Wealth at the end of the age : a comparative study of the function and nature of wealth and possessions in selected Pauline letters and Dead Sea scrolls

Date
2024-03
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I seek to determine how and why two first century communities differ in their economic expressions of a shared apocalyptic worldview within their respective social contexts? The two communities in question is the Pauline community represented by 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians and the Qumran Community represented by The Damascus Document and The Community Rule. In neither case do I view the communities mentioned as monolithic but, instead regard them as sharing enough of a conceptual identity so as to be treated as a whole for the purpose of this analysis. The rationale for the comparison is driven by their contemporaneity and their shared apocalyptic outlook on the world. The relevance of an apocalyptic worldview is that within the apocalyptic perspective wealth tends to be viewed with suspicion and calumniated as that which is held within the grasp of evil and utilized within a fallen world system—a perspective is epitomized in the writings of 1 Enoch. I therefore explore the ways in which such an apocalyptic or Enochic tradition is worked out in the contexts of these two communities. I determine that significant differences are observable in the way wealth is viewed and handled both intra-communally and with regards to the outside world. These differences extend beyond the mere outworking of differing social contexts and are primarily the result of differing controlling paradigms which serve to imbue their respective apocalyptic outlooks with their unique characteristics. This controlling paradigm in the case of the Qumran community is covenant fidelity and in the case of the Pauline community, the Christ-event. The result is not only a differing view of wealth simpliciter but consequently also a distinct approach to wealth and possessions in terms of praxis.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis poog ek om te bepaal hoe en waarom twee eerste-eeuse gemeenskappe verskil in hul ekonomiese uitdrukkings van 'n gedeelde apokaliptiese wêreldbeskouing binne hul onderskeie sosiale kontekste? Die twee gemeenskappe ter sprake is die Pauliniese gemeenskap verteenwoordig deur 1 Tessalonisense en 1 Korintiërs en die Qumran-gemeenskap verteenwoordig deur The Damascus Document en The Community Rule. In geen van die gevalle beskou ek die genoemde gemeenskappe as monolities nie, maar beskou hulle eerder as wat genoeg van 'n konseptuele identiteit deel om as 'n geheel vir die doel van hierdie analise behandel te word. Die rasionaal vir die vergelyking word gedryf deur hul tydsaamheid en hul gedeelde apokaliptiese uitkyk op die wêreld. Die relevansie van 'n apokaliptiese wêreldbeskouing is dat rykdom binne die apokaliptiese perspektief geneig is om met agterdog bejeën te word en gesmaad te word as dit wat binne die greep van die bose gehou word en binne ’n gevalle wêreldstelsel benut word - 'n perspektief word vervat in die geskrifte van 1 Henog. Ek ondersoek dus die maniere waarop so 'n apokaliptiese of Enogiese tradisie in die kontekste van hierdie twee gemeenskappe uitgewerk word. Ek bepaal dat beduidende verskille waarneembaar is in die manier waarop rykdom beskou en hanteer word, beide intra-gemeenskaplik en met betrekking tot die buitewêreld. Hierdie verskille strek verder as die blote uitwerking van verskillende sosiale kontekste en is primêr die gevolg van verskillende beherende paradigmas wat dien om hul onderskeie apokaliptiese uitkyke met hul unieke kenmerke te omskep. Hierdie beherende paradigma in die geval van die Qumran-gemeenskap is verbondstrou en in die geval van die Pauliniese gemeenskap, die Christus-gebeurtenis. Die gevolg is nie net 'n verskillende siening van rykdom vereenvoudiger nie, maar gevolglik ook 'n duidelike benadering tot rykdom en besittings in terme van praxis.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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