Foreign but Familiar Gods Greco-Romans Read Religion in Acts

by Kauppi, lynn allan

• ISBN13: 9780567080974
• ISBN10: 0567080978
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-24
• Publisher: Bloomsbury T & T Clark

Summary

Where and why does Luke include references in Acts to Graeco-Roman gods and religious practices? How do these explicit and implicit mentions relate to other literature, inscriptions and artifacts from the same period? Through a close and informative reading of seven key texts in Acts, Kauppi analyses the appearances of Graeco-Roman religion, offering evidence of practices including divination and oracles, ruler cult and civic foundation myth.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	viii
Abbreviations	ix
Preface	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION	1	(18)
Review of Research	2	(3)
The Approach of This Investigation	5	(14)
Methods and Assumptions	6	(6)
Passages and Religions Studied	12	(2)
Assumptions and Definitions	14	(1)
'Greco-Romans' and 'Greco-Roman Religion' as Used in this Study	15	(4)
Chapter 2 ACTS 1.15-26; 16.16-18 AND GRECO-ROMAN ORACLES	19	(23)
Kleromancy in Acts 1.15-26	19	(8)
πληρomicronω, πρomicronλepsilonγω, and &lamda;αγχανω	20	(1)
Kleromancy in the Greco-Roman World	21	(4)
Acts 1.15-26 in Light of Greco-Roman Kleromantic Oracles	25	(2)
The Πνepsilonupsilonμα Πupsilonthetaων	27	(11)
Acts 16.16-18 as an 'Exorcism'	27	(2)
Πupsilonθωνepsilonfinalsigma	29	(2)
A Delphic Allusion?	31	(2)
Why Does Paul Exorcise the Πupsilonepsilonμα Πupsilonthetaων?	33	(5)
Conclusions	38	(4)
Chapter 3 ACTS 12.20-23: RULER CULT	42	(22)
What is 'Ruler Cult?'	43	(2)
Ruler-Cult Ritual in Acts 20.23	45	(5)
The Designated Day: ταkappaτη ημepsilonρα	45	(1)
The Sacred Apparel: Agrippa's epsilonσthetaητη βασιλιkappaην	46	(2)
Agrippa's Acclamation as thhetaepsilonomicronfinalsigma	48	(2)
A Perceived Critique of Ruler Cult	50	(8)
Luke's Indictment of the Emperor Cult	51	(1)
Distinctions Between the Emperor Cult and the
Christian Community	52	(3)
Textual Connections: Acts 12.20-23, Rituals, and Lukan Christology	55	(3)
Conclusions	58	(2)
Excursus: Agrippa's thetaepsilonomicronupsilon φωνη	60	(4)
Chapter 4 ACTS 14.8-18: PROCESSIONS AND SACRIFICES	64	(19)
Greco-Roman Sacrifice	65	(6)
The Reasons for Animal Sacrifice	67	(1)
Greco-Roman Sacrificial Ritual	68	(3)
Greco-Roman Sacrificial Ritual in Acts 14.8-18	71	(7)
omicron ιepsilonρepsilonupsilons: The Priest at Lystra	71	(2)
omicron ταupsilonρomicronfinalsigma: The Sacrificial Victim	73	(1)
τα &sigmaτepsilonμματα: Ritual Ornaments	74	(1)
η πomicronμπη: The Procession	75	(1)
Ritual Frequency	76	(2)
Greco-Romans Read Reversals	78	(3)
Conclusions	81	(2)
Chapter 5 ACTS 17.16-34 AND AESCHYLUS' EUMENIDES	83	(11)
Allusions to Aeschylus	84	(1)
Aeschylus' Eumenides	84	(1)
Methodology	84	(1)
The Parallels	85	(6)
Ανστασιfinalsigma	85	(2)
The Areopagus, Social Order and the Innocence of Orestes and Paul	87	(2)
The Introduction of New Gods	89	(2)
Accessibility and Analogy: Would Luke's Greco-Roman Audience Have Been Familiar with Aeschylus?	91	(1)
Conclusions	92	(2)
Chapter 6 ACTS 19.23-41: VOTIVE OFFERINGS AND ΔIotaOmicronΠEpsilonΤΗΣ OBJECTS	94	(13)
ναomicronι αργupsilonρomicronι: The Silver Shrines	94	(7)
Votive offerings	95	(3)
The Silver Shrines	98	(2)
A Greco-Roman Audience and the Votive Offerings in
Acts 19.23-41	100	(1)
Διomicronπepsilonηs : The Object Fallen from the Realm of the Gods	101	(4)
Διomicronπepsilonηfinalsigma Objects in the Ancient World	101	(2)
Luke's Use of the Διomicronπepsilonηfinalsigma	103	(2)
Conclusions	105	(2)
Chapter 7 ACTS 28.1-11: EpsilonΧIotaΔΝΑ, ΔIotaKappaΗ, AND THE ΔIotaOmicronΣKappaOmicronUpsilonRhoOmicronIota	107	(11)
Snakes in Greek Myth and Religion	107	(5)
Snakes and Justice	108	(2)
The Parallel in Luke	110	(1)
Διkappaη Justice Personified	110	(2)
The Dioskuroi	112	(2)
A Greco-Roman Audience, Snakes, Justice, and the Dioskuroi	114	(4)
Chapter 8 CONCLUSIONS	118	(11)
Summary	118	(8)
Previously Unexplored Issues	118	(1)
Allusions to Greco-Roman Religion in Acts	119	(1)
Implications for Understanding Lukan Theology	119	(7)
Areas for Further Research	126	(1)
Closing Remarks	127	(2)
Bibliography	129	(25)
Index of References	154	(7)
Index of Authors	161