The Wise Corinthians: Their Stoic Education and Outlook
Gone are the days when the wisdom of the Corinthians could be understood in terms of ‘Gnosticism’. As an alternative to the rhetorical thesis that has replaced the Gnostic one, this essay draws attention to the consistently Stoic character of the Corinthians’ wisdom, taking as a point of departure t...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
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| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2011
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| In: |
The journal of theological studies
Year: 2011, Volume: 62, Issue: 1, Pages: 51-76 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Gone are the days when the wisdom of the Corinthians could be understood in terms of ‘Gnosticism’. As an alternative to the rhetorical thesis that has replaced the Gnostic one, this essay draws attention to the consistently Stoic character of the Corinthians’ wisdom, taking as a point of departure the language that can most certainly be attributed to them. Following current insights from social-scientific studies, it is assumed that the wealthier Corinthians are also the problematic ‘wise’ Corinthians. These have received a moderately technical philosophical education, possibly through ‘Lucius the Corinthian Stoic’ in the newly established gymnasium institution in Corinth. It is found that in every case where we can confidently identify the Corinthians’ language, it is invariably Stoic in content, if not also in verbal form. Besides the Corinthians’ language, it is suggested that influence from Stoic teaching could have contributed to every problem reflected in 1 Corinthians. Thus, without denying the possibility of other influences, Stoicism is offered as a unifying explanation for the various parts of the letter. |
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| ISSN: | 1477-4607 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of theological studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/jts/flr033 |