Halvor Moxnes

Honor and Shame

After establishing a definition of the honor and shame conceptual framework, this study goes on to examine the sense in which that framework can be said to characterize Mediterranean culture (past and present). The frameworks relevance to biblical studies is clarified, and the specifically gender and sex-related aspects are explored. Then the frameworks prominent place in (1) Hellenistic, and (2) Roman civilization is discussed, before—finally—conclusions are drawn with regard to the relevance of the conceptual framework to the early Christian communities.

The Construction of Galilee as a Place for the Historical Jesus—Part II

In the Third Quest for the Historical Jesus, Galilee again came into the center of discussion, partly because of a general interest in local and regional studies, and partly because of the results of archaeological excavations. Many of the categories from the nineteenth century are still at work, e.g. nationalism (now identified with the state of Israel), but new perspectives from cultural studies and from economic and socio-political structures have gained importance. There are many areas of discussion, both in terms of traditional questions, like the degree of Hellenistic influence in Galilee, and new issues. Among the latter are methodological issues—e.g. concerning the interpretation of archaeological excavations and the use of social-science models in the reconstruction of ancient societies-and substantive issues of how to understand the relations between cities and peasant villages in Galilee. There are many challenges at the beginning of the twenty-first century, most pressing among them the need to see Galilee as part of the larger surrounding area and to study the role of Jesus in shaping the identity of Galilee in terms of resistance to existing power structures.

Asceticism and Christian Identity in Antiquity: A Dialogue with Foucault and Paul

Presentations of Christian identity in antiquity are often in line with modern Protestantism, in which renunciation and asceticism do not play an important role. In contrast, this article takes asceticism as its starting point, and introduces Foucault and his discussion of askesis as a point of departure. His focus on ethics as a way to constitute oneself as a moral subject challenges traditional presentations of ethics in the New Testament. The article attempts a reading of Paul’s argument in 1 Cor. 6.12-20 (why a Christian man should not have sex with prostitutes) inspired by Foucault. It is suggested that Paul is concerned with the formation of a Christian male identity, without interest for the situation of the women involved, but de-stabilizing the social identity of free Corinthian men.

The Social Context of Luke's Community

Apparently, the social situation in which Lukes community lived was that of an urban setting in the Eastern Mediterranean. This situation was shaped by the honor and patronage culture of the Hellenistic city. At the heart of the Lukan communitys ethos lay its common meals. The purpose of these meals was dual: On the one hand, they forged a common identity for a socially and ethnically diverse group of Christians; on the other hand, they functioned as a criticism of urban culture.

Complex Identities: Ethnicity, Gender and Religion in the Story of the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26–40)

Abstract The conversion story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26–40 illustrates the complex character of identity formation in antiquity. It is however suggested that the figure of the eunuch may be seen as a formative picture by Christians, who are not able to identify with a traditional, western, heterosexual understanding of Christianity

Does the History of the Canon Matter? Contextualizing the Debate over the Authority of the New Testament Canon

The Da Vinci Code created a great popular interest in the question of the history of the canon of the New Testament, arguing for a late date for the establishment of canon, with a suppression of apocryphal gospels. This position has become popular among many scholars, but has been met by protests from Protestant evangelical scholars. The positions on both sides appear to be constrained to a religious context; therefore an attempt is made to place the discussion in a broader context by comparing it to the discussion of the canon in American literature. In that discussion, the issue of the content of the canon could not be separated from the question of the interpretation of canonical literature. I argue in this article that also regarding the New Testament the canon has been challenged by the development of interpretations with focus on e.g. minorities, women and post-colonial situations. The conclusion is that how we read texts, both canonical and extra-canonical ones, is more important than how the canon came into being.

Domestic Space and Families in Early Christianity: Editors’ Introduction

‘Aquila and Prisca, together with the church that meets in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord’ (1 Cor. 16.19; NRSV). Passing references to the ‘house church’ found in Paul’s letters and elsewhere in the New Testament have long sparked the curiosity of students and scholars alike: What kind of housing did these early church members use for meetings? How did the obviously very close association between the life of the household and the life of the community affect practices and beliefs? Yet, until relatively recently, there have been few detailed and systematic attempts to answer these questions.1 The appearance in 1997 of two works specifically dealing with early Christian families, households and house churches (Osiek and Balch 1997; Moxnes 1997) marked the beginning of a wave of publications in this area (e.g. Nathan 2000; Van Henten and Brenner 2000; Balch and Osiek 2003). The hope is that a direct focus on ‘family matters’ will shed new light on such diverse topics as rituals, leadership, asceticism, social location, community growth, and the lives of women, children and slaves in early Christianity. The publication of the volumes by Moxnes, and Osiek and Balch in 1997

Social Science Perspectives in Early Christian Studies in a Nordic Context

This homage to Bruce Malina describes his visit to Norway in 1986, and reviews Nordic scholarship using social science criticism in New Testament and Early Christian studies in the last 40 years. Based on a common history and collaboration in academic politics, the Nordic countries make up a unity that has made it possible to establish Nordic studies in Early Christianity as a central player in international scholarship. Nordic scholars have especially been active in the second phase of social science criticism with its focus on social identities and ritual. Their most significant contribution has been in the exploration of socio-cognitive perspectives, where Helsinki University has had a leading role. A major discussion has been the relation between social-science criticism emphasizing the difference between antiquity and the modern world, and cognitive studies that focus on similarity. However, instead of absolute contrasts they may be regarded as supplementary approaches in historical studies of Early Christianity.

From canon to context: Reading Paul in a time of cultural complexity

This article traces the development of my own scholarly work on Paul from the individualism of “justification by faith” as the theological canon during my student period, to studies of Paul within his historical context and his efforts to unite Jews and non-Jews. The changes in my own studies took place within the larger shift in New Testament studies from a German, Protestant hegemony to an American, non-confessional scene. The historical-critical method was supplemented with other methods, illustrated here by studies of honour and shame societies. In conclusion, I outline how these changes have influenced my own teaching of Paul, as a contextual theologian.

The Beaten Body of Christ: Reading and Empowering Slave Bodies in 1Peter

The text is taken from 1Peter, a letter probably written to a group of Christians in Asia Minor in the latter part of the 1st century. The passage in 1Pet 2:18–25 is an admonition to slaves to obey their masters despite cruel treatment in the form of beatings of their bodies. In support of this demand the writer draws on a presentation of Christ who endured unjust suffering. The text is analysed with perspectives from Foucault and a feminist critique of him by Elizabeth Grosz that relate “knowledge, power and bodies”. On the surface the text appears to support the slave system, which renders slaves as “bodies without boundaries”, i.e., without power to protect their bodies. However, the slaves are compared to Christ and his beaten body, and this discourse of comparison may not only support their suffering, but also represent a creation of an “inner body” as a symbol of healing.