The Antisemitism Dispositive : Emergence and Dissemination In
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The Antisemitism Dispositive Emergence and Dissemination in Early Christianity vorgelegt von Dipl. Pol. Wiss. Maximilian Ruben Czollek geb. in Berlin von der Fakultät I – Geistes- und Bildungswissenschaften der Technischen Universität Berlin zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Philosophie - Dr. Phil. - genehmigte Dissertation Promotionsausschuss: Vorsitzende: Prof. Dr. Helga Marburger Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Werner Bergmann Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Michael Daxner Tag der wissenschaftlichen Aussprache: 18. Mai 2016 Berlin 2017 ABSTRACT: This work is concerned with the emergence of a proto-Catholic episteme of antisemitism. While the roots of a Christian image of “the Jews” reach as far back as the first century C.E., the second century triggered a development in which “the Jews” became ever more central for a proto-Catholic self-construction. This dynamic was accelerated by multiple factors, central among them theological debates on the right interpretation of the faith (e.g. Marcion and his opponents). In those debates, “the Jews” assume an epistemic quality. However, this epistemic quality may have remained a feature of some groups in early Christianity. The rise of proto-Catholicism to Roman state religion by the end of the fourth century created a situation where the episteme of antisemitism became a part of an encompassing and universal world-view, thus gaining the quality of a dispositive. The present work attempts to trace this development from emergence to dissemination of a proto-Catholic episteme of antisemitism. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Emergenz eines proto-katholischen Antisemitismusepistems. Während die Wurzeln eines christlichen Bildes von „den Juden“ bis in das erste Jahrhundert u.Z. zurückreichen, ist das zweite Jahrhundert entscheidend für eine Entwicklung, in der „die Juden“ zu einem zentralen Element proto- katholischer Selbstkonstruktion wurden. Die Dynamik dieser Entwicklung wurde durch eine Vielzahl an Faktoren beeinflusst, unter ihnen theologische Debatten über die richtige Interpretation des Glaubens (z.B. zwischen Marcion und seinen Gegnern). Dabei hätte die epistemische Qualität, welche „die Juden“ in diesen Debatten gewannen, das Charakteristikum einiger frühchristlicher Gruppen bleiben können. Erst der Aufstieg des proto-Katholizismus zur römischen Staatsreligion im vierten Jahrhundert erzeugte eine Situation, in welcher dieses Epistem Teil einer umfassenden und universellen Weltanschauung wurde und sich so zum Dispositivs verfestigte. Die vorliegende Arbeit versucht diese Entwicklung eines proto-katholischen Antisemitismusepistems von der Emergenz zur Dissemination nachzuvollziehen. Contents 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 6 I. Analytical Framework ............................................................................... 9 2. Terminology, Methodology and Theoretical Background .................... 9 2.1 The Antisemitism Dispositive ..................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Antisemitism (Literature Review) ................................................................ 10 2.1.2 Antisemitism – Proposed Definitions .......................................................... 15 2.1.3 Antisemitism/Anti-Judaism – The Question of Difference ............................ 19 2.2 Early Christian Antisemitism (Literature Review) .................................... 25 2.2.1 The Beginning of Critique – Moore, Parkes & Isaac ................................... 25 2.2.2 Simon, Ruether and the Religious Vitality of Judaism ................................. 27 2.2.3 A Belated Development – Theology in Germany after 1945 ........................ 29 2.3 Methodological Approach ......................................................................... 33 2.3.1 Terminology – Judaism, Jews, Christians and Gentiles .............................. 33 2.3.2 Hypothesis – Emergence of Christian anti-Judaism ................................... 38 2.3.3 Scientific Perspective ................................................................................. 41 2.4 Source Criticism: The New Testament ..................................................... 45 2.4.1 The Process of Canonization ..................................................................... 45 2.4.2 Interpreting the New Testament .................................................................. 51 2.4.3 The Question of Anti-Judaism .................................................................... 55 2.5 The Course of this Work ............................................................................ 58 II. Case-Studies .......................................................................................... 63 3. Paul and the beginning of Christian faith ............................................ 63 3.1 Paul and his Interpreters ........................................................................... 63 3.1.1 A short History of interpreting Paul ............................................................. 64 3.1.2 Paul’s Theologizing - Continuity and Separation ........................................ 67 3.1.3 The Reaction of the New Perspectives ....................................................... 70 3.2 The Pauline Epistles .................................................................................. 71 3.2.1 Control of Interpretation – Galatians and Acts ............................................ 71 3.2.2 The Expansion of Israel – Romans and Galatians ...................................... 77 3.2.3 Israel, Jesus & the Jews ............................................................................. 84 3.3 Conclusion – Supplying the Hammer ....................................................... 87 2 4. The Gospels............................................................................................ 90 4.1 Historical Background ............................................................................... 90 4.1.1 The Jerusalem Community ......................................................................... 90 4.1.2 Wars of the Jews ........................................................................................ 92 4.1.3 The Parting of Ways? ................................................................................. 94 4.2 The Texts .................................................................................................... 98 4.2.1 The Gospel of Mark .................................................................................. 100 4.2.2 The Gospel of Matthew ............................................................................ 103 4.2.3 The Gospel of Luke & Acts ....................................................................... 107 4.2.4 The Gospel of John .................................................................................. 113 4.3 Overwriting the Empirical – Jews, Romans and Theology ................... 120 4.3.1 Fading out of Focus – The Romans in the Passion Narrative ................... 120 4.3.2 Overwriting the Empirical – History and Intertextuality .............................. 126 4.3.3 Interpreting Scripture/Scripting History ..................................................... 133 4.3.4 “The Jews” in the New Testament ............................................................ 137 4.4 Conclusion - Is the New Testament anti-Judaic? .................................. 143 5. The Patristic Period – Marcion & the proto-Catholic Reaction ........ 147 5.1 Marcion (85-160 C.E.) ............................................................................... 150 5.1.1 Marcion and the Renaissance of Paul ...................................................... 152 5.1.2 “The Jews” and the Question of Antisemitism ........................................... 157 5.1.3 Marcion and the Canon of the New Testament ......................................... 163 5.2 The Proto-Orthodox Reaction – Against Marcion, Against the Jews ... 167 5.2.1 Justin Martyr – Dialogue with Trypho the Jew ........................................... 170 5.2.2 Tertullian – Adversus Marcionem .............................................................. 179 5.2.3 Luke's Acts – A Reaction to Marcionism? ................................................. 186 5.3 Conclusion – Dissemination and Intensification ................................... 190 6. The Rise of Christianity – From Persecution to State Religion ....... 196 6.1 Entering Politics – the 2nd to the 4th century C.E. .................................. 196 6.1.1 On the “Persecution” of Christians ............................................................ 196 6.1.2 The Conversion of Constantine ................................................................ 203 6.1.3 The Nicaean Council ................................................................................ 207 6.1.4 Excurse: Jews in Roman Law – The Impact of Christianity ....................... 212 6.2 Adversus Iudaeos Revisited ................................................................... 217 3 6.2.1 Justin Martyr – Filling the Toolbox ............................................................ 221 6.2.2 Tertullian – Appropriating Scripture ........................................................... 225 6.2.3 John Chrysostom – A Bid for Internal Stratification ................................... 231 6.3. Conclusion – Proto-Catholicism & “the Jews” ..................................... 241 7. Changing the Frame – From Judaism