Ari Troost Exegetical Bodybuilding Gender and Interpretation in Luke 1–2 Exegetical Bodybuilding Printing: Drukkerij Zwinderman Gieten ISBN: 978-94-6103-076-4 Cover illustration: Gerard van Honthorst, The Liberation of St Peter, 1616-1618. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. Exegetical Bodybuilding: Gender and Interpretation in Luke 1–2 Exegetische Bodybuilding: Gender en Interpretatie in Lukas 1–2 (met een samenvatting in het Nederlands) Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht op gezag van de rector magnificus, prof.dr. H.R.B.M. Kummeling, ingevolge het besluit van het college voor promoties in het openbaar te verdedigen op donderdag 17 oktober 2019 des middags te 12.45 uur door Arie Cornelis Troost geboren op 31 december 1959 te ‘s-Gravenhage 1 Promotoren: Prof. dr. P.B.A. Smit Prof. dr. M.A. Harder 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements 7 List of Figures 9 Editorial Note 11 Abbreviations 13 Introduction 15 1. Four "Objects" of Research 16 2. Function, Gender, and I 22 2.1 The Function of Biblical Narrative 22 2.2 Gender and the Gospel 25 2.3 Hermeneutics and Autobiography 31 3. Three Chapters: Author–Text–Reader 33 Chapter 1 – Reading for Gendered Authorship: The Annunciation Scene of Luke 1:34–35 35 1 Why Reading for Gendered Authorship? 40 1.1 The Sense of an Author 40 1.2 Author/ity and Openness 43 1.3 Conclusion 46 2 Counter-Reading Luke 1–2: The Case of Resch and Harnack 47 2.1 Luke the Physician: Hobart, Cadbury, and Medical Language 47 2.2 Mother Mary Spoke to Me: The Case of Alfred Resch 49 2.3 Prophesying Daughters: The Case of Adolf Harnack 52 2.4 Harnack's Location and his Sense of an Author 56 2.5 Conclusion 62 3 The Body of Knowledge 63 3.1 The Search for Gendered Authorship at a Dead End? 63 3.1.1 The Body as a Source of Knowledge: Maurice Merleau-Ponty 65 3.1.2 The Body in Greek and Roman Novel: Jason König 67 3.2 The Body of Luke: Stephen Moore 69 3.2.1 Visualizing the Body I: Luke as a Painter 69 3.2.2 Visualizing the Body II: Luke as an Obese Androgyn 79 3.3 Conclusion 79 4 The Annunciation Reembodied 81 4.1 Reading a Virginal Conception 82 4.2 Opposing the Sexual Code 86 4.3 Trying to Imagine: The Color Purple 92 4.4 Remembering Divine Presence and Protection 94 4.5 Conclusion 98 5 Conclusion 100 Chapter 2 – The Construction of Gender in Luke 1–2 103 1 Gender and Behaviour in Ancient Representation 107 1.1 Body and Gender in Antiquity 107 1.2 A Shift to High Moral Virtue 111 1.3 Hellenistic Jewish Context and New Testament 117 3 1.4 Understanding Ancient Body and Gender 120 1.5 Conclusion 121 2 Mapping Gender with Vitruvius' Architectural Body 123 2.1 Vitruvius: The Art of Bodybuilding 124 2.2 Body Talk: Demetrius, On Style 138 2.3 Show Body: Early Imperial Imagery 140 2.4 Trans Body: Statius' Achilleid 146 2.5 Conclusion 147 3 The Hypaethral Body: The Preface (Luke 1:1–4) 149 3.1 Levels of Narration 150 3.2 "The Events that Have Come to Fulfilment among Us" 152 3.3 The Eyewitnesses 153 3.4 The Reader Invited to Understand 154 3.5 Conclusion 155 4 Zachariah on the Gender Map (Luke 1:5–23; 57–80) 157 4.1 Welcome to Septuagint Country 157 4.2 An Ambiguous Position 159 4.3 Like a Mute Person on the Stage 163 4.4 Conclusion 167 5 Elisabeth and Mary (Luke 1:26–56) 168 5.1 From the Daughters of Aaron 168 5.2 What Mary Knew 170 5.3 The Blessings 171 5.4 Conclusion 173 6 "Let Us See the Word that Happened": The Shepherds (Luke 2:1–20) 175 6.1 The Emperor's Dogma 175 6.2 The (Good) Shepherds 177 6.3 Conclusion 178 7 Sublime Vision and Double Trouble: Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:21–38) 180 7.1 Sublime Vision: Simeon 181 7.2 Double Trouble: Anna 182 7.3 Conclusion 186 8 "The [Things] of My Father": The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:40–52) 187 8.1 The Ambiguity of Being Overwhelmed 187 8.2 The [Things] of My Father 190 8.3 The Body Inclusive 192 8.4 Conclusion 195 9 Conclusion: All You Need Is Understanding 196 Chapter 3 – Autobiographical Criticism: Three Readerly Exercises in Luke 1–2 199 1 Autobiographical (Biblical) Criticism 201 1.1 Autobiographical Criticism: A Survey 203 1.2 Autobiography in Biblical Criticism: A Survey 205 1.3 A Definition of Autobiographical Biblical Criticism 209 2 First Readerly Exercise: Explaining Zachariah the Priest 214 2.2 Where Does the Priest Come From? 214 2.3 Conclusion 218 4 3 Second Readerly Exercise: Finding Jesus 219 3.1 Old and Painful Memories 219 3.2 Rereading Luke: The Language of Loss 223 3.3 "Soll ich dich so bald verlieren?" 226 3.4 Conclusion 227 4 Third Readerly Exercise: Seeking Transformation 229 4.1 Reading as Transformative Self-Understanding 229 4.2 Enlarging Self-Understanding 230 4.2.1 Excursus on an Eleven-Year-Old Girl 231 4.2.2 "Hey, a Man!" 233 4.2.3 "A Cold Commanding Eye": The Gaze of Gender 235 4.3 Conclusion 238 5 Conclusion 240 Conclusions 241 1 Author 241 2 Text 242 3 Reader 245 Appendix – "And Elisabeth said"—Luke 1:46 247 Works Cited 252 Summary (Dutch) 282 About the author 285 5 6 Acknowledgements This thesis has been written as a part-time freelance work, next to my regular job as a high- school teacher in classical languages and cultures and next to my other vocation, the regular service as a minister in the church. Research, education, and spirituality have continued to be a passionate force in my life over the years. Without the love of Anja, lifelong beloved, and of our children Laurens and Heleen this work would not have been written, as I would have missed the sense of an "I." It is for this reason, that I gladly deviate from the time honoured academic custom to thank your beloved ones by the end of your foreword. Without such love this work would not have been written in the first place. Among those who have stimulated my work, I would like to thank in the first place with deep-felt gratitude Athalya Brenner. At a time when, due to the customary regulations, I did not have the opportunity to continue academic work on an affiliated basis, she managed to keep me on board and encouraged me to continue, resulting in two essays in The Feminist Companion to the Bible series. Although many more years in the desert were to come, these two essays have always remained the basis for further research. The present thesis reverts to these essays in many ways, while at the same time elaborating and extending on it significantly. In some instances, such as the Magnificat of Elisabeth, I closely refer to the arguments given in the Companion essays. A very special word of thanks and friendship is due to the Groningen Crasis group and the Ancient World Seminar. During our monthly meetings we discussed many issues on the intersection of classical languages, archaeology, ancient philosophy, and Judaic and New Testament studies. It is truly stimulating and motivating to have such meetings on a regular basis when you are working on a non-affiliated basis. Especially the discussions with Eelco Glas about Roman masculinities were helpful and inspiring. Caroline van Toor knew how to keep me in good spirits, with just a couple of words. I would also like to thank the participants in the Amsterdam New Testament Colloquium. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to regularly present the progress of my research in this learned company. Among the participants of the Amsterdam NT Colloquium, I would like to commemorate the late Tjitze Baarda. Professor Baarda was one of those senior scholars I really estimated because of his awesome knowledge and thorough insight, combined with an exemplary and generous kindness. When I read my chapter on autobiographical criticism to the Colloquium, being somewhat uncertain how such a personal work would be received, professor Baarda responded with the unforgettable words, "I was born too early," as he was thrilled by the many 7 new approaches in the field. Immediately afterwards he sent me an email containing some of his own childhood memories that had motivated his eminent New Testament studies. It was a moving letter, but I understood the real meaning only some time afterwards, when he explained that in one of his first scholarly works he had put some of his personal experiences which proved too early; he never tried again. His experiences and kind words stimulated me to dare and to be adventurous. It is to the memory of this very kind and learned man that I dedicate this work. I would also like to thank the participants of the Groningen Colloquium for New Testament and Early Judaic Studies Chronisantes. I have benefitted from their critical remarks and suggestions. I would like to thank especially Annette Merz, who, through her cheerful encouragement, aided me to gain in confidence. The participants of the Internationaler Arbeitskreis Altkatholizismus-Forschung, a yearly gathering in Bonn, helped me dare to inscribe my Old Catholic youth in my research. Especially the third chapter of this work, on autobiographical biblical criticism, bears the traces of these meetings.