The Cultural Capital of this World and Paul's Theology of New Creation: Paul's Gospel and Greek "Paideia"
Paul never accounts for his views on Greek paideia. Nonetheless, recent research has not only argued that Greek paideia held a prominent position in the ancient Graeco-Roman world but also pictured Paul as an advocate of a specific form of Christian paideia. This raises questions about the nature of...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Amsterdam University Press
[2019]
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| In: |
European journal of theology
Year: 2019, Volume: 28, Issue: 2, Pages: 99-109 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture HC New Testament ZF Education |
| Further subjects: | B
Bible. Gospels
B Paul, The Apostle, Saint B Christianity B VALUES (Ethics) B PAIDEIA program |
| Summary: | Paul never accounts for his views on Greek paideia. Nonetheless, recent research has not only argued that Greek paideia held a prominent position in the ancient Graeco-Roman world but also pictured Paul as an advocate of a specific form of Christian paideia. This raises questions about the nature of the relationship between Paul's gospel and paideia. Recent research has also stressed that there was a conflict between the values of paideia and those of Paul's gospel message, sometimes recognising that it can be difficult to specify how Paul's ethical values differ from those of his cultural context, and sometimes questioning the basis of the call for a reversal of values that has been identified in Paul's thinking. This article argues that advocates of Greek paideia sought to establish a distinction between the educated and the uneducated, presuming that only the educated elite was morally qualified to hold political office. Thus, paideia represents a kind of cultural capital that was used by the educated elite to justify their own superior position. However, in Galatians 6:14-15 Paul explains that he has been crucified to the world and that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; being a new creation is all that matters. Circumcision represents another kind of cultural capital that, according to Paul's opponents in Galatia, justifies the distinction between circumcised and uncircumcised. However, according to Paul, the Christ-event has dramatically reduced the importance of this distinction. Similarly, according to him, the significance of Greek paideia - and hence of the distinction between educated and uneducated - has been reduced to nothing; the Christ-event has overturned the wisdom represented by paideia and thus removed the basis for its claim to status. (English) |
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| ISSN: | 2666-9730 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: European journal of theology
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