James A. Kelhoffer Livres

James A. Kelhoffer offers a comprehensive analysis of Mark 1:6c par. Matt 3:4c in its socio-historical context, the Synoptic gospels and subsequent Christian interpretation. The first chapter surveys various anecdotes about John's food in the Synoptic gospels and notes that there has never been a consensus in scholarship concerning John's „locusts and wild honey.“ Chapters 2 and 3 address locusts as human food and assorted kinds of „wild honey“ in antiquity. Chapter 4 considers the different meanings of this diet for the historical Baptist, Mark, and Matthew. Contemporary anthropological and nutritional data shed new light on John's experience as a locust gatherer and assess whether these foods could have actually sustained him in the wilderness. The last chapter demonstrates that the most prevalent interpretation of the Baptist's diet, from the third through the sixteenth centuries, hails John's simple wilderness provisions as a model for believers to emulate.

Focusing on the concept of legitimacy within the New Testament, the book explores how the persecution endured by Christians serves to reinforce their identity as followers of Christ. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu's notion of "cultural capital," the author analyzes various New Testament texts, revealing that claims of authority based on suffering are crucial yet often overlooked. The epilogue discusses early Christian martyrs and the ethical implications of legitimizing persecution, highlighting the potential for differing interpretations and the risk of oppressed individuals becoming oppressors.

The struggles to define what „gospel“ was and to bolster a leader's or a group's legitimacy amidst inter-ecclesial competitors are hallmarks of much early Christian literature. Commencing with James A. Kelhoffer's inaugural lecture at Uppsala University, this volume makes available sixteen revised and updated articles, originally published between 1998 and 2013, focusing on method, „gospel“ and legitimacy. In regard to method, it is argued that the so-called „historical-critical method“ should not be construed as just one method in contrast to (or, as an alternative to) newer methods and approaches to biblical studies. Kelhoffer's investigations of „gospel“ in early Christian literature include when εὐαγγέλιον came to designate a written „Gospel,“ whether Basilides of Alexandria wrote a Gospel, Paul's concept of Heilsgeschichte, and patristic debates about the original conclusion to Mark. Examinations of struggles for legitimacy survey a range of topics and literature - the prayers attributed to the Maccabees, miracles as a confirmation of Paul's legitimacy as an apostle, Luke's apologetic portrayal of Paul as a former persecutor of the church, a readiness to withstand persecution as a source of authentication according to Paul and the Revelation of John, Hippolytus of Rome's attacks against miracle-working 'heretics,' and the allegedly higher status of maimed „confessors“ at the Council of Nicaea. Those already familiar with Kelhoffer's Miracle and Mission (2000), Diet of John the Baptist (2005) and Persecution, Persuasion and Power (2010) will find in this volume refreshing insights suggested but not developed in his other books.

The Longer Ending of the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:9-20) was appended to the Gospel of Mark in the first half of the second century. James A. Kelhoffer explores this passage's distinct witness to the use of gospel traditions and the development of Christian thought. Concerning the origin of this passage, he argues that a single author made use of the New Testament Gospels in forging a more satisfactory ending to Mark. He studies the passage's sometimes innovative literary forms as well. Also of interest is the passage's claim that the ascended Lord will help „those who believe“ to perform miraculous signs - casting out demons, speaking in new languages, picking up snakes, drinking poison with impunity and healing the sick - when they preach the gospel (verses 17-18, 20). This expectation is compared with portraits of miracles, especially in the context of mission, in the New Testament, various apocryphal acts and Christian apologists of the second and third centuries. In the two final chapters the author interprets the signs of picking up snakes (verse 18a) and drinking a deadly substance with impunity (verse 18b) in their history of religions contexts. An Epilogue summarizes the findings of this study and explores what can be ascertained about the otherwise unknown Christian author of Mark 16:9-20.