Jörg Frey

Jewish Identity in the Greco-Roman World

The book addresses critical issues of the formation and development of Jewish identity in the late Second Temple period. How could Jewish identity be defined? What about the status of women and the image of ‘others’? And what about its ongoing influence in early Christianity?

The development of the biblical canon in ancient Judaism and early Christianity

The development of the biblical canon in ancient Judaism and early Christianity . A brief account of the process of the development of both the Jewish and the bipartite Christian canon is given. It is argued that due to insights gained from recent textual discoveries, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran texts), earlier theories about the history of canonisation had to be reviewed. With the New Testament canon the authors focus on the influence of Marcion as well as the various other factors that played a role in the process of canonisation. It is shown that canonisation was the result of a complicated and variegated canonical process. But in spite of the problems of the criteria used and other factors involved, the biblical canon is theologically valuable and ‘well-chosen’.

The holy spirit, inspiration, and the cultures of antiquity : multidisciplinary perspectives

Early Christian claims to the Holy Spirit arose in a vibrant cultural matrix that included Stoicism, Jewish mysticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Greco-Roman medicine, and the perspectives of Plutarch. In a range of articles, this multidisciplinary volume discovers in these texts rich cultural connections related to inspiration and the Holy Spirit. It is essential reading for scholars of Judaism and the New Testament, as well as classicists and theologians.

Die Herausbildung des biblischen Kanons im antiken Judentum und im frühen Christentum

Abstract Starting with the observation that the canon of the Bible differs among the Christian denominations (Lutheran, Reformed, Roman Catholic), and that definitive decisions on the canon were not made before the 16th century, the author gives a brief account of the process of the development of both the Jewish and the bipartite Christian canon. Due to more recent textual discoveries, earlier views of the making of the Jewish or the Christian canon have undergone significant changes. For the Jewish canon, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran texts) provided the opportunity to study the making of the canon from manuscript evidence, and to alter the overall view from the pattern of a three stage canonization to the pattern of a “canonical process”, leading to the Hebrew canon and, later and in Christian circles, to the canon of the Septuagint. This pattern is also useful for studying the making of the bipartite Christian canon or the New Testament canon. Here, the author focuses on the challenge provided by Marcion’s “canon”, the early beginning of the canonical process and its late closure, and the various factors in the process, which can be studied by including the manuscript evidence and taking into account the character of several apocryphal texts and the context and intention of the various lists of canonical texts. The biblical canon as presupposed throughout the Middle Ages is the result of a complicated and variegated canonical process. But in spite of the problems of the criteria and factors involved, the biblical canon is theologically valuable and “well-chosen”.

Reflections on the Early Christian History of Religion - Erwägungen zur frühchristlichen Religionsgeschichte

Refering to Hengel/Schwemer, Hurtado and their view of Early Christianity, the Reflections on Early Christian History of Religion document a scholarly discussion of problems and possibilities of studying and presenting Christian religion in Roman Antiquity. Mit Bezug auf Hengel und Schwemer, Hurtado und deren Sicht auf das fruhe Christentum dokumentieren die Erwagungen zur fruhchristlichen Religionsgeschichte eine Fachdiskussion uber Probleme und Moglichkeiten der Erforschung und Darstellung christlicher Religion in der romischen Antike.

Index of Scriptural and Other Ancient Passages

Refering to Hengel/Schwemer, Hurtado and their view of Early Christianity, the Reflections on Early Christian History of Religion document a scholarly discussion of problems and possibilities of studying and presenting Christian religion in Roman Antiquity. Mit Bezug auf Hengel und Schwemer, Hurtado und deren Sicht auf das fruhe Christentum dokumentieren die Erwagungen zur fruhchristlichen Religionsgeschichte eine Fachdiskussion uber Probleme und Moglichkeiten der Erforschung und Darstellung christlicher Religion in der romischen Antike.