Christ Identity

Sergio Rosell Nebreda focuses on how the Philippian Christ-followers received Paul's letter. The social, historical, literary, rhetorical, anthropological and theological elements are dealt with in order to understand the effect Paul wanted to achieve. The main thesis of the book is that the apostle Paul, who greatly suffered at Philippi, and writing from a prison, desires to affect the Philippians believers to acquire a Christ-orientation based on the values expressed in the Christ-hymn. Phlp 2, 5-11 forms the core of Paul's theological narrative that aims at constructing a sense of imitatio and conformatio in the Christ-following community. Paul uses a 'friendly' style in his letters in order to produce rapport and trust in the community, presenting himself as examplum ad imitando, after that of Christ. It is because Paul so fully identifies with Christ's orientation in life that the apostle presents himself as a slave of Jesus Christ. In the midst of a society ill with the desire for honour and power, the Christ narrative stands as a radical call for an alternative life-style, based on the exercise of humility which seeks the interest of others rather than focusing on one's own needs and desires. Paul insists on the basis of the Christ-hymn that such a life-style reveals God's character and it is therefore a life rewarded. Through the use of Social Identity Theory this book evaluates how ancient people constructed their group identity in daily life and how through a seemingly inferior model (that of Christ's kenosis in 2, 5-11) the community receives a re-definition of values which are according to God's values, and who has the last word in history. Paul thus presents an alternative and viable way of life in the midst of a society he knows well.

1;Contents;6 2;Chapter I: Introduction ;26 2.1;1. Status Quaestionis;26 2.2;2. The Reading of the Carmen Christi in a New Light;28 2.3;3. Outline of Analysis;32 2.4;4. Concluding Remarks;34 3;Chapter II: Reading Ancient Texts through Social Identity Theory ;36 3.1;1. Description of the Task;36 3.2;2. Social Identity Theory: Description;37 3.2.1;2.1 Defining Identity;43 3.2.2;2.2 Identity: Born or Made?;45 3.3;3. Potential Limitations of the Chosen Approach;47 3.3.1;3.1. Modern Theories Applied to Ancient Texts;47 3.3.2;3.2 Lack of (Ancient) Evidence;50 3.3.3;3.3 History vs Sociology;51 3.4;4. Identity in the First-Century Mediterranean World;53 3.4.1;4.1 Identity for Paul;53 3.4.2;4.2 Social Identity Theory and the Mediterranean World;55 3.5;5. Group-Identity Formation in Philippi;61 3.5.1;5.1 Identity and Ethnicity;62 3.5.2;5.2 The Source of Social Identity according to Philippians ;64 4;Chapter III: The Larger Context: First-Century Mediterranean Society through the Social Sciences ;68 4.1;1. Introduction;68 4.2;2. Reading Ancient Texts;70 4.2.1;2.1 Emic-Etic;71 4.2.2;2.2 Reading Perspective;75 4.2.2.1;2.2.1 Social Scripts;76 4.2.2.2;2.2.2 High and Low Context Societies;77 4.3;3. Curse and Blessing of Modelling;78 4.3.1;3.1 Advantages of Being Explicit;80 4.3.2;3.2 Heuristic or Prediction Tool?;80 4.3.3;3.3 The Problem of Fixed or Inflexible Models;82 4.3.4;3.4 One Model vs Many Models?;82 4.4;4. The Context: The Pre-Industrial Society;84 4.4.1;4.1 Characteristics;84 4.4.1.1;4.1.1 Hierarchical;85 4.4.1.2;4.1.2 Wide Gap between Rural and Urban Settings;86 4.4.1.3;4.1.3 Division of Labour;87 4.4.1.4;4.1.4 Strong Group-Based Character;87 4.4.2;4.2 Structures;88 4.5;5. First-Century Circum-Mediterranean Region;89 4.5.1;5.1 First-Century Mediterranean Values?;90 4.5.2;5.2 Pivotal Values Re-Examined;91 4.5.2.1;5.2.1 Honour and Shame;92 4.5.2.2;5.2.2 Limited Good Perception;99 4.5.2.3;5.2.3 Kinship;107 4.5.3;5.3 The Person in This Context;107 4.5.3.1;5.3.1 Dyadic Persona
lity;108 4.5.3.2;5.3.2 Agonistic Experience;111 4.5.3.3;5.3.3 Patronage ;114 4.6;6. Conclusions;116 5;Chapter IV: The Roman Colony of Philippi ;120 5.1;1. Introduction;120 5.2;2. The Roman Colony of Philippi.;122 5.2.1;2.1 History, Archaeology.;122 5.2.2;2.2 Religion(s);130 5.2.2.1;2.2.1 Literary, Religious Myths;133 5.2.2.2;2.2.2 The Imperial Cult;135 5.3;3. Romes Mission to the World;141 5.3.1;3.1 An Empire of Honour;143 5.3.1.1;3.1.1 Granting of Privileges;144 5.3.1.2;3.1.2 Patron-Client Relations;146 5.3.2;3.2 Romanisation: Urbanitas, Humanitas and Romanitas;148 5.3.2.1;3.2.1 Romanisation towards the West;155 5.3.2.2;3.2.2 Romanisation towards the East;156 5.3.2.2.1;3.2.2.1 Conquest of the Admired;157 5.3.2.2.2;3.2.2.2 Changes in Property;158 5.3.2.2.3;3.2.2.3 Preliminary Conclusions;161 5.3.3;3.3 Identity in the Graeco-Roman Context;162 5.3.3.1;3.3.1 Philippi as Colony;164 5.3.3.2;3.3.2 Living in the Colony;165 5.3.3.2.1;3.3.2.1 Day to Day Living;166 5.3.3.2.2;3.3.2.2 Voluntary Associations;167 5.3.3.2.3;3.3.2.3 Roman Citizenship;167 5.4;4. Pauls Experience in Philippi;169 5.4.1;4.1 Pauls Visits to Philippi;169 5.4.2;4.2 Acts: A Reliable Historical Source?;172 5.4.3;4.3 The Incident at Philippi as Test Case;175 5.4.3.1;4.3.1 Setting up the Scene ;175 5.4.3.2;4.3.2 The Charges;177 5.4.3.3;4.3.3 What Then?;182 5.5;5. Conclusions;184 6;Chapter V: Paul: A Man under Constraint ;186 6.1;1. Introduction;186 6.2;2. Paul through Many Lenses;187 6.2.1;2.1 Paul according to Himself;187 6.2.1.1;2.1.1 A d.... of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1.1);188 6.2.1.1.1;2.1.1.1 Slavery in Greece and Rome;190 6.2.1.1.1.1;2.1.1.1.1 Sources of Slavery;191 6.2.1.1.1.2;2.1.1.1.2 Justification of Slavery;193 6.2.1.1.2;2.1.1.2 The Slaves Status;195 6.2.1.1.3;2.1.1.3 Slavery as Social Death;198 6.2.1.2;2.1.2 Slavery Redefined: A Model of Discipleship;200 6.2.2;2.2 Lukes Portrait of Paul: The Roman Citizen;206 6.3;3. Suffering in Paul: A Theology of Discipleship;209 6.3.1;3.1 Prisoner for Christs Sake
(Phil. 1.13);213 6.3.1.1;3.1.1 Incarceration and Shame;214 6.3.1.2;3.1.2 Incarceration and Pauls View of Discipleship;216 6.3.2;3.2 Abased but Content (Phil. 4.1112);219 6.3.3;3.3 Apostolate and Suffering;220 6.3.4;3.4 The Persecutor Persecuted;220 6.4;4. Leadership in Pauls Style: Imitatio, Control or Both?;223 6.4.1;4.1 Power Relations;223 6.4.2;4.2 A d.... in Command?;224 6.4.2.1;4.2.1 Imitatio Pauli and/or Imitatio Christi?;225 6.4.2.2;4.2.2 Living the Cruciform Life;231 6.5;5. Conclusions ;232 7;Chapter VI: Corresponding with the Communities ;234 7.1;1. Paul: The Letter-Writer Apostle;234 7.1.1;1.1 A New Way of Being in Touch;235 7.1.2;1.2 How to Understand Written Correspondence in Antiquity;236 7.1.2.1;1.2.1 Written Letters to Be Read Aloud;237 7.1.2.1.1;1.2.1.1 Oral/Aural Elements;237 7.1.2.1.2;1.2.1.2 The Role of the Emissaries;239 7.1.2.2;1.2.2 Letters Addressing Ad Hoc Situations;240 7.1.2.2.1;1.2.2.1 Ad Hoc but Universal also;241 7.1.2.2.2;1.2.2.2 Not Thorough but to the Point;242 7.1.2.2.3;1.2.2.3 Danger of Mirror-Reading;244 7.2;2. Philippians through a Socio-Rhetorical Approach;245 7.2.1;2.1 Provenance;248 7.2.2;2.2 The Importance of the Social Location for SIT;250 7.2.3;2.3 Is It All in the Style? (Letter-Forms);252 7.2.3.1;2.3.1 A Friendly Letter;254 7.2.3.2;2.3.2 A Unified Letter;258 7.2.4;2.4 Structure of the Letter to the Philippians;260 7.3;3. Recipients: the Crux of Generalisation in the Umwelt of the Roman Empire;263 7.3.1;3.1 The Christian Community at Philippi (the Ingroup);264 7.3.1.1;3.1.1 Demographic Figures;264 7.3.1.2;3.1.2 Prosopographic Description;265 7.3.1.3;3.1.3 Conclusions Concerning the Recipients;266 7.3.2;3.2 Adversaries: the Many Faces of the Outgroup;267 7.3.2.1;3.2.1 Envious and Rival Preachers (1.15);268 7.3.2.2;3.2.2 Political Adversaries (1.28);270 7.3.2.3;3.2.3 Enemies of the Cross (3.2, 1819);272 7.3.2.4;3.2.4 Concluding Remarks on the Adversaries;276 7.4;4. Philippians Aimed at Identity Formation;279 7.4.1;4.1 Pauls P
urpose(s) ;279 7.4.2;4.2 The Centrality of Christ as Identity Model;284 7.5;5. Conclusions;286 8;Chapter VII: The Source of Identity: The So-Called Christ-Hymn ;288 8.1;1. Introduction;288 8.2;2. A Closer Look at 2.[5]611;289 8.2.1;2.1 The Question of Genre;289 8.2.2;2.2 Philippians 2.611 in Its Present Context;294 8.2.3;2.3 Divisions/Movements;298 8.2.3.1;2.3.1 First Act: Christs High Existence (2.6);300 8.2.3.2;2.3.2 Second Act: Christs Humiliation (2.78);305 8.2.3.3;2.3.3 Third Act: Christs Exaltation (2.911);312 8.2.4;2.4 The Christ-Hymn and Its Literary Sitz im Leben;317 8.2.4.1;2.4.1 Phil 2.611 and the Literature of that Time;318 8.2.4.1.1;2.4.1.1 The Hymn to Augustus;320 8.2.4.1.2;2.4.1.2 Christs Lordship vs Caesars Empire;322 8.2.4.2;2.4.2 Christ and Religious Myths;325 8.3;3. The Function of Philippians 2.511;330 8.4;4. The Christ-Hymn: Alternative Living in the City;342 8.5;5. Conclusions;345 9;Bibliography;350 10;Index;386