CADBURY, HENRY J(OEL) (1883-1974) Paul N

Digital Commons @ George Fox University

Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies College of Christian Studies

2007 CADBURY, HENRY J(OEL) (1883-1974) Paul N. Anderson George Fox University, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ccs Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Church History Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons

Recommended Citation Anderson, Paul N., "CADBURY, HENRY J(OEL) (1883-1974)" (2007). Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies. Paper 97. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ccs/97

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Christian Studies at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications - College of Christian Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. c

CADBURY, HENRY J(OEL) 194 7 on behalf of Quaker peace and service (1883-1974) work in Europe. He was the firstbiblical scholar Henry Joel Cadbury was one of the most signif to have received that award. Cadbury was a con icant and influential New Testament scholars servative liberal, arguing for going no further the United States has ever produced. In addi than what was clearly suggested in the text. He tion to publishing more than 160 essays and thus embodied the ideals of positivistic ratio books on New Testament subjects, he reviewed nalism, while at the same time claiming that the more than 250 books on biblical topics and Bible speaks powerfully to contemporary issues published nearly as many works on Quaker of the day. themes. He held the Hollis Chair of Divinity at Historical andIntellectual Context. As Cadbury Harvard (the oldest endowed chair in Amer began his biblical studies, the optimism of ica) from 1934 to 1954, having also taught at nineteenth-century Jesus quests had ceded Haverford (1911-1919), Andover Theological place to historical skepticism. Asa result, histor Seminary (1919-1926) and Bryn Mawr (1926- ical interests had shifted from Jesus to the forma 1934). He served as president of the Society for tion of Gospel traditions. Cadbury furthered New Testament Studies ([SNTS] 1957-1958, such skepticism by challenging the certainty of having been one of its founders) and of the So some historical claims. In addition to analyzing ciety of Biblical Literature ([S BL] 1936, having the style of Luke and Acts, his doctoral thesis at served as its secretary from 1916 to 1933). For Harvard challenged the assumption that the so nearly half a century he was regarded as a pre called medical language of Luke-Acts proved eminent authority on Luke-Acts, and he con this two-volume work was written by the beloved tributed extensively to the translation and re physician and companion of Paul. If the same ception of the Revised Standard Version of the language was also used with reference to veteri Bible. narian medicine, would that prove that Luke The depth and breadth of Cadbury's works was a horse doctor? Not necessarily-either are impressive. He worked critically with Luke way. It is thus said that Cadbury obtained his doc Acts but interpreted Jesus and early Christianity torate at Harvard by depriving Luke of his. meaningfully for popular audiences as well. He Cadbury's emphasis on scholarly modesty of contributed many detailed lexical analyses and claim extended also to other exegetical ven surveyed broad trends in biblical studies. The tures. While archaeological discoveries of a impact of his work extended beyond the man named Erastus at Corinth might tempt United States, and he introduced the results of one to connect that person with the same name German form-critical work to English-speaking in the Pauline correspondence, Cadbury re audiences. He was a founder of the American minds the modern reader of just how many Friends Service Committee in 1917 (serving as people might have held such a name in ancient its chairman, 1928-1934 and 1944-1960), and times. And yet, while questioning the inference he was a corecipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in that references to "we" in Acts implies the au- CADBURY, HENRYJ. thor's having been a traveling partner on those tion grew as a result. He taught dialogically, ventures, he also challenged the view that eliciting statements from his students on the Luke's mention of indebtedness to eyewit subject at hand and building his lectures on the nesses proves he was not an eyewitness. He chal strengths and weaknesses of their responses. As lenged formalistic interpretations of the early a New Testament scholar, Cadbury's contribu church, showing the great diversity of belief tions fall into five categories: Jesus, early Chris and expression. tianity, Luke-Acts, hermeneutical and transla Cadbury's contribution to the translation of tional issues, and miscellany. the Revised Standard Version favored text Regarding Jesus, Cadbury challenged the focusedconservatism-not claiming more than eclipse of the historical Jesus long before the the original language of the text wou.ld allow. "New Quest" was announced by]. Robinson in Such moves posed a threat to those wanting to the 1950s. While it cannot be claimed that Cad see orthodoxy bolstered by the biblical text, bury's work evoked those developments, it can and yet Cadbury also challenged liberal claims not be denied that they built on some of the on such subjects as the non-Pauline authorship groundwork to which he had contributed. In of Ephesians. He saw a 70 percent imitation of particular, he illuminated the Jewishness of Paul's thought and style as a:more extended in Jesus. Within the tradition of the Jewish pro ference than assuming Paul's 30 percent depar phetic leaders, Cadbury showed how Jesus, ture from his customary work. While being a ra rather than being a radical, was a conservator tional positivist, he also challenged the of the heart of the Law and the Prophets. He opposite fallacy-that of claiming "not neces thus focused not simply on what Jesus taught, sarily so" implies "necessarily not so"-a mis but on how he taught-aiming at the center of take at times also made by readers of his work. the Torah rather than its legal boundaries. Cad One of Cadbury's submerged contributions bury also emphasized what Jesus taught about relates to his impact on academic freedom. As social concern and moral responsibility. Lest a factor of his writing a letter to the editor of Jesus, however, be reduced to modern canons the Philad elphiaPublic Ledgerin 1918, criticizing of relevance, Cadbury wrote a book on the peril the "orgy of hate" in recent editorials, he was of modernizing Jesus (1937 /2006)-and like asked to resign from Haverford College. He ar wise, the peril of archaizing ourselves. He fo gued that a vengeful attempt to negotiate a cused on the man Jesus and how people expe more favorable treaty with a humbled enemy, rienced and understood him. He had already rather than insuring a stable peace, would be published two significant books and several the curse of the future-an unfortunately pro weighty articles on Jesus before the "New Quest phetic warning! Interestingly, his creative book forJesus" had officially begun. on nationalistic ideals in the Old Testament Cadbury's illumination of the character of (1920) received greater critical acclaim in Ger early Christianity was also a significant contri many than it did in America. Cadbury also bution. Not only did he elucidate the informal worked for liberty of conscience in the United ity of the early church, but he also challenged States, especially within academe, and did so on notions that the early church was pervasively hi the basis of appeals to conscience in the New erarchical and structured in its developments. Testament. He pointed out the variety of religious experi Life and Work. Having grown up in a Phila ence among the various churches and claimed delphia Quaker family with many strong con that particular motives of New Testament writ nections, Cadbury was personally grieved by his ings could be inferred critically. He added to forced resignation from Haverford. Ironically, the realism of early Christianity by showing he was rejected from his Quaker alma mater as some of the dissent and proselytizing ( overcon he took a stand for peace. This proved eventu version) among early Christian leaders, as well ally, however, to be Harvard's gain, and his con as their harmonious relations. Cadbury pre tribution as a scholar of international reputa- sented extensive evidence for the nonviolent

273 CADBURY,HENRY J. and pacifistic character of early Christianity, He wrote several essays on New Testament even suggesting that the exiled author of the grammar and vocabulary and wrote more than Apocalypse may have been a conscientious ob a half dozen authoritative reports on the past jector, likely objecting to forced emperor wor and future of New Testament scholarship. His ship. Cadbury was an innovator in illuminating 1936 SBL presidential address ("Motives of Bib the characteristics of Jewish and Hellenistic lical Scholarship") criticized three interpretive Christianity, showing also how developments defects: a craving for something new, the ten led to evolutions of understanding and practice dency to modernize Bible times, and the incli within the early Christian movement. nation to bolster conservative investments by a Cadbury's third contribution is his most bias-induced reading of the text. Cadbury eluci penetrating and enduring: his work on Luke dated the lack of theological homogeneity of Acts. At least in part due to The Style an d Liter biblical texts and the unprogrammatic charac aryMethod of Luke (1920/2001) and The Mak ter of early Christianity. The exegetical con in g of Luke-Act s (1927/1999), Luke and Acts science of the interpreter must always focus in have come to be treated inseparably by critical ductively on the factual character of the textual scholars as a two-volume work. He also con content, allowing applications to flow from so tributed significantly to understandings of ber exegetical work, even if modest in its appar Luke's composition history with direct impli ent promise. cations for Acts, noting that some of the dis The fifth category can be called miscellany crepancies of style reflect Luke's respect for simply because it becomes a rubric for gather the sources he was using. Cadbury made sig ing Cadbury's other New Testament work. nificant form-critical observations on the Commenting on the contextual settings of speeches and summaries in Acts, and he wrote Paul's ministry, he wrote more than a half significanttreatments on names for Christians dozen essays on Paul's ethics, message, compe and Christianity, titles of Jesus, markers of tition, Qumran parallels and audiences. He time and sociological details in Luke-Acts. His highlighted the Macellum of Corinth, drawing work on the four features of Lukan style is a connections with what might have been associ classic, illuminating two sets of polarities: rep ated with eating meat offered to idols in the etition an d variation, and distribution an d con Corinthian situation. He wrote several essays on centration. The Book of Act s in Hist ory (1955/ the Apocalypse, expressing appreciation for 2004) studies the characteristics of four so not only the prophetic character of the work, cioreligious backgrounds underlying Acts: but also for its contribution to mystical reli Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian. Cadbury gious experience in later generations. He contributed in major ways to volumes 2 treated such disparate themes as the odor of through 5 in The Beginn ings of Christ ianit y, Part the Spirit at Pentecost, wind and spirit, dust 1: The Act s of the Apostlesas an editor, a writer of and garments in Acts, Roman trials, the many of the essays and the author of the com Herodian family tree, christological titles in mentary and additional notes volumes (vols. 4 Acts, and other New Testament themes. Some and 5). After nearly a century, this five-volume times a theme was targeted simply because it work still speaks with critical authority. piqued the interest of the author; a reading of Cadbury's fourth contribution relates to his his essays suggests that such inclinations are in translation and interpretation work as a major variably justified. player in the translation of the Revised Stan Interpretive Principles.Cadbury's interpretive dard Version of the Bible and the Apocrypha principles are squarely rooted in prioritizing for more than two decades. He also explained the clear meaning of the text and openness to the work of the translators and its implications where sober exegesis might lead. He was a phi for general audiences. He commented on the lologist par excellence, and he knew the pri adequacy of other translations, including the mary texts well enough to have an intuitive feel New English Bible and the KingJames Version. for nuance and emphasis, bolstered by objec-

274 CADBURY, HENRYJ.

tive measurements of style. He called for tem Act s of the Apost les,vol. 2, ed. F.J. FoakesJackson perance and modesty with relation to applica and K. Lake (London: Macmillan, 1922); Be tion, not wanting interests in relevance to hind the Gospels, Pendle Hill Pamphlet 160 overshadow original meanings of the text. He (Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill Publications, was willing to challenge scholarly opinions as 1968); The Book of Acts in Hist ory (London: A & well as traditional ones, always alert to where an C Black; New York: Harper and Brothers, 1955; interpreter might have made too much of the reprint ed., Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2004, evidence at hand. ln so doing, Cadbury con with a foreword by P. N. Anderson); Collation tributed significantly to the scientific and lin of the Vulgate Text of Acts (276-90) and colla guistic authority of New Testament scholar tion of the Peshitto Texts of Acts (291-316), in ship-a value inherited by all critical scholars Beginnings of Christ ianity: Part 1, The Act s of the in his wake. Apost les, vol. 3, ed.]. H. Ropes (London: Mac Significance. Cadbury's contributions to the millan, 1926); "Current Issues in New Testa history of biblical interpretation are manifold. ment Studies," Harvard DivinitySchool Bullet in First, his contribution to the study of Luke-Acts 51 (1954) 49-64; "The Dilemma of Ephesians," stands as a highly significant one, especially re NTS5 (1958) 91-102; "Divine Inspiration in the garding his lexical, linguistic and stylistic analy New Testament" (369-75), "Questions of Au ses of this two-volume work. thorship in the New Testament" (376-84) and Second, his contribution as a sober and ac "Results of New Testament Research" (385-94), curate translator of Scripture influenced in An Out line of Christ ianity: The Story of Our Civ greatly the authoritative impact of the Revised ilizat ion, vol. 6, ed. F.]. McConnell (New York: Standard Version, and he embodied respect for Bethlehem Publishers, 1926); The Eclipse of the the biblical text enough to let ambiguities stand Hist oricalJesus, Haverford Library Lectures, rather than resorting to guesswork. Pendle Hill Pamphlet 133 (Wallingford, PA: Third, he showed how studies of Jesus and Pendle Hill Publications, 1963; translated into the early church could be relevant precisely be German in 1972); "Erastus of Corinth (Acts cause scholarship had sought to understand 19:22)," ]BL 50 (1931) 42-58; "Four Features of them as they were, rather than imposing a mod Lucan Style," in St ud ies in Luke-Act s: &says Pre ernistic or a traditionalistic grid over their in sent ed in Honor of Paul Schubert , ed. L. E. Keck terpretation. The truth speaks clearly enough and]. L. Martyn (Nashville: Abingdon, 1966) on its own. 87-102; "Gospel Study and Our Image of Early Fourth, he showed how the ethical teach Christianity," ]BL 83 (1964) 139-45; "The Infor ing of Jesus and the New Testament reaches mality of Early Christianity," CrozerQuart erly 21 from one generation, causing ripples of moral (1944) 246-50; "Intimations of Immortality in influence beyond what can ever have been the Thought of Jesus," Ingersoll Lecture, HTR imagined. When asked whether his work with 53 (1960) 1-26, reprinted in SPCK Theological social concerns were a distraction from his Collect ion 3 (London: SPCK, 1964) 79-94; 'Jesus work as a biblical scholar, he replied that in his and the Prophets," JR 5 (1925) 607-22; Jesus: peace and service work as well as in his schol What Manner of Man (New York: Macmillan, arship, he was still trying to "translate the New 1947; reprint ed., London: SPCK, 1962); "The Testament." Knowledge Claimed in Luke's Preface," TheEx BIBLIOGRAPHY. Works."Acts of the Apostles," posit or (Series 8) 24 (1922) 401-20; "Lexical IDB 1 (1962) 28-42; "Animals and Symbolism in Notes on Luke-Acts, l," ]BL 44 (1925) 214-27; Luke (Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, 9)," in Stud "Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, 2, Recent Argu ies in New Test ament and Early Christ ianLit erat ure: ments for Medical Language," ]BL 45 (1926) Essays in Honor of A. P. Wikgnm, ed. D. E. Aune 190-209; "Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, 3, Luke's (Leiden: E.]. Brill, 1972) 3-15; "The Basis of Interest in Lodging," ]BL 45 (1926) 305-22; Early Christian Antimilitarism," ]BL 37 (1918) "Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, 4, On Direct Quo 66-94; The Beginnings of Christ ianity, Part 1, The tation, with Some Uses of hoti and ei," ]BL 48

275 CADBURY, HENRY J.

(1929) 412-25; "Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, 5, New Testament Scholarship," ]B R 26 (1958) Luke and the Horse Doctors,"]BL52 (1933) 55- 213-16; St yle an d Lit erary Method of Luke (Har 65; "Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, 6, A Proper vard Theological Studies 6; Cambridge, MA: Name for Dives," ]BL 81 (1962) 399-402; "Lexi HarvardUniversity Press 1920); "Towards a Bib cal Notes on Luke-Acts, 7, Some Lukan Expres liography of Henry Joel Cadbury," Harvard Di sions of Time,"]BL82 (1963) 272-78; "A Liberal vinit y School Annual Lect ures an d Book Review 19 Approach to the Bible," )RT 14 (1957) 119-28; (1953-1954) 65-70; "Translation Principles of "Litotes in Acts (Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts, the R.S.V.,"Christ ian Cent ury70 (1953) 1388-90; 8)," in Fest schrift toHo nor F. W. Gingrich: Lexicog and K. Lake, The Beginn ings of Christ ianity, Part rapher, Scholar, Teacher an d Commit ted Christ ian 1,: The Act s of the Apost les, vol. 4, English transla Layman, ed. E. H. Barth and R. E. Concroft tion of Acts and commentary (London: Mac (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1972) 58-69; "Looking at the millan, 1933; reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker, Gospels Backwards," SE 2 (1964) 47-56; 1979); and K. Lake, eds., TheBegi nnings of Chris "Luke-Translator or Author?" AJT 24 (1920) tianit y, Part 1, The Act s of the Apost les, vol. 5, addi 436-55; "The Macellum of Corinth," ]BL 53 tional notes to their commentary, twelve of (1934) 134-41; The Making of Luke-Act s (New which were written by Cadbury, including, York: Macmillan, 1927; reprint ed., Peabody, "Note 7: The Hellenists" (59-74), "Note 24: MA: Hendrickson, 1999, with a foreword by Dust and Garments" (269-77), "Note 26: Ro- P. N. Anderson); "Mixed Motives in the Gos man Law and the Trial of Paul" (297-338), pels," Proceed ings of the AmericanPhilosophical So "Note 27: The Winds" (with Lake, 338-44), ciet y 95 (1951) 117-24; "Motives of Biblical "Note 28: Hupoz.omat a" (345-54), "Note 29: The Scholarship,"]BL56 (1937) 1-16; Nat ionalld eals Titles of Jesus in Acts" (354-75), "Note 30: in the Old Test ament (New York: Scribner's, Names for Christians and Christianity in Acts" 1920); "The New Testament and Early Chris (375-92), "Note 31: The Summaries in Acts" tian Literature," in The In t erpret er's Bible 7 (392-402), "Note 32: The Speeches in Acts" (1951) 32-42, translated into Chinese (Hong ( 402-27), "Note 36: The Family Tree of the Kong, 1959) 79-110; "New Testament Scholar Herods" ( 487-89) and "Note 38: Lucius of ship: Fifty Years in Retrospect," Journal of Bible Cyrene" (489-99) (London: Macmillan, 1933). an d &ligion 28 (1960) 194-98; "The New Testa Studies. M. H. Bacon, Let This Life Speak: The ment Versus Christianity," Harvard Divinit y Legacy of HenryJoel Cad bury (Philadelphia: Uni School Annual (1935-36) 25-36; "New Testament versity of Pennsylvania Press, 1987); W. W. Study in the Next Generation," JR 21 (1941) Gasque, A Hist ory of the Crit icism of the Act s of the 412-20; "The Peril of Archaizing Ourselves," In t Apost les (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975) 169- 3 (1949) 331-37; The Peril of Mod ernizingJesus 83; B. R. Gaventa, "The Peril of Modernizing (New York: Macmillan, 1937; reprint ed., Eu HenryJoel Cadbury," SBLSP(l987) 64-79 (with gene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2006); "A Possible bibliography of Cadbury's work on Luke-Acts, Case of Lukan Authorship," HT R 10 (1917) 78-79); S. G. Hall, "The Contribution of Henry 237-44; "The Present State of New Testament Joel Cadbury to the Study of the Historical Studies," in Haverford Symposium on Archaeology Jesus" (diss., Boston Unive;sity, 1961); J. H. an d theBible (New Haven, CT: American Society Hayes, "Cadbury, Henry Joel (1883-1974)," of Oriental Research, 1938) 79-110; "The Pur DB I, 1:156; Mary H. Jones, "Henry Joel Cad pose Expressed in Luke's Preface," TheExposit or bury: A Biographical Sketch," in Then an d Now: (Series 8) 21 (1921) 431-41, "The Greek and Quaker Essays, ed. A Brinton (Philadelphia: Jewish Traditions of Writing History" (with the University of Pennsylvania Press, 1960) 11-70; editors, 7-29), "The Tradition" (209-64), "Sub H. C. Niles, "The Wit and Wisdom of Henry sidiary Points" (with the editors, 349-59), "Ap Cadbury," Harvard Divinit y School Bullet in 29 pendix C: Commentary on the Preface of (1965) 35-48; "Tributes to Henry Cadbury," Luke" ( 489-510); "The Social Translation of the Friend s Quart erly8 (1973) 145-55; M. C. Parsons Gospel," HT R 15 (1922) 1-13; "Some Foibles of and J. B. Tyson, eds., Cad bury, Knox an d Talbert:

276 CAIRD,G. B.

American Cont ribut ions to the St udy of Act s (At Scripture at Oxford and the winning of the Col lanta: Scholars Press, 1992); A. Wilder, "In Me lins Religious Book Award (for The Language moriam," NTS21 (1974-1975) 313-17. an d Imagery of theBible, 1980). Caird's later years P. N. Anderson were taken up with biblical translation as a member of the translation panel of the Revised CAIRD, G(EORGE) B(RADFORD) English Bible (following his previous experi (1917-1984) ence as a translator of the New English Bible's Lifeand Work. George Bradford Caird, a distin- Apocrypha) and editorial work (coeditor of the guished British biblical scholar, was born in Journal of Theological St ud ies, 1977-1984). The London in 1917. A Dundee Scot, he received author of approxi�ately sixty articles, more his early education in Birmingham, England, than a hundred book reviews and six major vol where his father worked as a construction engi umes, Caird was hard at work on his seventh neer. Later he was able to attend Peterhouse, substantive work, New Test ament Theology , when Cambridge, on a major scholarship in classics, he died of a heart attack. A memorial volume, receiving the B.A. (1939; first class honors in The Glory of Christ in the New Test ament : St ud ies both parts of the classical tripos, with distinc in Christ ology in Memory of GeorgeBrad ford Caird , tion in Greek and Latin verse). Moving to study was published in his honor (1987). There an theology at Mansfield College, Oxford, Caird extensive bibliography of his works may be gained the Oxford M.A., first class honors found. (1943). A year later he submitted "The New Context. Some of Caird's most formative ed Testament Conception of Doxa (Glory)" to the ucational years were carried on in turbulent in theology faculty at Oxford, for which he was ternational times (1939-1944) and equally tur awarded the D.Phil. degree. After a challenging bulent theological times. The influence of Karl three-yearwartime pastorate in the much-bombed *Barth and Albert *Schweitzer had by 1939 London district suburb of Highgate, Caird and made deep inroads in mainstream theological his young bride, Viola Mary (Mollie), moved to circles. The old liberalism of the nineteenth Canada (1946), where they were to spend the century was nciw out, as was the fundamental next thirteen years. In Canada, Caird served as ism of the early twentieth. Caird, in some ways professor of Old Testament at St. Stephen's influenced by the neo-orthodox insights of College in Edmonton, Alberta, and later as pro Barth and E. Brunner, was affected more fessor of New Testament at McGill University deeply by his teachers at Mansfield College, and principal of the United Theological Col particularly N. Micklem and C. H. *Dodd, who, lege of Montreal. like Barth, stressed heavily the importance of In 1959 Caird returned to Mansfield Col history within theology and the essential trust lege, Oxford, serving first as senior tutor under worthiness ,')f the apostolic witness but without J. Marsh and later as principal ( 1970-1977). the rigidity of fundamentalism. But now there Caird's reputation as a biblical scholar of judi was a new presence on the British scene. Rudolf ciousness and insight grew steadily. His vast knowl *Bultmann and the form critics were beginning edge of both Testaments (he remains one of the to be taken seriously in Britain, and Caird, like few major modern interpreters twentieth-century Dodd, took up a vigorous stand against the in scholars to have been a professor of both Old and cursions of German historical skepticism while New Testaments), his fastidiousness with words at the same time employing the historical and his poetic imagination brought him nu critical method in ways that were new, positive merous international distinctions, including and challenging. four honorary doctorates (climaxed by the As is the case with most profoundly influen Oxford D.D.), election to the British Academy tial thinkers, it would be impossible to trace all and the awarding of its coveted Burkitt Medal of the influences that helped to make Caird the for Biblical Studies, appointment to be Dean scholar he was to become. It may be said, how Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy ever, that he can never be understood apart

277