Purity and Danger in Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians: The Sin of Valens in Social Perspective
This article seeks to move beyond traditional interpretations of Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians as formulated primarily as a response to the threat of heresy. It argues the letter was written to address the social chaos which resulted from the avarice of the presbyter Valens (11.1-2). Fi...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Johns Hopkins Univ. Press
1993
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| In: |
Journal of early Christian studies
Year: 1993, Volume: 1, Issue: 3, Pages: 229-247 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This article seeks to move beyond traditional interpretations of Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians as formulated primarily as a response to the threat of heresy. It argues the letter was written to address the social chaos which resulted from the avarice of the presbyter Valens (11.1-2). First a case is made for understanding the charge of avarice against Valens on the basis of biblical and extra-canonical evidence that shows that well-to-do patrons enjoyed leadership positions in early Christian communities. There follows an analysis of metaphors Polycarp uses to describe the dangers of love of money. A literary background is provided for his appraisal by comparing these metaphors with various pagan and Jewish estimations of the dangers of greed. Polycarp's assessment echoes Jewish apocalyptic concerns and reveals a sectarian interest with group purity. Finally the investigation moves beyond 11.1-2 to discuss the ethical paraenesis in the rest of the letter: Polycarp's development of a household code, virtue and vice lists, and rhetorical elements which show that the letter belongs to a literary genre of epistolary advice or exhortation. It is argued that the main concern of Polycarp's paraenesis was to promote a purity-preserving and boundary-reinforcing ethos. |
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| ISSN: | 1086-3184 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of early Christian studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/earl.0.0167 |