Mark Stanley Wheller
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Christ as Ancestor Hero: Using Catherine Bell’s Ritual Framework to Analyze 1 Corinthians as an Ancestor Hero Association in First Century CE Roman Corinth by Mark Wheller A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Religious Studies University of Alberta © Mark Wheller, 2017 Abstract The Corinthian community members employed a Greco-Roman heroic model to graft their ancestral lineages, through the rite of baptism, to the genos Christ-hero. In doing so, the Corinthians constructed an elaborate ancestral lineage, linking their association locally through Christ to Corinth, and trans-locally through Moses to an imagined Ancient Israel. For the community, Christ’s death and resurrection aligned with the death and epiphanies of ancient heroes, as did his characteristics as a healer, protector, and oracle. Relatedly, the “Lord’s Meal,” as practiced by the Corinthians, was a hybrid ritual, as the association synthesized the meal with the already-existing heroic rites of theoxenia and enagezein. This ritualized meal allowed the Christ-hero followers to bring their hero closer to them, imbuing their oracular rituals of prophecy and speaking in tongues, as well as their protection rituals. In response to their hero, the Christ-hero members offered locks of their hair through hair-cutting and hair-offering rituals. Their funerary rites and ritualized meals nuanced and dominated other cultic aspects such as healing, oracles, offerings, baptism, and defixiones. Yet the Christ-hero did more than just focus worship for the community. In fact, it allowed a newly transplanted migrant population to construct a socio-political space within the polis, by restructuring their neighbourhood networks and claiming ownership and status within the greater Corinthian environment. This dissertation presents a thorough analysis of the aforementioned issues, resulting in a redescription of the Corinthian Christ-hero association that analyzes the association’s ritual practices with careful consideration of the greater Corinthian cultural context. Furthermore, by applying Catherine Bell’s ritual framework to the practices described in 1 Corinthians, this study reveals that the rituals cannot be lifted out of their cultural context. On the contrary, the rituals performed by the Corinthians belong in the cultural context of first century CE Roman Corinth. Consequently, the Corinthian Christ-hero association was not – contrary to much prior scholarly discourse concerning ii the Corinthian Christ association – a distinct community with unique practices. Rather, the Corinthian association created rituals that mirrored the practices of the greater Corinthian environment. This study will analyze the Christ-hero association’s practices in the Corinthian cultural context through the passages in 1 Corinthians that highlight the contested spaces of authority. Those passages include: The Lord’s Meal Ritual (1 Cor. 10:16-17 and 11:17-34); Funerary Vicariousness in Baptism on Behalf of the Dead (1 Cor. 15:29); Christ as Protector Hero: Curses as Mortuary Wards/Traps for the Dead (1 Cor. 12:3a); Communication Rituals: Prophecy and Speaking in Tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, and 1 Cor. 14); and Hair-offerings to the Christ-Hero (1 Cor. 11:4-7). iii To Brenda, Jordan, and Amelia iv Acknowledgements First and foremost, I deeply appreciate the support I received from my wife, Brenda Maire. I simply could not have finished this dissertation without her help. To my children, Jordan and Amelia, who completely fill me with joy. I would like to acknowledge the patience and understanding of my supervisor Dr. Willi Braun who was invaluable in guiding me through my dissertation and whose advice I treasure. I would also like to acknowledge the members of my supervisory committee: Dr. Steven Muir who watched me present on parts of my dissertation at various conferences throughout my degree and provided suggestions to improve my argument. Dr. Steven Kent who tirelessly edited and proofread my dissertation, so it was ready for defense. Dr. Francis Landy who helped me in various ways throughout my program and chaired my dissertation defense. Dr. Adam Kemezis and Dr. Richard Ascough both of whom asked me tough questions and provided great advice at my dissertation defense. I would like to acknowledge the excellent support that I received from the University of Alberta Religious Studies Program. Dr. Andrew Gow who provided me teaching fellowships throughout my time at the university. Barb Baker, Janey Kennedy, and Nicola DiNicola who found me funding, made sure that I submitted the proper paperwork at the proper times, and gave me moral support that carried me through to the end. I am extremely thankful to the hard work of Pat Hart who spent many hours editing and helping me refine my writing and making my argument clearer. To Dr. Glen Fairen, who supported me, provided valuable suggestions, and proofread my dissertation. I cherise the time spent with my peers, Allan Wright, John Parrish, and many others. v Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Theory and Method ............................................................................................................. 6 Decentralizing Paul in 1 Corinthians .......................................................................................................... 6 Catherine Bell’s Ritual Framework .............................................................................................................. 9 Bell’s Framework Applied to Corinthian Christ-Hero Group .............................................................. 21 Chapter Two: Ancient Hero Cult Model ................................................................................................ 28 Overview of Hero Cults ............................................................................................................................. 28 Christ-Hero Model in the New Testament .............................................................................................. 29 Christ-Hero in Gospel of John and Book of Revelation .................................................................. 30 Christ-Hero in 1 Corinthians ................................................................................................................. 31 Application of the Hero Model to 1 Corinthians ................................................................................... 33 Heroes were Distinct from Gods ......................................................................................................... 33 Antagonism between Gods and Heroes .............................................................................................. 37 Hero’s Death, Epiphanies, and Healing Heroes ................................................................................. 39 Graves and Bones Not Always Central Focus .................................................................................... 43 Heroes could be Pan-Hellenic ............................................................................................................... 44 The Corinthian Heroic Cultural Context ............................................................................................. 45 Heroic Cultural Context of the Greater Corinthian Area ................................................................. 54 Chapter Three: The Lord’s Meal Ritual ................................................................................................. 61 Analysis of 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 11:17-34 ................................................................................... 64 Ritual Action used in the Lord’s Meal Ritual ........................................................................................... 70 Problems with the Olympian v. Chthonic Paradigm ......................................................................... 70 An Alternate Sacrificial Ritual Integrated Paradigm .......................................................................... 73 Ritual Language used in the Lord’s Meal Ritual ...................................................................................... 78 Nighttime Ritual Language .................................................................................................................... 78 Blood Ritual Language ........................................................................................................................... 80 Funerary Ritual Language ...................................................................................................................... 81 Classification of the Christ-Hero ............................................................................................................... 83 Application of Hero Classification Scale to the Christ-hero ............................................................ 85 vi Chapter Four: The Christ-Hero Association ......................................................................................... 89 Archaeological Evidence of Hero Associations ...................................................................................... 89 Epigraphic Evidence of Hero Associations ............................................................................................. 92 Understanding Hero Associations in the Broader Associative Context ........................................