Theology in Context 1:

1. Theology in Context 1: Scripture or Tradition? Making Christian Identity

2. Today’s Session • Set up the context of weeks 7-12 ‘Theology in Context’ • Discuss how we know what Christian identity is • Explore the issue of the making of Christian identity • Read texts and discuss issues related to being a Christian in the early centuries CE • Discuss the role of the development of scripture and tradition in creating the Christian community

3. Contexts • All theology takes place in context: • Its definition (language, philosophy) • Its creation (culture, politics, society) • Its interpretation (theology, power) • Its continuation (external and internal pressures) • Many impulses on context: culture, politics, economics, philosophy, sociology, theology….

4. Some Contexts:

5. What does this mean? • What are theological statements/ doctrines: • Sui generis religious categories? • Culturally conditioned interpretations? • Beliefs prescribed by tradition? • Malleable beliefs open to fresh definition? • Is this a question we can/ should answer?

6. What is a Christian/ Christianity? • How do we know what is meant by the Christian Church? • How do we distinguish Christianity and Judaism? • How do we identify orthodox Christian belief?

7. The Earliest Christians • (Some) Contexts: • The Christian Development from Judaism • Christian apologetics in the Greco-Roman World • Christian self-identity • Internal Christian disputes

8. The Ages of Theology

9. Judaism • From C 1st into 2nd( or later) became separate • Jesus was a Jew • His disciples were Jews • These facts were forgotten for around 1800 years! • But: • Mission to Gentiles • Go to synagogues first • An inclusive Judaism? • See Jesus as divine/ Messiah/ soteriologically significant • Politics: against Jewish revolts • 66-70 CE revolt: Temple destroyed • 132-135CE Bar Kochbah Revolt: Jerusalem destroyed • Pelikan: • C 1st Christians: Jesus = Messiah = obvious • C 2nd Christians: Jesus = Messiah = embarrassment • C 3rd Christians: Jesus = Messiah = obscure

10. Apologetics • Define, defend and explain the church to an alien world • Christianity misunderstood: see quote 2 • Christianity seen as absurd: see quote 6 • Use (high-brow) Greek philosophy to explain • Seek forms that make it acceptable/ plausible

11. Was Jesus God? • In early Church various views: • He was the Messiah, but human • He was human, but adopted as God’s Son • He was the Logos – first born of creation, who became human • He was a divine emanation, who appeared on earth in a spiritual body • He was God • He was a spiritual being whose earthly appearance was illusionary

12. Was Jesus God? • 1st theological debate • 2 opposing views: • Ebionism Doceticism • Jewish Christian Gnostic • Human Divine

13. Problems of Terminology • Ways we speak about ‘Gnosticism’: • “…Gnosticism appeared very similar to Christianity….” • “… Gnostic writers has a tendency to interpret New Testament passages in a manner which dismayed Christian leaders….” • McGrath, Historical Theology, p. 29 • Why is this a problem? • Gnosticism had no separate existence from Christianity • It was not a distinct sect, but a way of interpreting Christianity • Orthodox belief is also a way of interpreting Christianity

14. Arguments against Gnosticism/ Doceticism • See Ignatius of Antioch on Doceticism • See Irenaeus on Gnosticism in Christology

15. Why did (what became) Mainstream Christianity reject Gnosticism? • God of Old Testament vs. God of NT • Dualistic or rejects assumed tradition • Jesus not human • Salvation not possible • Creation = evil • Wrong view of the world • Body = prison for soul • Wrong view of people

16. Heresy and Orthodoxy • A new matter of concern • See heresy sheet and the following:

17. What is heresy 1? • Meaning: • "heresy" (Greek αἵρεσις, hairesis) • to choose = • choice of beliefs or • faction of believers. • Popularized: • Irenaeus Against Heresies (Contra Haereses) • contrasted with orthodoxy • (ortho- "right" + doxa "thinking")

18. What is heresy 2? • In traditional Christian understanding: • Orthodoxy has always existed • Taught by Apostles • “One Church, One Faith, One Lord” • That believed: everywhere; always; by all • Heresy is deviation from this • Amendments to original faith

19. What is heresy 3? • However: • Historical research shows: • The early church had a diversity of beliefs • The definition of orthodoxy changed from generation to generation • One generation’s orthodoxy was heresy to the next • Probably no notion of heresy in early church – c. C150CE

20. What is heresy 4? • Another way to view it: • Orthodoxy is the culmination of the church’s attempts to understand Jesus • Heresies are ‘failures’ within this quest (of faith seeking understanding)

21. What is heresy 5? • Problems: • Who decides/ knows when ‘orthodoxy’ is reached? • How do we identify failure? • Why ‘orthodoxy’ over ‘orthopraxy’? • Is it the question that the most powerful group at the end are right? • Many heretical groups associated with marginalized groups • i.e. Donatists = indigenous North Africans vs. ‘Orthodox’ = Roman settlers

22. Some Contexts Emerging in the Early Church – & some of their significances • Judaism • Christian self-definition • Apologetics • Make belief credible within a Hellenized world • Define self-definition in these terms - philosophy • Was Jesus God? • Question of ontological status of founder • Make sense of Jesus’ status (divinity) in Hellenistic terms • Why did Christianity reject Gnosticism? • Realize some beliefs are acceptable and some not • Come to view some definitions of Jesus’ divinity as ‘better’ • Heresy and Orthodoxy • Define lines of correct and incorrect belief • Create an ‘in’ and ‘out’ group around definitions of Jesus’ divinity • Emergence of Mainstream (Catholic) Christianity • Development of ‘power group’ within church that can define normacy • Generation of one strong ‘in’ group that supports itself

23. Seminar • Brief introductions to: • Tradition • Scripture • Readings • Discussion

24. Seminar: Tradition • Tradition: ‘traditio’ • Lit: ‘That which has been handed down or over’ • Usages: • That which is handed over – content • The line of passing over – transmission • The status of those who do – authority • Scripture’s relation to tradition: • It is that which is handed down or over • However: • is it viable on its own? • i.e. is it meaningful without a tradition/ community of interpretation • Is it the foundation of tradition? • Is Christianity a scriptural tradition?

25. Seminar: Establishing Scripture • Scripture for NT writers = Hebrew Bible • Becomes the Old Testament • The New Testament • Determination: • Reason:: • natural collect • which texts reflect ‘mainstream’ belief • response to Marcion • Test: • Apostolicity of texts – note NOT divinely inspired or revelation • Possible texts • The Shepherd of Hermas; the Didache; 1 Clement • E.g. The Shepherd held as authoritative by Roman Church • Problem texts • Revelation; Hebrews; 2 Peter; 2 & 3 John; Jude • E.g. doubts about Apostolicity or doctrine or format • Lost texts/ apocrypha: • The Gospel of Thomas; The Acts of Paul; The Gospel of Peter, The Gospel of Judas Iscariot, The Gospel of Mary, etc. • Some represent ‘mainstream’, other ‘alternative’ • Thomas probably ancient; others probably (very) late

26. Seminar: Readings • Irenaeus on the Role of Tradition • Tertullian on Tradition and Apostolic Succession

27. Seminar: Living Voice • “living voice” • Ancient usage, e.g. Galen (c129 – c200 CE), Pliny the Younger (c. 63-113), Seneca (c 4 BCE – 65 CE) = require information first hand, not from books or tradition (approved of) • Gnostics refer to “living voice” in this way: • Problems: • How to control – can anyone claim this? • Inspiration – Holy Spirit • ‘mainstream’ part of church veers to tradition

28. Seminar: Discussion • Does the Church seem ‘correct’ in its rejection of its Gnostic wing? • Is tradition an interpretation of a (given) scripture or is scripture simply the first layer of tradition? • i.e. is scripture the creation of the tradition, and, if so, what are the implications of this for Christianity today? • Does the answer given by Irenaeus and Tertullian seem reasonable? Does a public succession or lineage trump other interpretations? • However, consider, we know the ‘orthodox’ lineage because they won, but Gnostics had massive followings in the early church and had lineages of teachers, with many bishops being Gnostics. Is this an infallible way to ensure true teachings?

29. What you may have learnt today? • The importance of context • All debates take place within a (historical) situation • Early Church Contexts • The events which effected the making of Christian identity • The break/ evolution from Judaism • The need to relate to the Greco-Roman world • The Gnosticism Controversy – the fact that, for various reasons, this was considered unacceptable • Heresy and Orthodoxy – Gnosticism made the church think in these terms • Very unusual – most faith traditions stress orthopraxy over orthodoxy • The debates on Scripture and Tradition – the way they were formed and (their relationship was) understood