Setting the Boundaries: Reading 1 Timothy and Titus as Community Charters

Those attempting to interpret 1 Timothy and Titus face a myriad of uncertainties. No less amongst these is determining the type of the literature that they are. While they are clearly framed as epistles, they do not resemble anything that is known from the Hellenistic literary theorists. What is gen...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: White, Adam G. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2022
In: Biblical theology bulletin
Year: 2022, Volume: 52, Issue: 4, Pages: 242-252
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Paul Apostle / Essenes / Pastoral Epistles / Bible. Timotheusbrief 1. / Titus
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Those attempting to interpret 1 Timothy and Titus face a myriad of uncertainties. No less amongst these is determining the type of the literature that they are. While they are clearly framed as epistles, they do not resemble anything that is known from the Hellenistic literary theorists. What is generally agreed, however, is that the purpose of the two letters is community formation. That is, 1 Timothy and Titus were written to instruct the recipients on various matters of community structure and organisation. Building on this assumption, it is my contention that the two letters share many of the same characteristics as community charters found in similar, contemporary groups. In what follows, 1 Timothy and Titus will be compared side by side with formal charters found in associations as well as in the Essene community, noting the many similarities between them.
ISSN:1945-7596
Contains:Enthalten in: Biblical theology bulletin
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/01461079221133447