The ancient church as family / Joseph H. Hellerman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hellerman, Joseph H., 1952-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600.

Church history.

Church history--Primitive and early church.

Kinship--Religious aspects--Christianity--History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600.

Kinship.

Kinship--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Physical Description:

xv, 295 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Minneapolis, MN : Fortress Press, [2001]

Summary:

The earliest churches around the Mediterranean were closely knit groups who regarded each others as family. But did this break down by the end of the first century in a move toward mstitutionalization? Or did these "fictive kin groups" persist into the second and chird centuries? In this compelling treatment, Hellerman analyzes the elements of Mediterranean family systems and how they played a key role in defining the structure and facilitating the values of these early groups of believers.

Discussing Jesus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Paul, writers of the second century (such as Jeson, Ignatius of Antioch, and Irenaeus), and Cyprian in the third century, the author correlates the use of kinship language, the social structures of patrilineal kin groups, and kinship values embodied in the churches. The witness of Greco-Roman authors, who wrote as outsiders, provides further confirmation of how solidarity, support, and nurture were constitutive elements of the self-understanding and practice of the churches. The implications for how we conceptualize the earliest history of the churches are wide-ranging.

Anyone interested in the history of Christianity will find this a stimulating read. Hellerman's grasp of the ancient documents is complemented by his insightful historical and social analysis.

Contents:

1. Christianity in Its Social Environment 1

Explaining the Expansion of Early Christianity 2

Ideological Explanations 2

Sociological Explanations 3

The Ancient Church as Family: A Road Map for the Following Chapters 25

2. Mediterranean Family Systems: Structure and Relationships 27

Kinship Then and Now: How Family Is Defined 27

The Patrilineal Descent Group: Relational Strategies and Values 31

Marriage in Ancient Mediterranean Society 31

Women in the PKG Family System 31

Patrilocal Residence and the Family as a Producing Unit 32

Mothers and Sons 33

Sibling Solidarity: The Central Relational Priority 35

Ancestors and Inheritance 51

3. Origins of the Surrogate Kin Group Idea 59

Origins of the Early Christian Surrogate Family Model 59

The People of God in the Hebrew Scriptures 59

The People of God as Understood among Second Temple Judeans 63

The People of God according to Jesus of Nazareth 64

The Distinctive Nature of Jesus' Perspective 69

The Dominance of the Kinship Metaphor 70

The Practice of PKG Solidarity 71

A Radical Change of Loyalties 72

The Community at Khirbet Qumran: A Comparison 73

The Dominance of the Kinship Metaphor 74

The Practice of PKG Solidarity 75

A Radical Change of Loyalties 76

God as Father of the Community 77

Orientation toward Outsiders 80

4. The Communities of Paul of Tarsus 92

Language and the Social Order 93

1 Corinthians 95

Discord in the Corinthian Community 95

Paul's Rhetorical Strategy 96

Family Terminology in 1 Corinthians 99

Generalized Reciprocity 104

Familial Loyalty 106

2 Corinthians 109

Family Language in 2 Corinthians 109

Paul's Collection for the Jerusalem Community 110

Romans 114

Philemon 119

Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philippians 120

5. Second-Century Christian Writers 127

Clement of Rome 129

Family Language in 1 Clement 130

Family Activity in 1 Clement 132

Innovation in Clement's Use of the Family Metaphor 133

Ignatius of Antioch 139

Ignatius's Use of Family Language 140

Family Activity in the Ignatian Epistles 141

Innovation in the Ignatian Corpus 142

Justin Martyr 145

Kinship Terminology in Justin's Writings 146

Justin and Family Behavior 147

Innovation in Justin's Use of Father and Sibling Language 151

Clement of Alexandria 152

Irenaeus 157

6. North African Christianity 168

Passion of Perpetua 169

Tertullian 173

Tertullian on Family Loyalty 175

Harmony among Siblings 177

Tertullian and Generalized Reciprocity 180

Cyprian 182

Examination of Specific Epistles 184

Survey of Cyprian's Other Works 194

7. Summary and Evaluation 213

The Mediterranean Family Model 213

The Highly Corporate Nature of the Ancient Family 214

The Priority of the Sibling Bond 215

The Church as a Family 216

Family as Rhetoric 216

Family as Praxis 221.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0800632486

OCLC:

46422070