The covenant and its ritual boundaries in Palestinian Judaism and Pauline Christianity : a study of ecclesiological identity and its markers
The present study is an analysis of covenantal identity and ritual boundaries based on texts ranging from the Old Testament, the Book of Jubilees, the Dead Sea Scrolls to the New Testament. A pattern of interdependence between group identity and boundary marks is traced, and the following thesis is examined: a community's identity is reflected in boundary marks, and ritual boundaries reflect a corporate identity. By using this general principle to interpret biblical and intertestamental material a pattern emerges: when identity is defined in ethnic categories, boundaries are wide, national boundaries, when identity is defined in particularistic categories, such as priestly purity, boundaries are narrow markers of purity. When identity is changed, boundaries change. Having chosen the Old Testament covenant concept as a term for ecclesiological identity the writer demonstrates that covenantal identity changes in Palestinian Judaism not least because it narrows down and builds on the principle of law. As a result of this, ritual boundaries become narrow marks of law observance. When such an interpretation is challenged by Paul covenant is redefined. The Old Testament and intertestamental pattern of interdependence
Christiansen, Ellen Juhl
Old Testament covenant
The covenant and its ritual boundaries in Palestinian Judaism and Pauline Christianity : a study of ecclesiological identity and its markers. The present study is an analysis of covenantal identity and ritual boundaries based on texts ranging from the Old Testament, the Book of Jubilees, the Dead Sea Scrolls to the New Testament. A pattern of interdependence between group identity and boundary marks is traced, and the following thesis is examined: a community's identity is reflected in boundary marks, and ritual boundaries reflect a corporate identity. By using this general principle to interpret biblical and intertestamental material a pattern emerges: when identity is defined in ethnic categories, boundaries are wide, national boundaries, when identity is defined in particularistic categories, such as priestly purity, boundaries are narrow markers of purity. When identity is changed, boundaries change. Having chosen the Old Testament covenant concept as a term for ecclesiological identity the writer demonstrates that covenantal identity changes in Palestinian Judaism not least because it narrows down and builds on the principle of law. As a result of this, ritual boundaries become narrow marks of law observance. When such an interpretation is challenged by Paul covenant is redefined. The Old Testament and intertestamental pattern of interdependence
covenant ritual boundary palestinian judaism pauline christianity study ecclesiological identity marker present_study analysis covenantal identity ritual boundary base texts range old_testament book dead sea new_testament pattern interdependence group_identity boundary mark trace follow examine community_identity reflect boundary mark ritual boundary reflect corporate_identity use general principle interpret biblical material pattern_emerge identity define ethnic category boundary wide national boundary identity define category priestly purity boundary narrow marker purity identity change boundary change choose old_testament covenant concept term ecclesiological identity writer demonstrate covenantal identity change palestinian judaism least build principle law ritual boundary become narrow mark law observance interpretation challenge paul covenant redefine old_testament pattern interdependence