Nicht lieferbar
It is scarcely
necessary to apologise for a discussion of St. Paul’s relation to the
Mystery-Religions of his Hellenistic environment. One of the most noteworthy
features in the trend of contemporary scholarship is the interest manifested by
philological experts in the phenomena of that extraordinary religious
syncretism which prevailed in the Græco-Roman world between 300 b.c. and 300 a.d. Their learned and instructive investigations touch nascent
Christianity at numerous points, and raise many fascinating questions. Obscure
places in early Christian literature are being illuminated, and the New
Testament itself has much to gain from the historical reconstruction of the
habits of thought and beliefs in the midst of which it came into being. The
natural tendency, however, of explorers in remote fields is to over-estimate
the significance of their discoveries. This temptation, I believe, has not been
escaped by the pioneer workers in the province of Hellenistic religion. And
their readiness to look in that direction for the source of various important
Christian conceptions has been encouraged by the ardour of those theologians
who find in the comparison of religions the main clue to the interpretation of
Christianity.
As a matter of
fact, the chief defect in the process is the failure to be sufficiently
rigorous in the application of the historical method. The more immediate
background of the Christian faith is apt to be strangely neglected. It will
appear again and again in the course of the present investigation that the Old
Testament supplies a perfectly adequate explanation of ideas and usages in the
Epistles of Paul which it is the fashion to associate with Hellenistic
influence. Perhaps Deissmann may be charged with over-statement when he
declares that “if we are to understand the complete Paul from the view-point of
the history of religion, we must grasp the spirit of the Septuagint” (Paulus, p. 70). But one has no doubt
whatever that this assertion sets in bold relief an aspect of the situation
which is too frequently ignored.
To dismiss the
view that the Christianity of Paul is a syncretistic religion is not, however,
to close one’s eyes to the light which may be shed from many quarters on the
conditions in which he accomplished his work as a missionary. And if we are to
do full justice to his own famous statement, “I have become all things to all
men that at all events I might save some,” we must recognise his willingness to
put himself en rapport with the
men and women whom he sought to win for Christ. Hence it is of real value to
understand something of the religious atmosphere in which his converts had
lived as Pagans, if we are to grasp the more delicate implications both of his
thought and language in those Letters which answered their questions and dealt
with their spiritual dangers.
H. A. A. Kennedy.
New College, Edinburgh,
July 5th, 1913.
CrossReach Publications
necessary to apologise for a discussion of St. Paul’s relation to the
Mystery-Religions of his Hellenistic environment. One of the most noteworthy
features in the trend of contemporary scholarship is the interest manifested by
philological experts in the phenomena of that extraordinary religious
syncretism which prevailed in the Græco-Roman world between 300 b.c. and 300 a.d. Their learned and instructive investigations touch nascent
Christianity at numerous points, and raise many fascinating questions. Obscure
places in early Christian literature are being illuminated, and the New
Testament itself has much to gain from the historical reconstruction of the
habits of thought and beliefs in the midst of which it came into being. The
natural tendency, however, of explorers in remote fields is to over-estimate
the significance of their discoveries. This temptation, I believe, has not been
escaped by the pioneer workers in the province of Hellenistic religion. And
their readiness to look in that direction for the source of various important
Christian conceptions has been encouraged by the ardour of those theologians
who find in the comparison of religions the main clue to the interpretation of
Christianity.
As a matter of
fact, the chief defect in the process is the failure to be sufficiently
rigorous in the application of the historical method. The more immediate
background of the Christian faith is apt to be strangely neglected. It will
appear again and again in the course of the present investigation that the Old
Testament supplies a perfectly adequate explanation of ideas and usages in the
Epistles of Paul which it is the fashion to associate with Hellenistic
influence. Perhaps Deissmann may be charged with over-statement when he
declares that “if we are to understand the complete Paul from the view-point of
the history of religion, we must grasp the spirit of the Septuagint” (Paulus, p. 70). But one has no doubt
whatever that this assertion sets in bold relief an aspect of the situation
which is too frequently ignored.
To dismiss the
view that the Christianity of Paul is a syncretistic religion is not, however,
to close one’s eyes to the light which may be shed from many quarters on the
conditions in which he accomplished his work as a missionary. And if we are to
do full justice to his own famous statement, “I have become all things to all
men that at all events I might save some,” we must recognise his willingness to
put himself en rapport with the
men and women whom he sought to win for Christ. Hence it is of real value to
understand something of the religious atmosphere in which his converts had
lived as Pagans, if we are to grasp the more delicate implications both of his
thought and language in those Letters which answered their questions and dealt
with their spiritual dangers.
H. A. A. Kennedy.
New College, Edinburgh,
July 5th, 1913.
CrossReach Publications
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