Throughout history, the human belly has been regarded as both a source of shame and pride. Modern cultures, particularly in the West, have developed means to cultivate this part of the body through corsets, exercises, and revealing fashions. Does St. Paul address a culture in which the stomach ranks high? This study aims to answer the question and the results may be surprising.
Author(s): Karl Olav Sandnes
Edition: 1
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 332
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
CONTENTS......Page 9
PREFACE......Page 13
ABBREVIATIONS......Page 15
PART 1 Prolegomena......Page 17
1.0 Introduction......Page 20
1.1 Bible translations......Page 21
Observance of Jewish dietary laws......Page 23
Comments......Page 24
Gluttony or greed......Page 25
Comments......Page 26
1.3 Methodological considerations......Page 27
1.4 Belly and body – the Pauline context of the study......Page 30
PART 2 The Graeco-Roman belly......Page 39
2.0 Introduction......Page 40
2.1 The stomach as a sign......Page 43
2.2 Summary......Page 50
3.0 Introduction......Page 51
3.1 Euripides (born probably in the 480s BC)......Page 53
3.2 Plato (c. 429–347 BC)......Page 55
3.3 Xenophon (born around 430 BC)......Page 58
3.4 Aristotle (384–322 BC)......Page 61
3.5 Dio Chrysostom (AD c. 40/50–110)......Page 62
3.6 Musonius Rufus (AD 30 – AD 101/102)......Page 63
3.7 Epictetus (mid first century to second century AD)......Page 65
3.8 Plutarch (AD c. 50 – c. 120)......Page 68
3.9 Athenaeus (flourished c. AD 200)......Page 70
3.10 Summary......Page 73
4.0 Epicurus – the popularity and reputation of a doctrine......Page 77
The proverbial figure of Sardanapalus......Page 81
4.2 Seneca......Page 87
4.3 Plutarch......Page 90
4.4 Summary......Page 93
5.0 Introduction......Page 95
5.1 Parties for pleasure......Page 96
5.2 Seneca – the moral philosopher......Page 99
5.3 Horace and Juvenal – two Roman satirists......Page 102
5.4 Athenaeus and Alciphron......Page 105
5.5 Summary......Page 108
PART 3 The appropriated belly......Page 111
6.2 T. Rub. 2:1–3:8......Page 113
6.3 3 Macc. 7:10–11......Page 114
6.4 4 Maccabees......Page 117
6.5 Aristeas to Philocrates 140–1......Page 120
6.6 T. Mos. 7:2–4......Page 121
6.7 Cairo Geniza Wisdom......Page 122
7.0 Introduction......Page 124
7.1 Anthropology......Page 125
7.2 The ‘geography’ of the belly......Page 128
7.3 The serpent crawling on its belly......Page 129
7.4 Esau selling his birthright for the sake of his belly......Page 133
7.5 Joseph and the servants of Pharaoh......Page 137
7.6 Jewish customs as means of controlling the stomach......Page 139
7.7 Fasts and Sabbaths......Page 142
7.8 Food laws......Page 144
7.9 Conversion – the safest way to rule the belly......Page 146
7.10 Summary......Page 147
PART 4 Belly-worship and body according to Paul......Page 149
8.0 Introduction......Page 152
8.1 ‘Stand firm’ and the rhetoric of examples......Page 154
8.2 ‘Whose god is the belly’......Page 157
Self-loving citizens......Page 165
Shameful living......Page 169
8.3 Opponents?......Page 171
8.4 Belly-worship and body in Philippians......Page 175
8.5 Summary......Page 178
9.1 Warning against deceivers......Page 181
9.2 Worshipping the belly – Gen. 3:15, Satan and flattery......Page 185
9.3 Why call the adversaries belly-worshippers?......Page 188
9.4 ‘Serving the belly’ and body in Romans......Page 191
9.5 Summary......Page 195
10.1 1 Cor. 15:32: Epicurean lifestyle versus faith in resurrection......Page 197
10.2 1 Cor. 11:17–34: the Lord’s Supper or stuffing one’s own stomach?......Page 203
10.3 1 Cor. 6:12–20: the Christian faith has implications for stomach and sex......Page 207
Introduction......Page 215
Line of thought......Page 216
Paul’s argument in 1 Cor. 10:1–22......Page 217
Reading 1 Cor. 10:1–13 in the light of its subtext......Page 219
Sex as well?......Page 226
10.5 Belly and body in 1 Corinthians......Page 228
10.6 Summary......Page 231
PART 5 The earliest expositors of Paul......Page 233
11.1 Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215)......Page 235
11.2 Tertullian (c. 160–c. 225)......Page 239
11.3 Origen (c. 185–c. 254)......Page 242
11.4 Cyprian (d. 258)......Page 246
11.5 Novatian (d. 257–8)......Page 248
11.6 Methodius of Olympus (d. c. 311)......Page 250
11.7 Ambrosiaster (c. 300)......Page 251
11.8 Pelagius (late fourth and early fifth centuries)......Page 253
11.9 Jerome (c. 345–420)......Page 254
11.10 John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)......Page 260
11.11 Augustine of Hippo (354–430)......Page 268
11.14 Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350–428)......Page 272
11.15 Theodoret of Cyrrhus (c. 393–c. 460)......Page 274
11.17 Gennadius of Marseilles (fl. 470)......Page 275
11.18 Antiochus, the Patriarch of Antioch (d. 598)......Page 276
11.20 Summary......Page 277
PART 6 Conclusions......Page 279
12.1 Paul’s critique of belly-worship in an ancient setting......Page 281
12.2 Belly-worship and body in Paul’s letters......Page 285
Works of reference......Page 291
Sources......Page 292
Secondary literature......Page 294
INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS......Page 308
INDEX OF GRAECO-ROMAN SOURCES......Page 311
The Old Testament......Page 319
Old Testament Apocrypha......Page 321
Other Jewish Writings......Page 322
The New Testament......Page 327
Early Christian writings......Page 331
