Adam’s Dust and Adam’s Glory in the Hodayot and the Letters of Paul: Rethinking Anthropogony and Theology by Nicholas A. Meyer

Abstract

Reviewed by: Adam’s Dust and Adam’s Glory in the Hodayot and the Letters of Paul: Rethinking Anthropogony and Theology by Nicholas A. Meyer Jason Maston nicholas a. meyer, Adam’s Dust and Adam’s Glory in the Hodayot and the Letters of Paul: Rethinking Anthropogony and Theology (NovTSup 168; Leiden: Brill, 2016). Pp. vii + 291. Paper $138. This study addresses how the hymnists of the Hodayot and Paul interpreted the creation accounts of humanity in Genesis 1–3. Paul and the Hodayot offer similar pessimistic accounts of humanity and prioritize divine action, which makes them fruitful dialogue partners. Meyer’s study is careful and creative as he provides close readings of the relevant texts. The volume is a revised version of a Ph.D. dissertation submitted to McMaster University (supervised by Stephen Westerholm, co-supervised by Eileen Schuller). In a lengthy treatment of the Hodayot (chap. 2), M. argues that the Hodayot juxtapose two traditions: Adam as a creature from dust (Gen 2:6–7) and an exalted humanity depicted in texts like Gen 1:26–27 and Psalm 8. Reading these creation statements through the lens of other texts, particularly Job, the hymnists present the human dilemma as resulting from [End Page 533] the nature of creatureliness. Three themes stand out in the hymnists’ assessment of humanity’s creatureliness: “finitude, sinfulness, and impurity” (p. 34), the latter expressed especially with sexual imagery. M. contends that the propensity toward sinfulness and impurity is, for the hymnists, part of God’s plan. Humanity is drawn beyond the inherent weaknesses of creatureliness by attaining the glory of Adam. The Hodayot present a duality of sorts as the earthiness of Adam is set in contrast to a heavenly experience. M. stresses that this is not merely a return to some pre-fallen Adamic existence. Crucial to M.’s project is a challenge to the creation–fall–redemption paradigm. He argues instead for the pattern of “intention–creation–history–fruition” (p. 78). Meyer argues that the Hodayot are not an isolated account of humanity; rather, other Dead Sea Scrolls share similar perspectives. In particular he draws strong parallels with the Two Spirits Treatise in 1QS 3.13–4.26 and the Self-Glorification Psalm, which is found in some copies of the Hodayot but also exists as a separate text. Chapters 3–5 form the heart of this study as M. discusses a range of Pauline texts dealing with creation motifs. In chap. 3, he addresses texts outside of Romans, and in chap. 4 he treats the letter to the Romans. Chapter 5 is a brief summary of the two previous chapters. Much of the discussion in chap. 3 deals with the “image of God.” This particular idea is found in Romans, which provides a fuller account of Paul’s view of Adam and Jesus with a particular focus on the moral implications of the deeds of these figures. Adam represents the earthly image, which is passed to all of Adam’s descendants by birth, while Christ is the heavenly image after which Adam was created and into which believers are being transformed. By becoming human, Christ accomplishes the human project by completing the task of ruling over creation. He thus succeeds where Adam failed. Yet Adam’s failure was the result not of a transgression but of the limitations of his earthly existence. M. contends that Paul operates with a duality between earth and heaven, not a creation–fall–redemption model. Meyer’s project addresses some of the most disputed Pauline texts so there will be points at which readers will disagree with his exegetical decisions. His thesis does not stand or fall with any single text, and in many instances his arguments are persuasive. The study would have benefited from more discussion about how the Hodayot and Paul intersect. The study has the feel at points of being two separate projects. Nevertheless, this should not distract from the value of this fine study. M.’s work deserves careful assessment and further discussion. Jason Maston Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX 77047 Copyright © 2018 The Catholic Biblical Association of America