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Possible echoes and reverberations : Paul's disapproval of homoeroticism in context: Romans 1:26-27 Edgington, Brad
Abstract
A heated contemporary debate interminably swirls around two verses (1:26-27) in Paul's letter to the Romans. This debate is about whether or not Paul is condemning what we understand today as homosexuality. In order to enter into this debate, one must first endeavour to understand Paul's words within their original context. By using the historical-critical method, this study attempts to capture the (plain) sense of the verses in question within their original context. First, the paper explores and critically analyzes a wide range of sources that reveal the attitudes toward same-sex relations in both the ancient Greco-Roman tradition and the Jewish tradition. Both these cultures had a strong influence and Paul's choice of words and thought patterns. Next, the investigation moves forward to analyze aspects of Romans 1:26-27 and the larger context in which this passage is contained. The following thesis is put forth: although Romans 1:26-27 appropriates the conventional language of the Greco-Roman tradition, especially in its reference to "nature" (physis), Paul's opposition to homoeroticism is informed by a Hellenistic-Jewish worldview that is influenced by the priestly texts of the Torah and Greco-Roman philosophy. Together, these influences propel Paul to condemn all homoerotic acts because they run counter to God's intended order for humankind.
Item Metadata
Title |
Possible echoes and reverberations : Paul's disapproval of homoeroticism in context: Romans 1:26-27
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2002
|
Description |
A heated contemporary debate interminably swirls around two verses (1:26-27) in
Paul's letter to the Romans. This debate is about whether or not Paul is condemning
what we understand today as homosexuality. In order to enter into this debate, one must
first endeavour to understand Paul's words within their original context.
By using the historical-critical method, this study attempts to capture the (plain)
sense of the verses in question within their original context. First, the paper explores and
critically analyzes a wide range of sources that reveal the attitudes toward same-sex
relations in both the ancient Greco-Roman tradition and the Jewish tradition. Both these
cultures had a strong influence and Paul's choice of words and thought patterns. Next,
the investigation moves forward to analyze aspects of Romans 1:26-27 and the larger
context in which this passage is contained.
The following thesis is put forth: although Romans 1:26-27 appropriates the
conventional language of the Greco-Roman tradition, especially in its reference to
"nature" (physis), Paul's opposition to homoeroticism is informed by a Hellenistic-Jewish
worldview that is influenced by the priestly texts of the Torah and Greco-Roman
philosophy. Together, these influences propel Paul to condemn all homoerotic acts
because they run counter to God's intended order for humankind.
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Extent |
6715910 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-08-12
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0090204
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2002-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.