Bibliography
| Title: The background of "Paideia" in Hebrews Type: Thesis Year: 1986 Abstract: "The purpose of this dissertation is to discover the religious, and cultural background against which paideia in Hebrews is best understood. Chapter 2 examined the idea of paideia in the Greco-Roman literature where paideia indicates the process of shaping the student to conform to the ideal contained in the concept of arete. Chapter 3 examined the concept of paideia in the Jewish literature (i.e. the Old Testament, apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, the writings from Qumran, the Rabbinic literature of the tannaitic period, the writings of Philo and the writings of Josephus). Paideia in these texts means education or discipline. Chapter 4 examined the concept of paideia in Hebrews. The writer encourages the readers to see in their suffering the discipline (paideia) of God (12:5-11). To reassure the readers that their suf- fering was not a sign that they had been forsaken by God, the writer gives the readers the example of the suffering of Jesus (2:5-18; 5:5-10; 12:1-2) and assures the readers that Jesus, son though he was, learned obedience through what he suffered (5:8). The writer also gives the examples of the readers' past experience (10:32-39), the examples of the heroes and heroines of the past (11:4-40), and the examples of the readers' former leaders (13:7). Chapter 5 compared the ideas that make up the concept of paideia in the background literature to those of Hebrews. It was found that paideia in Hebrews shares formal features with the idea of paideia in the Greco-Roman literature (i.e. the pattern of paideia, the division of paideia into levels, and the role of athletics in paideia). Paideia in Hebrews shared with the idea in the Jewish literature that suffering came from God who was treating his people like his children. The idea in Hebrews is distinct from the idea in the Jewish literature in that in the Jewish literature discipline comes because of sin while in Hebrews discipline is applied by God without regard to sin. Discipline in Hebrews is necessary for those who would be God's children and stand in his presence -- i.e. it is necessary for those who would be perfected". Keywords: New Testament / Early Christianity |