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Hearing Luke's Parables Through the Socio-Economic Contexts of His Audience Members

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Hearing Luke's Parables Through the Socio-Economic Contexts of His Audience Members Hearing Luke’s Parables through the Socio-Economic Contexts of His Audience Members A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2019 SAMUEL J ROGERS SCHOOL OF ARTS, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................ 6 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 7 Abstract .................................................................................................................... 9 Declaration ............................................................................................................. 10 Copyright Statement ............................................................................................... 11 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 12 Chapter 1: Introduction and Preliminary Discussions .............................................. 13 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 13 1.2 Definition of Socio-Economic ........................................................................ 16 1.3 Introduction to Impact of Previous Methodologies ......................................... 16 1.4 Analyzing Jesus in His Socio-Economic Contexts ........................................... 17 1.4.1 Joachim Jeremias: Historical-Critical Analysis of Economics ........................ 17 1.4.2 Douglas Oakman: Socio-Scientific Analysis .................................................. 20 1.5 Analyzing Socio-Economic Data in GLk in Light of Luke’s Audience .............. 23 1.5.1 Lillian Portefaix: Socio-Economic Profiling in Philippi ................................. 23 1.5.2 Philip Esler: Social-Scientific and Socio-Economic Profiling in the Greek East .............................................................................................................................. 24 1.6. Analyzing the Ethics of Economic Data ......................................................... 27 1.6.1 Christopher Hays: Ethics of Socio-Economic Data in GLk .......................... 27 1.6.2 David Balch: Ethics of Socio-Economic Data in Greco-Roman Society ........ 30 1.7 A Way Forward: Socio-Economic Profiling Using Economic Scaling ............... 34 1.7.1 Economic Scaling in NT Scholarship ........................................................... 34 1.7.2 Economic Statuses during the First-Century ................................................. 36 1.7.3 Conclusion: Improved Socio-Economic Profiling through Behaviors and Possessions ............................................................................................................. 38 1.8 Prolegomena: Preliminary Issues Regarding the GLk ...................................... 38 1.8.1 Authorship ................................................................................................... 38 1.8.2 Bios and Biographical Historiography as Genre ............................................ 39 1.8.3 Date, Origin, and Provenance ...................................................................... 41 1.8.4 Luke’s Purposes and Audience Conflation .................................................... 43 1.8.5 Luke’s Expected Audience: First-Century Christ-Groups ............................. 46 1.9 Project Delimitations ..................................................................................... 47 1.10 Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................ 47 Chapter 2: Methodology ......................................................................................... 50 2.1 Theoretical Foundations for Separating Audiences of Luke-Acts ..................... 50 2.1.1 The Historical/Original Audience ................................................................ 51 2.1.2 The Intended Audience ................................................................................ 52 2 2.1.3 The Narrative Audience ............................................................................... 53 2.1.4 The Expected Audience ................................................................................ 54 2.1.5 Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................ 55 2.2 Constructing Socio-Economic Profiles: Types of Evidence .............................. 55 2.2.1 Privileging the Evidence of Material Culture ................................................ 55 2.2.2 Using the Evidence of Acts for Character Profiles ......................................... 56 2.2.3 Calculating Possessions and Behaviors: Diocletian’s Price Edict .................... 56 2.3 Socio-Economic Profiling of the Christ-Group Member’s Environment .......... 58 2.3.1 Socio-Economic and Socio-Spatial Dimensions of Christ-Group Meetings .. 58 2.3.2 Socio-Economic Contexts of Domestic Spaces in the Greek East ................. 59 2.3.3 Profiling of Cultic Contexts of the Christ-Group Members .......................... 64 2.3.3.1 Knowledge of Primary Jewish Evidence .............................................. 65 2.3.3.2 Knowledge of Non-Jewish Cults ........................................................ 66 2.4 Parables as Ethical Teachings ......................................................................... 68 2.5 Summary and Conclusion .............................................................................. 69 Chapter 3: Socio-Economic Profiles of Expected Audience Members ....................... 70 3.1 Wealthy (ES4) Prominent Macedonian Woman ............................................. 71 3.1.1 Five Examples of Πρώτη Γυναικῶν ............................................................. 72 3.2 Middling (ES5) Ephesian Artisan ................................................................... 77 3.3 Poor (ES6) Enslaved Corinthian .................................................................... 81 3.4 Summary and Conclusion .............................................................................. 85 Chapter 4: Socio-Economic Profiles of Characters in Luke’s Parables ....................... 87 4.1 The Good Samaritan (10:25-37) .................................................................... 87 4.1.1 Socio-Economic Profiling: Behaviors ............................................................ 87 4.1.1.1 Stopping at an Inn: Cost of Meals and Accommodation .................... 87 4.1.2 Socio-Economic Profiling: Possessions .......................................................... 92 4.1.2.1 Beasts of the Middling Class: The Samaritan’s κτῆνος as Donkey ..... 92 4.1.3 Conclusion: Samaritan as ES5 ...................................................................... 97 4.2 The Prodigal Son (15:11-32) ......................................................................... 98 4.2.1 Socio-Economic Profiling: Behaviors ............................................................ 98 4.2.1.1 Inheritance and Land: Measuring Wealth in Land Ownership ........... 99 4.2.2. Socio-Economic Profiling: Possessions ....................................................... 103 4.2.2.1 Sandals: Footwear in the First-Century ............................................ 104 4.2.2.2 Cloaks and Banquet Clothing: Στολή as Pallium ............................. 108 4.2.2.2.1 Who wore Στολή? .................................................................. 109 4.2.2.2.2 Interpretative Options for The Prodigal’s Στολή .................... 111 4.2.2.2.3 Specific Clothing for Banquets ................................................ 112 4.2.2.3 Rings: Socio-Economic Markers for the Wealthy ............................. 114 4.2.3 Conclusion: The Prodigal’s Family as ES4+ ................................................ 117 4.3 The Clever Steward (16:1-8) ........................................................................ 118 4.3.1 Socio-Economic Profiling: Behaviors .......................................................... 118 4.3.1.1 Stewards: Oἰκονόμος as Dispensator ................................................. 119 4.3.2 Socio-Economic Profiling: Possessions ........................................................ 123 3 4.3.2.1 Grain and Oil: Determining Measures and Weights ......................... 123 4.3.2.2 Loans and Debts: Large Loans and Payments of Taxes with Crops ... 127 4.3.3 Conclusion: Steward as ES4+ ..................................................................... 129 4.4 Dives and Lazarus (16:19-31) ...................................................................... 130 4.4.1 Socio-Economic Profiling: Behaviors .......................................................... 130 4.4.1.1 Splendid Feasts ................................................................................. 131 4.4.2 Socio-Economic Profiling: Possessions ........................................................ 133 4.4.2.1 Dives’ Purple Clothing ..................................................................... 133 4.4.2.2 Dives’ Gate ....................................................................................... 135 4.4.3 Conclusion: Dives as ES3+, Lazarus as ES7 ................................................ 137 4.5 Pharisee and Tax Collector (18:9-14) ........................................................... 138 4.5.1 Socio-Economic Profiling: Behaviors .........................................................
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