The Early Reception of Paul the Second Temple Jew
Rome, 26- 30 June 2016
Waldensian School of Theology
Paul was no doubt a complex Second Temple Jewish thinker whose figure, writings, and ideas were repeatedly appropriated and recast in various ways by his earliest interpreters. The study of the reception history of Paul during the first two centuries of the Common Era has traditionally been performed without sufficient appreciation for the Jewish matrix and heritage of early Christianity, built on the assumption that Paul had forsaken his Jewishness after “converting” to “Christianity” and that “the ways had already parted” between all Jews and Christians once the first generation of Jesus’ Jewish followers had passed away. The following seminar will focus on the earliest reception of Paul by assessing how his first interpreters handled and perceived his relationship to Judaism within the broader framework and scholarly study of early Jewish-Christian relations. Special attention will be granted to the interpretation of Jewish themes in the early reception history of Paul such as Torah observance and Jewish-Gentile relations. The seminar will seek to uncover the neglected Jewish strata of Paul’s Wirkungsgeschichte during the first two centuries of the Common Era in an attempt to comprehend the complex and diverse nature of Jewish-Christian relations at the time. A wide spectrum of writings and figures from right after Paul’s time until roughly the end of the second century CE will be assessed, including, to name just a few: Marcion and his recasting of Paul’s thought over against Judaism, the depiction of Paul as a Torah observant Jew in the Acts of the Apostles, the denunciation in the Pastoral Letters of “Jewish myths” (e.g., Titus 1:10–16; 3:9), the condemnation of Paul as an apostate Jew (“anti-Paulinism”) in writings such as the Pseudo-Clementines, the handling of Jewish-Gentile relations in Deutero-Pauline Epistles such as Ephesians, as well as the relationship between Pauline teachings and canonical gospels such Matthew. An edited volume containing chapters written by the participants of the conference on the relevant primary sources will be published with the aim of serving as a reference on the topic. For further information, including paper proposals, please contact Isaac W. Oliver at ioliver@bradley.edu.
Sunday, June 26
8:00-15:00: Arrivals
18:00-19:30: Opening Session (Casa Valdese Terrace)
Gabriele Boccaccini, Opening and Welcome
Isaac W. Oliver, The Reception of Paul the Second Temple Jew
20:00: Dinner (Hotel Casa Valdese)
Monday, June 27
8:00: Breakfast (Hotel Casa Valdese)
9:00-12:30: Paul and the Deutero-Pauline Epistles: Ephesians (Aula A, Facoltà Valdese)
Isaac W. Oliver, Chair
William S. Campbell, You were afar off, but were brought near: Ethne-in-Christ according to Ephesians (5-10mn)
Robert B. Foster, Ephesians and Paul, The Mystery of Israel in Ephesians (5-10mn)
Matthew Thiessen, The Jewish Paul’s Construction of Gentiles in the Letter to the Ephesians (5-10mn)
Eric Noffke, Ephesians in the Jewish Political Debate of the First Century: Rethinking Paul’s Approach in Facing New Challenges (5-10mn)
Respondent: Anders Klostergaard Petersen
10:15-10:30: Break
10:30-12:30: Roundtable Discussion of Morning Session Papers
12:45: Lunch (Hotel Casa Valdese)
14:30-17:00: Paul and the Deutero-Pauline Epistles: Colossians and 1 Timothy (Aula A, Facoltà Valdese)
Gabriele Boccaccini, Chair
14:30-15:15: Anders Klostergaard Petersen, The Traditionalisation of Paul. A Weberian Perspective on Colossians
15:15-16:00: James Waddell, Colossians and Paul, The Shadow and the Substance: Early Reception of Paul the Jew in the Letter to the Colossians
16:00-16:15: Break
16:15-17:00: Kathy Ehrensperger, Didaskalos Ethnwn: Pauline Trajectories according to 1 Timothy
18:15 pm: Public Lecture (Aula Magna, Facoltà Valdese)
Daniel Boyarin, Moses in Mark and Paul: When Mark Isn’t Pauline
20:00 Dinner (Open)
Tuesday, June 28
8:00 Breakfast (Hotel Casa Valdese)
9:00-12:30: Who Opposed Paul? (Aula A, Facoltà Valdese)
Isaac W. Oliver, Chair
David Sim, Jew against Jew: The Reception of Paul in Matthew’s Christian Jewish Community (5-10mn)
Giovanni Bazzana, Inimicus Homo? The Presentation of Paul in the Pseudo-Clementine Novel (5-10mn)
Joel Willits, Paul and John of Patmos – Friends, Foes, Or?: A Consideration of the Relationship Between the Paul of the Letters and the Author of the Apocalypse (5-10mn)
Albert Baumgarten, Respondent (20-30mn)
10:15-10:30: Break
10:30-12:30: Roundtable Discussion of Morning Session Papers
12:45: Lunch (Hotel Casa Valdese)
13:45: Afternoon Tour to Metro Excavations and the Hadrian Villa in Tivoli, near Rome. Dinner at a restaurant in Tivoli.
22:30: Return from Tivoli.
Wednesday, June 29
8:00: Breakfast (Hotel Casa Valdese)
9:00-12:30: Paul and The Acts of the Apostles (Aula A, Facoltà Valdese)
Gabriele Boccaccini, Chair
9:00-9:45: James C. Charlesworth, Why Ignore Acts in Pauline Research?
9:45-10:30: Simon Claude Mimouni, Le conflit inter-judéen (halakhique) entre Paul, Jacques et Pierre dans la réception des Actes des Apôtres
10:30-10:45: Break
G. P. Carras, Jewish Sensibilities and the Search for the Jewish Paul: A Recasting by Luke in Acts of Paul of His Undisputed Letters? (5-10mn)
Isaac W. Oliver, The First Radical Perspective on Paul: The Calling of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles (5-10mn)
David Rudolph, Luke’s Portrait of Paul in Acts 21:17–26 (5-10mn)
Roundtable Discussion: 11:00-12:30
12:45: Lunch (Hotel Casa Valdese)
14:15-17:35: Paul and Marcion (Aula A, Facoltà Valdese)
Isaac W. Oliver, Chair
14:15-15:00: Judith Lieu, Marcion, Paul and the Jews
15:00-15:45: Ilaria L.E. Ramelli, Paul’s Problematic Relation to Judaism in the Seneca-Paul Original Correspondence (2nd Century CE?)
Break: 15:45-16:00
16:00-16:45: David Nienhuis, Reading James Receiving Paul: A Literary-Canonical Analysis
16:45-17:35: Benjamin White, Gentile Judaizing in the Dialogue with Trypho 47: A Test Case for Justin’s Reception of Paul
20:00 Dinner (Open)
Thursday, June 30
8:00: Breakfast (Hotel Casa Valdese)
9:00-12:30: Final session (Aula A, Facoltà Valdese)
Gabriele Boccaccini, Chair
Gabriella Gelardini, “As if by Paul” – Some Remarks on the Textual Strategy of Hebrews (5-10mn)
David Downs, The Scripturalization of “Our Beloved Brother” Paul’s Letters in 2 Peter (5-10mn)
Harry O. Maier, Paul, the Greek Old Testament, and the Promotion of the Flavian Order in 1 Clement (5-10mn)
Respondent, Eric F. Mason (20-30 mn)
10:15-10:30: Break
10:30-12:00: Roundtable Discussion of Morning Session Papers
12:00-12:30: Final Comments, Closing Remarks
12:45: Lunch & Farewells (Hotel Casa Valdese)
Giovanni Bazzana — INIMICUS HOMO? The Presentation of Paul in the Pseudo-Clementine Novel
George P. Carras – Jewish Sensibilities and the Search for the Jewish Paul: Reception of the Lukan Paul on Jewish Sensibilities of the Undisputed Pauline Letters?
William Campbell — ‘You who once were far off have been brought near’ the Ethne-in-Christ according to Ephesians
David J. Downs — The Scripturalization of ‘Our Beloved Brother’ Paul’s Letters in 2 Peter
Kathy Ehrensperger — Διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν – Pauline Trajectories according to 1 Timothy
Robert B. Foster — From Exegete to Mystagogue: Paul and the Changing Strategies for Locating Gentiles in Israel
Gabriella Gelardini — “As if by Paul”? Some Remarks on Hebrews’s Textual Strategy of Anonymity
Judith M. Lieu — Marcion, Paul, and the Jews
Harry Maier — Paul, the Greek Old Testament and the Promotion of the Flavian Order in 1 Clement
Simon Mimouni — Le Conflit Inter-Judéen (Halakhique) entre Jacques, Paul et Pierre dans la Réception des Acts des Apôtres
David R. Nienhuis — Reading James, Re-Reading Paul
Eric Noffke — Ephesians in the Jewish political debate of the first century: Rethinking Paul’s approach in facing new challenges
Isaac W. Oliver — The First Radical Perspective on Paul: The Calling of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles
Anders Klostergaard Petersen —The Traditionalisation of Paul: a Durkheimian and Weberian Perspective on Colossians
Ilaria L.E. Ramelli — Paul’s Problematic Relation to Judaism in the Seneca-Paul Original Correspondence (2nd Century CE?)
David Rudolph — Luke’s Portrait of Paul in Acts 21:17–26
David Sim — Jew Against Jew: The Reception of Paul in Matthew’s Christian Jewish Community
Matthew Thiessen — The Jewish Paul’s Construction of Gentiles in Ephesians
James Waddell — The Shadow and the Substance: Early Reception of Paul the Jew in the Letter to the Colossians
Benjamin White – Gentile Judaizing in the Dialogue with Trypho 47: A Test Case for Justin’s Reception of Paul
Joel Willitts — John of Patmos and Paul the Apostle: Antinomy or Affinity?
Albert I. Baumgarten, Bar Ilan University
Giovanni Bazzana, Harvard University
Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan
Daniel Boyarin, University of California – Berkeley
William S. Campbell, University of Wales – Trinity Saint David
George Carras, Washington and Lee University
James C. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary
Cavan W. Concannon, University of Southern California
David J. Downs, Fuller Theological Seminary
Kathy Ehrensperger, Abraham Geiger College, University of Potsdam
Robert B. Foster, Madonna University
Gabriella Gelardini, University of Basel
Anders Klostergaard Petersen, Aarhus University
Judith Lieu, Cambridge University
Harry O. Maier, Vancouver School of Theology
Eric F. Mason, Judson University
Simon Claude Mimouni, École pratique des hautes études
David Nienhuis, Seattle Pacific University
Eric Noffke, Waldensian School of Theology
Isaac W. Oliver, Bradley University
Ilaria L.E. Ramelli, Catholic University, Milan
David Rudolph, The King’s University
David Sim, Australian Catholic University
Matthew Thiessen, Saint Louis University
James Waddell, Ecumenical Theological Seminary
Benjamin White, Clemson University
Joel Willits, North Park University
Ziony Zevit, American Jewish University
