in ways manner of addressing the Athenian jury in the first lints that are evocative of the Athenian philosopher-he is, put and throughout Plato's Apolog)• ( l 7a) . Paul then notes the simply, dressed in Socratic garb. Acts describes Paul's initial Athenians' religiosity, which is manifest in the inscription activity in Athens as follows: "So he discussed in the syna "to an unknown god" (Acts 17:23). Paul volunteers to fill gogue with the .Jews and devout persons, and in the mar in the details of this god, whom they already have on their ketplace every day with those who happened to be there" radar. Central to Xenophon's defense of Socrates in his (Acts 17: 17). The term "to discuss" ( dial,egornai) appears Memorabilia is the argument that Socrates' religious practic only once in the New Testament out�ide of Acts. And in es were not. foreign, outlandish, or weird, but were at their Acts it always appears in the context of Paul's trials or trial root, even if Socrates called them something else, really no like situations, precisely those places that are most likely different. than the practices of any other devout Athenian. directly shaped by Socratic traditions.2 Of course, discuss Similarly, although Paul may be using terms the Athenians ing with people is what Socrates was famous for and is pre don't recognize, he is really only speaking in greater detail cisely what got him in trouble. In Plato's J\j10logyS ocrates about something they already accept. B;· placing Paul's suh challenges his accusers to find someone who "ever heard .iect under the heading of something they already acknowl me conducting discussions" with content that was specula edge howe\'er obliquely and not without some ignorance tive or sacrilegious (Apology l 9d). He also advocated pursuit ( 17:30), Paul avoids "introducing" new deities, the charge
The Fourth R 22-6 m November-December 2009 : -'.. leveled at Socrates and the co11ccrn voiced the by the phi 3. The missions of both Paul and Socrates involve sig losophers whom h<:! is addressing. nifi cant opposition and tribulation. In Plato 's Apol Paul concludes his speech by introducing the notion or:;' Socrates refers to these tribulations as "herculean" of God's judgment: "So then Goel overlooked the periods labors. Later traditions expanded the list of his labors of ignorance, but now commands all of humankind e\·ery to include shipwrecks, povcny, and military struggles where to repent, because he estahlisherl a day on which he (Seneca. FfJistlr• HM.27-28). In ACLs Paul encounters intends to judge the world with justice by· a man whom he opposition e\'erywhere he goes, including beatings, designated, and he provides proof by his resurrection from plots ag;1inst his life, trials, imprisonments, anct a ship the dead" ( 17:30-31). At first glance this may not sound \\Teck. particularly Socratic, but Socrates also spoke of aj udgment 4. For both Paul and Socrates carrying· out the cli\·inc call after death. At the encl of Plato's A.j)()[Of!J' Socrates sees his leads to opposition and persecution from their own impending death as a good thing, for it might allow him people. In traditions of Socrates' trial, it is his fellow to bej udged by truly rightconsjmlges ('lla-c). And whik Athenians who oppose and bring charges against him. Socrates' understanding of life afler death is surely ctiffer As Alexander notes, the urn11ec:tio11 between the call ent from Panl's (or 1.uke's), both conclude their speeches aucl hostility is more explicit in Ans as Paul 's call is in with this su�ject. part a call to end me pcrscc11tio11 (9: I 6, 2'.!:18, 2fr 17). Scholars have long acknowledged the appropriately And throughout Acts the opposition to Paul is typically Socratic colors of Paul's visit to Athens. But the in tluence .Jewish. As is the c1:-;c· " itlt Sonatcs, Paul's opposition of Socratic traditions in Acts is far more extensive. comes from his own peopk. :). The Gffn-rs of both rHlrninatc in trials that make up a The Socratic Paradigm and Acts' Portrait of Paul disproponion;\I(' arnotmt of Lhe tradition surrounding The British scholar Loveday Alexander has recently utadc each lig-111-c. Socrates· trial ;mcl subscquen t death ;ire a compelling case for seeing the entire portrait of Paul in re;ill\' tltc focus of lll1l<'h or the onant tradition about Acts as shaped by what she calls the "Socratic paradigm, " ltim. 111 later tradition Socrates hectme the prototype which she understands as a widespread, culturally pcn·a or the pnsccutccl pltilosopltcr. TIL<· third-ccnturv hiog- sive, if mostl y unacknowledged use of Socrates ;is a moclcl.:1 raphcr Diow�11cs I .;iert i 11s ch<1ractcri1.cs Socr<1 tcs as "t ltc She notes a number of poin ts of similarity lirst philosopher who was condemned lo bcLwecn Act�' ponrait of Paul and tradi The entireportrai l of ck;t1l1 and cxenttcd'. (DI. 2.20). Arter tions about Socrates: Paul in Acts is shaped P;rnl e11ters the Christian !'old in Acts 9. 1. BoLh Paul and Socrates begin their he disappears for a few chapters, but reap missions as a result of an encounter by what can be caUed the pears in Acts 12 and remains the central with the di\'inc. Patti's famous "call" "Socratic paradigm, " character in the narrati\'e until the end on the way to Damascus in Acts of the book, fourteen chapters later. And 9-repeared two more times later in a widespread, ifmostly abollt half of the nai-rati\·e devoted to the narrative by Paul himself in Acts unacknowledged use of Paul-the better part. of chapters 21-28, 22 and 26-serves to authorize him has him in prison , being shuttled to a dif as a l«�gitimate Christian missionary. Socrates as a model. ferent prison, or st.anding trial in chains Socrates' mission begins after hear- to determine his innocence. ing an oracle from Delphi (Plato, A/Jolog,y 20e-22a) . G. Both Paul anct Socrates end their caree rs in prison, The oracle had proclaimed Socrates as the wisest of teaching their associates and friends until the \·cry end. all, so he set out to understand what that could possi Soc.rates' last days are the setting for two of Plato's most bly mean. Later in the Apology Socrates indentifies that well-known dialogues, the Crilo and Pluwlo. Acts ends divine calling as authorizing his subsequent mission in a kind of cliff�hanger, with Paul awaiting trial while (Plato, AfJology28e). imprisoned in Rome. 2. Both Paul an
The Fourth R 22-6 m November-December 2009 '! Caesar (22:11, 27:2g._24), give readers a glimpse of 22:1-26:32), some more formal than others, in an attempt the eventual outcome, but the narrative stops short of to establish his innocence. Paul's remarkable display of · describing the events. Jewish piety in .Jerusalem (Act') 21) has made clear to the i ' " Socrates looms large in AcL'>'telling of the story of Paul, reader that, whatever the accusations against Paul, lhcy
' . .. both as a general and perhaps indirect pattern that was in are unfounded. The trials that follow don't so much make
' ·.!. the cultural air, and as a literarymodel for specificpassages a case for Paul's innocence as much as they reinforce it. and episodes, as appears to be the case in the presentation The trials also allow for Paul's own voice in the form of of Paul in Athens in Acts 17. .several formal defense speeches or apologies. The author One of Alexander's points of similarity-that for both of Acts uses the term apologia only seven times in the nar Socrates and Paul a disproportionate amount of the tradi rative. With the exception of Acts 19:33, where a character tion focuseson their trials-is worth a closer look. Certainly named Alexander unsuccessfully tries to offer a defense 011
:1 the influence of the Socratic paradigm on a general level Paul's behalf, the term always appears in trial situations.1 can be seen in the accounts of Paul's trials, but a more The use of this essentially technical term for a legal de tense direct influence is probably at work as well. is unsurprising in the context of trials more generally, but the overall shape of the trial accounts and even some of the The Trial of Socrates and the Trials of Paul details appear to owe more to the influence of Socratic tra Most of the last seven chapters of Acts have Paul on trial ditions-central to which was the Athenian philosopher's or awaiting trial in some form or another. From chapters own, very famous apologia-than to any historical sources 21-26, in particular, Acts presents Paul in five different trial the author may have had. settings. Before taking a look at them, we should review the Three poinlS of similarity are worth highlighting: the events that get Paul in trouble in the first place, setting up nature of the accusations, the defense strategy, and the Paul's climb up the Romanjudicial ladder in the final chap claim to divine guidance. Regarding the nature of the ters of the narrative. accusations, both Socrates and Paul are After Paul's stop in Athens he contin The overall shape �f the accused of impiety. In Paul's case, the first
"t " ues on his preaching tour of the Mediter accounts of Paul's trial two rials, the informal affair in front ranean, including stops in Corinth and of the barracks (21 :40-22:24) and the Ephesus in Ac Lo; 18-19 that elicit opposition appear to owe more to meeting with the council (22:30-23:11), but that do not result in a trial or a defense. the influence of Socratic clearly have the tumult of the prior day Eventually he makes his way to Jerusalem. in view. The third trial, this time before Like Jesus' fatefuljourney to the same city, traditions than to any the governor Felix (24:1-27), makes the this is a slow, ominous trip filled with fare historical sources. accusations more formal through all ora wells and predictions of Paul's impending tor named Termilus, but they are largely suffering. Soon after his arrival Paul meets with James and the same: Paul is a political agitator and has profaned the the elders. After hearinR about Paul's activity among the Temple. Trials four, in which Paul stands before Felix's suc Gentiles, James tells Paul of the problem that his presence cessor, Festus (25:6--12), and five, the audience before King in Jerusalem and his reputation for telling people not. to Agrippa and Queen Bernice (2fi:23-::!6:32), assume these observe .Jewish customs will cause with the many believers accusations. At their core, the two basic accusations against among the Jews who are "zealous of the Law" (21:20). The Paul in all of these trials-teaching against the law as a form solution .James proposes is that Paul pay the costs for four of impiety and social/political disruption-are reminiscent men to undertake a seven-day ritual of purification and that of the accusations against Socrates, whom both Plat.o and Paul participate in the ritual along with them, essentially as Xenophon i The Fourth R 22-6 m November-December 2009 one beheld Socrates to be impious or irreligious in either Socrates corrupt5 the youth; and the charge that Paul pro deed or word" (1.1.11). Throughout his ti·ials Paul repeat fanes the Temple is similar to the accusation that Socrates ully appeals t.o his own biography as a witness against the did not honor the gods of Athens. charges of impiety, including references to his Jewish heri Paul's defense in response to Tert.ullus' accusations is ( 22:-5, 26:1). tage and pharisaic training Acts Like Xeno also reminiscent of Socrates. After denying the accuracy phon, Paul challenges anyone lo come up with evidence of the charges-something Socrates does repeatedly in of impiety, going on to claim that the reason for which Plato's AjJOlogy--Paul offers a confession of sorts in which he is on trial-the resurrection-is a hope firmly rooted he admits to belonging to the Way, but stresses that this is in the: J udaisrn of the ancestors (26:4--S). And of course, not a new thing: "] worship the ancestral God, believing in like Socrates, he repeatedly denies any wrongdoing (2'.3: I, all things accoi·ding to the law and in e\'ervthing wi-i tten in 24: 11-12, 25:8) and mentions that he had re tu med to Jeru the prophets, hokling hope in Goel that these people also salem for the purpose of offering alms and sacrifices, being hold-that there will he a resurrection of' the just and the found by his accusers in a state of puri ty in the 'kmpk nnj ust "' (24:14--1!)). As MacDonald notes, Paul appears to (24: 17-18). respond not to Te rtullus' charges, but to the accusation that Divine guidance is also front and center in both the was Jeye]ed against Socrates: int roducing new gods. Paul trial of Socrates and the ti·ials of Paul in Acts. Throughout goes Oil to explain: 'To this end I t1·ain ras/uil ro obtain a Plato's Apolog)' Socrates attributes his mission to Apollo's consistently blameless conscience bdcffc God and mortals" oracle designating him the wisest of all. His lifelong pur (24: 16). The verb as/ul-..t o t rain"' or ..e xercise "- occurs suit to understand this "riddle" is precisely what got him in only here in the New Testament. Xenophon's defense of trouble and is the reason for which he stands trial (Afmlop,)' Socrates has a kngthy sect ion on the irnp ortance of "train 20d-2 le). \'\1hen told to stop his activity, Socrates repeatedly in�.( in virtue in which this verb is used repcatcclly (Afl'ln. refuses because the god had commanded him to his post 1.2. 19, 20 and 2:�). Funhcrnwre, Xe nophon makes ckar (Apology 28d-30b). In the end Socrates sees even his trial in his 1\f)()logr that throug·hout his dd(·nsc Soet«ltcs sought and death sentence as divinely mandated (Aj;o[ol.,')' 40a-h). only to avoid i 111 piety before ( ;od ;u1d 1 he Sl'lllhbncc of act Paul's mission is also the result of a divine commission. This ing unjustly bd"on· rnort (22: 17-21; 26: 17-21). That the even ts throughout the tri- observance of.Jewish worship with irs emphasis on sacrifice als and the final confrontation with the emperor are also is similar to Xenophon's claim that Socrates' piety should part of God's plan is made clear by Christ's brief visit and have been unquestioned as he "offered sacrifices often al cm:ouragement. in Acts 23:1 1 and by an angel n�peating the home and often at the public altars of the ci ty" (Mon. 1.1.2; message in ACLs 27:23-24. see Aj Jolog)' 10-11 ) . The general outlines of all of the trials of Paul in Paul concludes his defense by arguing that his accusers Acts arc shaped by the Socratic paradigm. But just as the are not present to make the charges, nor are those in atten account of Paul's visit Lo Athens appears to contain more dance able to produce evidence against him (24: 19-20) . direct and specific allusions to the traditions of Socrales' Plato's Socrates also made the point that his accusers failed trial and death, some of the trials also go beyond a gen to introduce testimony that he had corru prcd rhc vouth eral evocation of Socrates, recalli ng specific details of the (Af;ology 33c-d) . Despite the lack of eYidence, Felix does not Socratic Tradition. The trial in Acts 24: 1-27 can serve as an acquit Paul, deferring a verdict and charging the centurion example. Seminar Fellow Dennis MacDonald has recently to "guard him, hut to give him some freedom, and not to made the argument that this trial is modeled on traditions hinder r Jwhuin] his friends from looking after him" (24:22- 23) . of Socrates' trial in Plato and Xenophon . ;' The central After his sentencing, Plato's Socrates tells his friends, points of his argument are worth repeating here. The law "for nothing hinders [k6lu1'i] our talking with each other yer Tc rt.ullus accuses Paul of being a pcst, inciting riots, and for a� long as possibl e ." Plato's Cn.to and Phrlf'rfo are set in '· 1:1 profan i ng the Te mple. While the charges against Paul in this period of" inc1rcer;1tion during· which Socrates received �:: Acts 17: 18-20 might echo specifi c language in the accusa his friends. In Acts the encounter with Felix concludes with •.. : llOW tions against Socrates more direnly, the charges against the governor, in the COmpany of" his wif(:, SllllllllOiling 24:5-G Pat1l in Acts also correspond to the two-p ronged Paul fo1· an audience in the course of which Paul "discussed charge against Socrates. That Paul is a pest who destabi justice and self�contro l and tile coming _juclgment" (24:�4- lizes the society >vith riots corresponds to the charge that :25) . MacDonald notes that. Socrates was remembered by The Fourth R 22-6 m November-December 2009 Xenophon fordiscussions in which he preferred ethics over Apol-Ogy 39e Act.'ii 28:30-31 speculations concerning the nature of the universe: "He Men, wail [Jmrameinate] He resided [enemeinen] always discussed [dielegeto, the same Greek verh as in Acts with me for this much time, for two years in his own 25:25) human things: what is godly, what is ungodly, what rented house and received is good, what is dishonest, what is just, what is unjust, what everyone who came w him, is self-restraint, what is madness" (Mem. 1.1.11-16). Accord fornothing hinders [holuei] preaching the kingdom of ing to Plato, some of the topics addressed by Socrates while our talking with each other God and teaching about in prison include justice, self-control, the nature of the as long as possible" the Lord.Jesus Christ wi rh soul, and its judgment after death (Phaedo 63b-c, 68c-69e, all boldness -unhindered 82b-c, 107c-108c, and 113d-114c). Finally, Paul is left in [akiilutos] . prison because Felix "was hoping that Paul would give him money [ r.h.romata] ," something that, the text implies, did Men, wait with me for this much Lime, for nothing hinders not happen (24:26-27) . In Plato's Crito his friends offe r to our talking with each other as long as possible " (Apul.og)' bribe the authorities to release Socrates-the term used is 3Ye) . Paul also addresses two groups in tbe final section of chromata (44, 45a-b)-but he refuses. Acts. First he addresses tbe Roman Jewish leaders who, like the Socrates' Athenian jury, were split in their response to A Final Trial? Paul. He quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 as an oracle predicting their The section of the trials concludes with Paul being put on doom. Then, like Socrates, he turns to his friends, spending a ship and sent to Rome. But Acts will give us one more his finaltwo years in the company of those who came t.o him. glimpse of Paul in Socratic garb. From the moment Paul The finaltwo enigmatic verses ofActs arc similar to Socrates' reveals his Roman citizenship {Acts 22:25-28) , he has put requesl to speak with his friends after his sentencing: in play the possibility that he would stand trial before the highest authority in the land, the Roman emperor. That Conclusion possibility is soon confirmed hoth by Christ's appearance to Readers of AcL<; have long noticed philosophical imagery Paul, reassuring him that he would indeed stand Lrial before in Acts. However, scholars who recognize that the author the emperor (23: 11) and by Paul's appeal to the emperor of Acts intentionally portrayed Paul in Socratic guise typi (25: 11). However, the expected trial nev From beginning to end, cally do not go beyond noting the Socratic er materializes. After an eventful trip to fe atures of Paul's visit to Athens in Act�; 17. Rome, Paul meets twice with Roman Jewish the Socratic paradigm I have argued that Acts' presentation of leaders. Then the narraLive concludes with shapes the overall Paul as a kind of Christian SocraLes is far Paul in prison, entertaining all comers and more extensive. From beginning to end, proclaiming the gospel (28:30-� l). narrative arc ofActs ' the Socratic paradigm shapes the overall The expected formal trial before the story ofPaul. narrative arc of Acts' story of Paul, from emperor is missing, but something like a his divine call to teaching his friends and trial, or at leastjudgm ents and verdicts are not faroff That disciples the divine truthwhile awaiting certain death. Fur Paul has survived both a shipwreck (Acts 27:1-44) and a thermore, many of the particulars of Acts' account, of Paul snake bite on the island of Malta (28:3-6) function in the both in Athens and in the many trials that make up the last narrative as a declaration by na ture of Paul's innocence. third of Acts, are modeled on Lhose accounts of Socrates The encounters with the Jewish Roman leaders also have a that were typical targets of literary imitation thanks to their tr:ial-like function , but the roles are reversed: Paul appears significance in the Greek educational syste m. as judge and the Jewish leaders (and by extension the Jew Recognizing the degree to which its portrait of Paul is ish community) stand as the accused. But even here in this shaped by the model of Socrates helps us to make sense of a displaced trial the author of Acts modeled his account on couple of interesting features of Act.�. One of these features the trial of Socrates. is the disproportionate amount of the narrative of Ans After being sentenced to death by lhe Athenian jury, that is devoted to Paul's legal troubles and imp1·isonment. Plato's Socrates addresses two groups, those who voted fo r Such intense interest in this one aspect of Paul's story no his execution and Lhe large minority that voted to acquit longer see m s peculiar when we understand that Socrates' him. He first addresses those \vho condemned him, proph trial and death arc che focal points of traditions about the esying their punishment in the form of numerous follow Athenian philosopher. Another puzzling feature of Act-; is ers of Socrates who would continue lO pnsh them toward its emphasis on Paul as a pious, To rah-observing Jew who selfexamination (39 c- The Fourth R 22-6 m November-December 2009 She is an avid reader, knitter, and gardener. is taking over the management of AccounL� She maintains a natural garden filled with Receivable, a post pn:viously held by Jennifer native Northwestern plants that attracL� a Julander. April grew up in Brookings on the host of birds, bees, and butterflies. Oregon coast.just north of the California bor Carol will work mornings for Westar. der. A movie afficionada, in her spare time Along wi th he will be responsible for inter she is a singer and entenainer. Like Carol, facing with members and sponsors of.Jesus she is also an avid reader. April currently com� Seminars on the Road. In the afternoons mutes from Lincoln City but hopes to relo she is employed as Parish Administrator at a cate to Salem as soon as possible . local Episcopal church in Salem. Hers is the voice you will hear when you Also joining the \Veslar staff is April Kin call in the aflernoon. 119 ney. A recent graduate of v\Testern Oregon University with a B.S. in accounting, April April Kinney When did the Gospel stop being news? Continued fro m page 2 the electronic beast to keep a nation groggily content. The that moment of critical lucidity, which enables and empow function of news is the constant critical search for and com ers a people. munication of the events that touch and affect our lives. And so I ask again; do your knees grow weak when you In short, real news declares what is significant for people. enter your gathering of worship? Does your community News, then, cannot be a shilling for the establishment or promote the quest and detection of meaning? And if not, an advertisement for the status quo. Rather, in the best tra then has anything really changed? 119 dition of the Enlightenment, it provides that perspective, Socratizing Paul Continued from fJage 18 to do so (Acts 21), and even agreeing lo the circumcision 3. Loveday J\Jt::xande1·, "Ans and Ancient lnLdkclual Biograplw," i11 Bruce W. Winier and A.D. Clarke, eds., Thr' Book of 1\r/.\ in ll.1 A111·inl / of the half-Greek Timothy in order to avoid potential .Jew Lilm11J Sl'lling ( !UFCS I; Grand Rapids: William 11. F.c'.r Notes world, and the role of Bible in Arrn:rican I. Sec ihc fine discussion of the nuhk death tracli1io11 in (;1·cgory popular culture. Dupertuis is the Co-Chair Sterling, ".Hor.1 /Jhilosu/J lti: Tltt· Death ofJ<•s11s in l.11kc," f-111111£1nl of the Ancient Fiction and Early Christian :tlu'olop/ml Rn•i1w !l4:4 (:.!1){11): '.18'.l-402. andJewish Narrative Grou p of the SHI .. 2. In acldition 10 the i11s1a11n· of di£1/r�v111t1i i11 Ans Ii: 17. the » The Fourth R 22-6 November-December 2009