The Challenge of Homer: School, Pagan Poets and Early Christianity

by Karl Olav Sandnes

Overview

Homer was the gateway to education, to the skills of reading and writing. These skills were necessary for the nascent Church. Knowledge of Homer's writings was a sign of Greekness, of at-home-ness in the society. Education was embedded in the mythology, immorality and idolatry of these writings. This challenged the Christians. This study presents how Christians responded to this. The opinions varied from rejection of Homer and all pagan literature, considering them works of the Devil, to critical involvement with this literature.


This study attempts to trace the discourse on Homer and education among the Christians back to the New Testament. The topic does not come to the surface, but it is argued that in Paul's letters contrasting attitudes towards the propaideutic logic and the philosophical principle of usus (making right use of) are present. He opposed a logic wherein Christian faith represented the peak of education, the culmination of liberal studies. In his instruction on how to relate to the pagan world, Paul argues in accordance with the principle of usus. The New Testament is not so dependent upon the Homeric poems, as assumed by some scholars.


The first Christians faced two hermeneutical challenges of fundamental importnce: that of interpreting the Old Testament and how to cope with the Greek legacy embedded in Homer. The latter is not explicitly raised in the New Testament. But since the art of interpreting any text, presupposes reading skills, conveyed through liberal studies, the Homeric challenge must have been of outmost importance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780567426642
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/12/2009
Series:	The Library of New Testament Studies , #400
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Karl Olav Sandnes is Professor in New Testament Studies at MF Norwegian School of Theology (Det teologiske Menighetsfakultet), Oslo. The author of Paul - One of the Prophets? A New Family. Conversion and Ecclesiology in the Early Church with Cross-Cultural Comparisons and Belly and Body in the Pauline Epistles.

Table of Contents

Part One: School, Homer and Encyclical Education in Antiquity




1. Introduction and Method




2. School in the Greco-Roman World




3. The Pivotal Role of Homer




4. Knowledge and Formation: The Insuffiency of Encyclical Education




5. Philo of Alexandria: A Hellenistic Jew on Greek Education











Part Two: The Christian Agôn over Encyclical Studies in the first Centuries C.E.




7. Justin Martyr, his student Tatian and Two Ps.Justins




8. The Apostolic Tradition: Prohibited Occupations




9. The Teaching of the Apostles (Didaskalia Apostolorum) and Syriac tradition: "Avoid all the Books of the Gentiles"




10. Tertullian: Learning but not Teaching Encyclical Studies




11. Clement and Origen: Christian Teachers in Alexandria




11.1 Clement of Alexandria: Propaideia Protects Faith




11.2 Origen: The Silver and Gold of the Egyptians




11.3 Origen and Celsos: Christian faith for the Unlearned?




12. Flavius Claudius Julianus - Emperor and Apostate: Christian Teachers are Immoral




13. The Cappadocian Fathers




13.1 Basil of Caesarea/Basil the Great: Ad Adolescentes




13.2 Gregory of Nazianzus' Encomium for Basil




13.3 Gregory of Nyssa's Life of Moses




14. Jerome: An Ascetic Addicted to Greek Learning




15. Augustine: Liberal Studies - A Window on the Relationship between Greek Culture and Christian Faith




16. Summing up part two




Common Ground




Opposition to Encyclical Studies




Encyclical Studies cannot be avoided




Advocates of Encyclical Studies




Arguments Employed in the Debate




The Critics




Advocates




Acting like Bees


All or Nothing?



Part Three: Looking Back to the New Testament




17. The New Testament and Encyclical Studies




17.1 Homer in the New Testament? An Appraisal of Dennis R. MacDonald's "Mimesis Criticism"




17.2 Paul on Encyclical Studies?


18. Drawing the Findings Together








Bibliography and indices

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating study...very stimulating treatment of Christian attitudes to education which reveals the cultural impact of the new religion on the wider ancient society.
Expository Times, April 2010

Reviewed in Revue des Livres (French).
Revue des livres

The voyage to which Sandness invites his readers is worthwhile and illuminating.
Bijdragen, International Journal in Philosophy and Theology

From the Publisher