- Early Christianity, History of Ideas, Masculinity, Male Circumcision, Marriage (History), History of Slavery, and 20 moreEarly Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Roman History, New Testament, Ancient Philosophy, Ancient Religion, History of Christianity, History of Sexuality, New Testament and Christian Origins, Cosmopolitanism, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, History of Reception of Biblical Texts, The Synoptic Gospels, Parting of the Ways, Ethnicity In Antiquity, Conversion In Antiquity, Bible, History of Religions, Roman Religion, Masculinities, and Anders Runessonedit
In his discussion of Abraham’s circumcision (Rom 4:9–12), Paul uses the term ἀκροβυστία, or “foreskin,” six times, as a key part of his argument. Unfortunately, this term is something of a scholarly blind spot and is often taken as... more
In his discussion of Abraham’s circumcision (Rom 4:9–12), Paul uses the term ἀκροβυστία, or “foreskin,” six times, as a key part of his argument. Unfortunately, this term is something of a scholarly blind spot and is often taken as referring only to the absence of circumcision, or to a time before circumcision. However, given Paul’s usage of this term, as well as the metaphor of foreskin in the Hebrew Bible, ἀκροβυστία should be understood as a negative physical presence that marks those who do not belong to God’s people. Paul’s argument that Abraham was justified while ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ therefore specifically concerns gentiles, and does not make a point about πίστις or justification before circumcision. Moreover, awareness of the physical referent of the term shows that Paul describes Abraham’s circumcision as a sign that marks the foreskin. A consistent focus on the significance of ἀκροβυστία therefore offers an important correction to the common understanding of this crucial passage.
COVID-19 has stimulated reflections on crisis as a catalyst for interpretation in both the present and the past. This article reads Philippians as embedded in different forms of crisis, most specifically the negotiation of Paul’s own... more
COVID-19 has stimulated reflections on crisis as a catalyst for interpretation in both the present and the past. This article reads Philippians as embedded in different forms of crisis, most specifically the negotiation of Paul’s own context of crisis: his imprisonment. The bodily, social and spiritual dimensions of this liminal incarceration experience are here set out and the ways in which these influence the fulfilment of mission within the epistle are outlined.
Research Interests:
Recent political debates about migration and diversity have seen a return of the claim that Europe has an essentially Christian identity. Political parties that run on a platform of criticism towards migration and Islam assert that they... more
Recent political debates about migration and diversity have seen a return of the claim that Europe has an essentially Christian identity. Political parties that run on a platform of criticism towards migration and Islam assert that they are defending Europe’s Christian heritage and values. The role of the Bible in this political discourse has so far received little attention. This article explores three cases, from the Netherlands, Norway, and Germany, where politicians make an argument against accepting migrants, by appealing to neighbourly love and the story of the Good Samaritan. Our interest here is not to see how 'correct' these interpretations are, but rather how meaning is produced from the Bible for a political position.
The article has been pre-published online and will appear in print later this year. For the full text please get in touch with me.
The article has been pre-published online and will appear in print later this year. For the full text please get in touch with me.
Research Interests:
The claim that Paul did not instruct women to be silent in 1 Corinthians 14 is widely supported today, but there is little awareness of how this idea entered New Testament scholarship.This article shows that the conjectural emendation on... more
The claim that Paul did not instruct women to be silent in 1 Corinthians 14 is widely supported today, but there is little awareness of how this idea entered New Testament scholarship.This article shows that the conjectural emendation on 1 Cor 14.33-35b in its original form attributes the instruction on women's silence to Jewish influence and bases his view on a reconstruction of early Christianity in which Paul and his Gentile message were opposed by Jewish adversaries. This anti-Jewish tendency unfortunately persisted in subsequent scholarship and has continued to characterise the understanding of this passage.
For a read-only version of the article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/new-testament-studies/article/womens-silence-and-jewish-influence-the-problematic-origins-of-the-conjectural-emendation-on-1-cor-1433b35/51F7E1E4937B857E3F6ABCC0B8BA9FFE/share/7e7293b0e080cd0794155fe8651ef7d012ae8c4c
For a read-only version of the article: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/new-testament-studies/article/womens-silence-and-jewish-influence-the-problematic-origins-of-the-conjectural-emendation-on-1-cor-1433b35/51F7E1E4937B857E3F6ABCC0B8BA9FFE/share/7e7293b0e080cd0794155fe8651ef7d012ae8c4c
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, History, Ancient History, Cultural History, and 15 moreGender Studies, Jewish Studies, Women's Studies, History of Religion, New Testament, Textual Criticism, Early Christianity, Biblical Studies, Gender, Biblical Theology, New Testament and Christian Origins, New Testament Textual Criticism, Religious Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and New Testament Studies
The 2012 verdict of the court in Cologne, Germany, maintains that circumcision limits religious freedom, since it 'runs contrary to the interests of the child in deciding his religious affiliation independently later in life'. This... more
The 2012 verdict of the court in Cologne, Germany, maintains that circumcision limits religious freedom, since it 'runs contrary to the interests of the child in deciding his religious affiliation independently later in life'. This article analyses the assumptions about religion and gender that underlie this claim, which was restated in various ways in subsequent discussions by legal scholars. By using inclusive terms that are not gender specific, the authors examined present circumcision as relating not specifically to men, but to human beings in general. A comparison with the gendered discourse on contested practices concerning women shows that this is a strategy that relies on men being presented as the norm and male bodies as less physically vulnerable and culturally contentious than women.
By limiting religion to the convictions and beliefs of the individual, the sources privilege an understanding of religion that, while purporting to be 'secular' and neutral, is in fact a Western, Protestant Christian construction. Moreover, this concept of religion has its roots in a rejection of circumcision and projects this rejection back onto contemporary circumcision practices.
By limiting religion to the convictions and beliefs of the individual, the sources privilege an understanding of religion that, while purporting to be 'secular' and neutral, is in fact a Western, Protestant Christian construction. Moreover, this concept of religion has its roots in a rejection of circumcision and projects this rejection back onto contemporary circumcision practices.
Research Interests:
This is the abstract, for access to the full article, see https://journals.co.za/content/journal/neotest_v50_n2
Research Interests: Christianity, History, Ancient History, Cultural History, History of Religion, and 23 moreNew Testament, History of Christianity, Ritual, Early Christianity, Male Circumcision, Biblical Studies, Jewish History, Pauline Literature, Ancient Religion, New Testament and Christian Origins, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, Ritual Theory, Judaism, Pauline Theology, Biblical Exegesis, Religious Studies, Galatians, New testament exegesis, New Testament Studies, Pauline studies, Pauline Epistles, Ritual Practices, and Pauline Letters
This is a 'Biblical Views' column in BAR which I unfortunately cannot make completely available. See https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/magazine/. For the book that the column is based on, see... more
This is a 'Biblical Views' column in BAR which I unfortunately cannot make completely available. See https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/magazine/. For the book that the column is based on, see https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/a-cosmopolitan-ideal-9780567656834/
Research Interests: Christianity, History, Ancient History, Philosophy, Jewish Studies, and 17 moreTheology, New Testament, History of Christianity, Early Christianity, History of Slavery, Biblical Studies, Cosmopolitanism, Jewish History, Pauline Literature, Ancient Religion, Biblical Theology, New Testament and Christian Origins, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, Bible, Pauline Theology, Biblical Exegesis, and Pauline Letters
Research Interests: Ancient History, New Testament, Masculinity Studies, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Early Christianity, and 18 moreMale Circumcision, Pauline Literature, Masculinity, Second Temple Judaism, Philo of Alexandria, Masculinities, Studies On Men And Masculinity, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, Judaism, Constructions of masculinity, Masculinity and Gender Studies, Hellenistic Judaism, Gender and sexuality in the ancient world, Ancient Judaism, Early Judaism, Circumcision, History of Judaism In Antiquity, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
This paper is the opening contribution to the forum on The Immanent Frame on the topic of crossing and conversion, see https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/04/23/not-in-the-body/. It traces the Christian roots of the concept of religion that is... more
This paper is the opening contribution to the forum on The Immanent Frame on the topic of crossing and conversion, see https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/04/23/not-in-the-body/.
It traces the Christian roots of the concept of religion that is used in the current debate about male circumcision. To arrive at the Christian idea of religion defined as belief, circumcision historically has been 'good to think with' and was a subject of debate from the earliest beginnings of Christianity. In this Christian view, both religion and circumcision should be in the heart, or the mind, not in the body. These origins make an application of this concept of religion to determine the legitimacy of circumcision today highly problematic.
It traces the Christian roots of the concept of religion that is used in the current debate about male circumcision. To arrive at the Christian idea of religion defined as belief, circumcision historically has been 'good to think with' and was a subject of debate from the earliest beginnings of Christianity. In this Christian view, both religion and circumcision should be in the heart, or the mind, not in the body. These origins make an application of this concept of religion to determine the legitimacy of circumcision today highly problematic.
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, History, Cultural History, Philosophy Of Religion, and 16 moreJewish Studies, Early Modern History, History of Religion, New Testament, History of Christianity, Religion and Politics, Early Christianity, Male Circumcision, Philosophy Of Law, History of Religions, Protestantism, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, Bible, Pauline Theology, Religious Studies, and History of Law
The Religion Factor asked scholars of law, religion, and ethics to comment on the proposed ban on circumcision debated in Iceland’s parliament. See... more
The Religion Factor asked scholars of law, religion, and ethics to comment on the proposed ban on circumcision debated in Iceland’s parliament. See https://religionfactor.net/2018/03/29/circumscribing-the-body-politic-circumcision-religious-freedom-and-identity-in-europe/
Research Interests:
A walk through Oslo's Vigeland sculpture park offers food for thought about bodies and the impact of the Reformation.
Blogpost for UiO's Reformation Blog
Blogpost for UiO's Reformation Blog
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Christianity, New Testament, History of Christianity, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Early Christianity, and 9 morePauline Literature, Second Temple Judaism, New Testament and Christian Origins, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, New Testament Theology, New Perspective on Paul, Early Judaism, History of Judaism In Antiquity, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
Research Interests:
THE MEANING OF THE PAST IN THE CONTEMPORARY DEBATE ON CIRCUMCISION OF BOYS: ‘SOCIAL IMAGINARIES’ AND THE CASE OF PAUL This article explores perceptions of the past, and in particular of the apostle Paul, in recent newspaper articles that... more
THE MEANING OF THE PAST IN THE CONTEMPORARY DEBATE ON CIRCUMCISION OF BOYS: ‘SOCIAL IMAGINARIES’ AND THE CASE OF PAUL
This article explores perceptions of the past, and in particular of the apostle Paul, in recent newspaper articles that discuss male circumcision, using Charles Taylor’s category of the ‘social imaginary’. Applying Taylor’s category of the ‘imaginary’ to
this contemporary debate shows that the past is constructed in several ways, sometimes in understanding history as progress, but also as a warning or a deciding factor in contemporary oppositions. Views of the past that mention Paul locate his relevance for contemporary attitudes in his presumed rejection of physical circumcision and emphasis on inner attitudes, but can draw very different conclusions from this for contemporary
attitudes towards circumcision.
This article explores perceptions of the past, and in particular of the apostle Paul, in recent newspaper articles that discuss male circumcision, using Charles Taylor’s category of the ‘social imaginary’. Applying Taylor’s category of the ‘imaginary’ to
this contemporary debate shows that the past is constructed in several ways, sometimes in understanding history as progress, but also as a warning or a deciding factor in contemporary oppositions. Views of the past that mention Paul locate his relevance for contemporary attitudes in his presumed rejection of physical circumcision and emphasis on inner attitudes, but can draw very different conclusions from this for contemporary
attitudes towards circumcision.
Research Interests:
bijdrage aan discussie over 'de comeback van Paulus' voor de website Liberaal christendom
https://liberaalchristendom.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/de-joodse-en-de-christelijke-paulus/
https://liberaalchristendom.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/de-joodse-en-de-christelijke-paulus/
Research Interests:
Abstract for paper to be presented at the SBL Annual Meeting, Atlanta 2015 This paper addresses the origins of what is arguably the most successful New Testament conjectural emendation: the idea that the command to women to be silent (1... more
Abstract for paper to be presented at the SBL Annual Meeting, Atlanta 2015
This paper addresses the origins of what is arguably the most successful New Testament conjectural emendation: the idea that the command to women to be silent (1 Cor. 14:33b-35) is a later addition to the original text. This emendation was first put forward not in the context of debates about women in the ministry, where it later came to play an important role, but as part of a rejection of the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.
This paper addresses the origins of what is arguably the most successful New Testament conjectural emendation: the idea that the command to women to be silent (1 Cor. 14:33b-35) is a later addition to the original text. This emendation was first put forward not in the context of debates about women in the ministry, where it later came to play an important role, but as part of a rejection of the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.
Research Interests: Christianity, Theology, New Testament, History of Christianity, Textual Criticism, and 8 moreEarly Christianity, Pauline Literature, Theology and Culture, New Testament and Christian Origins, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, 19th Century (History), Pauline Theology, and New Testament Textual Criticism
Research Interests: Ancient History, Hebrew Bible, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Early Christianity, Male Circumcision, and 11 moreBiblical Studies, Old Testament, Second Temple Judaism, Judaism, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East, Biblical Hebrew (Languages And Linguistics), Hellenistic Judaism, Early Judaism, Circumcision, Septuagint, LXX, and Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Bodies of Communication: Physical Practices and Religious Texts This workshop will foster conversations on the body as a site of religious expression. As the study of religion moves away from religious doctrines and institutions towards... more
Bodies of Communication: Physical Practices and Religious Texts
This workshop will foster conversations on the body as a site of religious expression. As the study of religion moves away from religious doctrines and institutions towards an increasing interest in the lived experience of religion, the human body takes up a more central place. In Biblical and related texts, issues in which the body is inevitable bound up, such as food and sexuality, birth and death, are never far away. While bodies are often policed in religious settings, they can also become the vehicle for communication with the divine.
Since the subject of the body lends itself well to interdisciplinary and inter-religious approaches, we particularly welcome research that is concerned with practices that occur in multiple religious traditions, such as circumcision. We are open to a range of theoretical or methodological approaches, including, but not limited to, gender studies, biblical studies, cultural studies and ritual studies, and invite papers discussing all facets of bodily religion, including ritual, clothing, body modifications, and gender.
Peter-Ben Smit (VU University Amsterdam, Utrecht University/Old Catholic Seminary)
p.b.a.smit@vu.nl
Karin Neutel (University of Groningen, VU University Amsterdam)
k.b.neutel@vu.nl
This workshop will foster conversations on the body as a site of religious expression. As the study of religion moves away from religious doctrines and institutions towards an increasing interest in the lived experience of religion, the human body takes up a more central place. In Biblical and related texts, issues in which the body is inevitable bound up, such as food and sexuality, birth and death, are never far away. While bodies are often policed in religious settings, they can also become the vehicle for communication with the divine.
Since the subject of the body lends itself well to interdisciplinary and inter-religious approaches, we particularly welcome research that is concerned with practices that occur in multiple religious traditions, such as circumcision. We are open to a range of theoretical or methodological approaches, including, but not limited to, gender studies, biblical studies, cultural studies and ritual studies, and invite papers discussing all facets of bodily religion, including ritual, clothing, body modifications, and gender.
Peter-Ben Smit (VU University Amsterdam, Utrecht University/Old Catholic Seminary)
p.b.a.smit@vu.nl
Karin Neutel (University of Groningen, VU University Amsterdam)
k.b.neutel@vu.nl
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
NTT Journal of Theology and the Study of Religion 71/4 (2017), 372-373, review of Karen Armstrong's St Paul: The Misunderstood Apostle (London: Atlantic Books, 2015)
Research Interests: Christianity, New Testament, History of Christianity, Early Christianity, Biblical Studies, and 10 morePauline Literature, New Testament and Christian Origins, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, Bible, Pauline Theology, New Testament Theology, New testament exegesis, New Testament Studies, Pauline studies, and Pauline Letters
We welcome papers on the 2018 topic of pleasure and pain in biblical and related texts, as well as in later reception of these texts
deadline February 14, 2018
deadline February 14, 2018
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, New Testament, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament Theology, and 17 moreEarly Christianity, Old Testament, Second Temple Judaism, Christology, New Testament and Christian Origins, Bible, Judaism, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East, Hellenistic Judaism, Ancient Judaism, New testament exegesis, Early Judaism, New Testament Studies, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, RELGION, History of Judaism In Antiquity, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
Erfurt, Kleine Synagoge, 7.30 January 23, 2017 Male Circumcision and the Concept of Religion Daniel Boyarin and Karin Neutel in conversation about bodies, birth, and beliefs In recent years, male circumcision has once again become a... more
Erfurt, Kleine Synagoge, 7.30 January 23, 2017
Male Circumcision and the Concept of Religion
Daniel Boyarin and Karin Neutel in conversation about bodies, birth, and beliefs
In recent years, male circumcision has once again become a controversial practice in Europe. Changing views about the integrity of the body, the rights of children, and particularly about the role of religion in contemporary society, have contributed to a debate in which the legitimacy of circumcision is questioned.
To shed light on this often hostile debate, two scholars of religion will examine the conflicting assumptions that underlie it. What are the concepts of religion and identity that inform the various opinions on circumcision, and how do these relate to male bodies? Daniel Boyarin and Karin Neutel will explore these questions in conversation with each other, and with the audience.
See https://aktuell.uni-erfurt.de/2016/12/28/gelebter-interdisziplinaerer-dialog-dr-karin-neutel-und-prof-dr-daniel-boyarin-ueber-fragen-der-beschneidung-von-maennern/
Male Circumcision and the Concept of Religion
Daniel Boyarin and Karin Neutel in conversation about bodies, birth, and beliefs
In recent years, male circumcision has once again become a controversial practice in Europe. Changing views about the integrity of the body, the rights of children, and particularly about the role of religion in contemporary society, have contributed to a debate in which the legitimacy of circumcision is questioned.
To shed light on this often hostile debate, two scholars of religion will examine the conflicting assumptions that underlie it. What are the concepts of religion and identity that inform the various opinions on circumcision, and how do these relate to male bodies? Daniel Boyarin and Karin Neutel will explore these questions in conversation with each other, and with the audience.
See https://aktuell.uni-erfurt.de/2016/12/28/gelebter-interdisziplinaerer-dialog-dr-karin-neutel-und-prof-dr-daniel-boyarin-ueber-fragen-der-beschneidung-von-maennern/
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: New Testament, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Early Christianity, Male Circumcision, Biblical Studies, and 8 morePauline Literature, Second Temple Judaism, Septuagint, Apostle Paul and the Pauline Letters, History of Medicine and the Body, Circumcision, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, and History of Reception of Biblical Texts
EABS/ISBL Annual Meeting – Berlin, Germany, August 7-11 2017 ‘Bodies of Communication’ is a research unit fostering conversations on the body as a location of religious expression. The 2017 session will have the theme 'The physical... more
EABS/ISBL Annual Meeting – Berlin, Germany, August 7-11 2017
‘Bodies of Communication’ is a research unit fostering conversations on the body as a location of religious expression. The 2017 session will have the theme 'The physical dimensions of ritual', focusing on the many ways in which bodies are involved in ritual practices. The body is always more than ‘just’ a body: it is inscribed with meaning. One of the ways in which bodies become meaningful is through ritual. For ritual, in turn, the body is essential. This observation poses a challenge to biblical scholars: is the physical dimension of ritual life in ancient Israel, early Judaism and early Christianity taken into account sufficiently? Or are the texts that emerge from, and address, ritual settings seen mainly as noetic, disembodied reflections on supposed meanings of ritual, rather than as part of ritual practices themselves? This session invites contributions that consider the bodily nature of ritual in relation to biblical texts. It is open to multi-disciplinary approaches and encourages connecting ancient sources to contemporary concerns.
We welcome papers on the 2017 topic of ‘The physical dimensions of ritual’, both in relation to biblical and related texts, as well as to the reception of these texts.
‘Bodies of Communication’ is a research unit fostering conversations on the body as a location of religious expression. The 2017 session will have the theme 'The physical dimensions of ritual', focusing on the many ways in which bodies are involved in ritual practices. The body is always more than ‘just’ a body: it is inscribed with meaning. One of the ways in which bodies become meaningful is through ritual. For ritual, in turn, the body is essential. This observation poses a challenge to biblical scholars: is the physical dimension of ritual life in ancient Israel, early Judaism and early Christianity taken into account sufficiently? Or are the texts that emerge from, and address, ritual settings seen mainly as noetic, disembodied reflections on supposed meanings of ritual, rather than as part of ritual practices themselves? This session invites contributions that consider the bodily nature of ritual in relation to biblical texts. It is open to multi-disciplinary approaches and encourages connecting ancient sources to contemporary concerns.
We welcome papers on the 2017 topic of ‘The physical dimensions of ritual’, both in relation to biblical and related texts, as well as to the reception of these texts.
Research Interests: New Testament, Ritual, Bodies and Culture, Biblical Studies, Second Temple Judaism, and 12 moreBiblical Theology, History of Biblical Interpretation, New Testament and Christian Origins, Biblical Interpretation, Judaism, Hellenistic Judaism, Biblical Exegesis, Ritual Studies, Ancient Judaism, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, History of Reception of Biblical Texts, and History of Judaism In Antiquity
What did Paul mean when he declared that there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor male and female' (Galatians 3:28)? While many modern readers understand these words as a statement about human equality, this study... more
What did Paul mean when he declared that there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor male and female' (Galatians 3:28)? While many modern readers understand these words as a statement about human equality, this study shows that it in fact reflects ancient ideas about an ideal or utopian community. With this declaration, Paul contributed to the cultural conversation of his time about such a community.
The three pairs that Paul brings together in this formula all played a role in first-century conceptions of what an ideal world would look like. Such conceptions were influenced by cosmopolitanism; the philosophical idea prevalent at the time, that all people were fundamentally connected and could all live in a unified society. Understanding Paul's thought in the context of these contemporary ideals helps to clarify his attitude towards each of the three pairs in his letters. Like other ancient utopian thinkers, Paul imagined the ideal community to be based on mutual dependence and egalitarian relationships.
- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/a-cosmopolitan-ideal-9780567656834/#sthash.XD5v15Hp.dpuf
The three pairs that Paul brings together in this formula all played a role in first-century conceptions of what an ideal world would look like. Such conceptions were influenced by cosmopolitanism; the philosophical idea prevalent at the time, that all people were fundamentally connected and could all live in a unified society. Understanding Paul's thought in the context of these contemporary ideals helps to clarify his attitude towards each of the three pairs in his letters. Like other ancient utopian thinkers, Paul imagined the ideal community to be based on mutual dependence and egalitarian relationships.
- See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/a-cosmopolitan-ideal-9780567656834/#sthash.XD5v15Hp.dpuf