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A Postcolonial Reading of the Acts of the Apostles View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ETD - Electronic Theses & Dissertations LIVING IN TWO WORLDS – A POSTCOLONIAL READING OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES By Rubén Muñoz-Larrondo Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR IN PHILOSOPHY in Religion August, 2008 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Professor Fernando F. Segovia Professor Daniel Patte Professor Douglas A. Knight Professor Kathy L. Gaca Copyright @ 2008 by Rubén Muñoz-Larrondo All Rights Reserved To Angélica my beloved faithful wife for all these years of love, support and encouragement and to our children Paulina, Rubén Andrés and Constanza an infinite source of happiness iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Any reader expects to see in this page a hierarchical list beginning with the University professors, dissertation advisor and members of the committee, ending with the family and finally, the spouse. Though this list is significantly important, I would begin with my loving wife Angélica. This work and dream would not have been possible without her love, support and encouragement through all these years. I wish to thank our beautiful children: Paulina, Rubén Andrés and Constanza for sacrificing time with their father during a vital stage in their lives. To my parents Rubén Muñoz and Myriam Larrondo, I express my gratitude for believing in me in their constant inspiration to reach new goals. I am grateful to Vanderbilt University and the professors of the Graduate School of Religion and Divinity School for their teaching and guidance. Each member of my dissertation committee has provided insights and professional guidance in my development. I would especially like to thank Dr. Fernando F. Segovia, my dissertation director, teacher, mentor and friend, who has guided and molded me in every step of the way, with his gracious respect toward all their students—never pushing, but inspiring and giving us space to grow. He has shown me by his example what it means to fight for justice and equality. Thanks must be given to the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) for their financial support, networking and editorial team during these years. It is good to be a member of la comunidad teológica hispana – una buena familia . iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ..................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... iv I. POSTCOLONIAL CRITICISM AS AN OPTIC FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES ........ 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Definitions ..................................................................................... 5 The prefix “post” ............................................................................ 8 Postcolonialism and biblical studies .............................................. 9 Conclusion .................................................................................. 10 Postcolonial categories .......................................................................... 14 Introduction ................................................................................. 14 Hybridity ...................................................................................... 14 Diaspora – Alterity ....................................................................... 19 Mimicry/mockery ......................................................................... 25 Identity ........................................................................................ 26 Race in imperialism and colonialism ........................................... 31 The signifiers of race, culture, and nation .............................................. 39 Problems of representation ......................................................... 42 Examples of representation of the other ..................................... 45 Feminism and race ...................................................................... 46 Empire representations – Greeks, Romans and Jews ................ 50 The Greeks ....................................................................... 50 The Romans ..................................................................... 52 Judaism ............................................................................ 54 Conclusion .................................................................................. 57 My critique and some observations ............................................. 58 II. THE DEATH OF HEROD AGRIPPA I AS STARTING POINT ..................... 66 Introduction ............................................................................................ 66 Analysis of Acts 12 as Narrative Context .................................... 68 Some observations regarding Herod Julius Agrippa I as a king of Judea ....................................................................... 71 Analysis of Acts 12 as Type-Scene ....................................................... 78 Definitions and usage .................................................................. 78 The Model of the Passion ........................................................... 83 The Model of the Exodus ............................................................ 86 The Model of food dependence in Acts 12 .................................. 96 v Models of Self-Exaltation in Luke-Acts ........................................ 99 Role and Purpose of Acts 12 in Luke-Acts ........................................... 107 III. ROMAN IMPERIAL WORSHIP – PRESUPPOSITIONS FOR THE STUDY ..................................................................................... 116 Roman Religion in History ................................................................... 116 Introduction and Presuppositions .............................................. 116 Roman Self-Identity and Religion ........................................................ 124 Corporate Identity ...................................................................... 124 Religio licita or ilicita ? ................................................................ 126 The Ruler Cult – Imperial Worship in History ....................................... 128 Introduction ............................................................................... 128 Understanding the Other in history ............................................ 131 The Oriental or Eastener perspective ........................................ 133 An example comparing the Romans with the Egyptians ........... 136 The Problem of Divinization or Deification ................................ 139 Traditional posture or shared cult partnership between Emperors and local gods .......................................................... 143 Mandatory or Voluntary Worship ............................................... 150 Imperial Cult development during the time of Augustus ............ 154 Other Emperors ......................................................................... 158 The importance of Neokoros as sole cult for the emperor and not as a combined worship to god/dess and the emperor .................... 159 Introduction to Neokoroi ............................................................ 159 Ephesus .................................................................................... 162 Gaius & Nero ............................................................................. 164 The Augusti ............................................................................... 166 Theologoi .................................................................................. 167 Domitian .................................................................................... 167 Other elements: The different colossi and the worship of the Augusti ............................................................... 168 Hadrian ..................................................................................... 169 Conclusion ................................................................................ 170 Examples from Other cities ....................................................... 171 Smyrna ............................................................................ 171 Kyzikus ........................................................................... 173 Excursus: Inscriptions bearing the names of emperors as gods .......... 176 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 181 IV. REPRESENTATION IN ACTS OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF JUDAISM ... 184 Introduction .......................................................................................... 184 Jewish and Jewish Christian Self-Identity and the vi Institutions in History ................................................................. 186 The institution of the Sanhedrin ................................................. 194 Representation and Evaluation of Jewish Establishment in Acts ......... 200 The prologue of Acts ................................................................. 200 Transference of powers ............................................................ 202 From the center of the world to the end of the earth ................. 209 The term end of the earth .......................................................... 211 The Kingdom of Israel and kingdom of God ........................................
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