Pauline Writings Research Articles

Bilan des études sur le sens du mot ἀρσενοκοῑται, de 1980 à aujourd’hui

The focus on the Greek term ἀρσενοκοῑται, mentioned in the Pauline writings (1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10), increased significantly throughout the twentieth century, extending into contemporary times. This increased attention can be attributed, in part, to ongoing societal and ecclesiastical debates concerning homosexuality and various aspects of sexuality. The interpretations and translations of this term are diverse, with some suggesting a reference to homosexual relationships, while others lean towards themes such as prostitution or sexual abuse. The present study offers a chronological analysis of research into the interpretation of ἀρσενοκοῑται in the Pauline epistles, beginning in the 1980s. This literature review aims to trace the evolution of exegetical debate through time, allowing a deeper understanding of how perspectives and arguments have changed.

A Shared (Graeco-Roman) Model of Mimesis in John and Paul?

This study explores whether Johannine and Pauline Christianity show a common understanding of mimesis. Discourse on mimesis began in Graeco-Roman antiquity, so I will develop a model of Graeco-Roman mimesis and use it heuristically to examine whether the Johannine and Pauline writings adhere to it. If they do, we can justifiably compare the concept of mimesis in John and Paul based on this shared model. The findings show that, although there are differences in the workings of mimesis in John and Paul, there is sufficient evidence of a shared model that corresponds to that in Graeco-Roman antiquity.

The Reception of the Gospel of John in the Long Recension of Ignatius’s Letters

The reception of Pauline and Johannine writings in the three centuries after their composition is of interest to NT researchers, and Ignatius of Antioch’s letters have rightly been taken into consideration when studying NT reception history. This article aims to fill a lacuna in reception historical studies of Ignatius’s epistles by exploring the role of John’s gospel in the fourth-century long recension. The long recension employs John when discussing Christology, Trinity, unity, Jewish-Christian identity, resurrection and for polemical purposes. This article thus contributes to ongoing reception historical studies of the NT within Ignatian literature, examines how the Gospel of John was employed by a fourth-century author and explores ways in which John is utilized to expand, update and modify the Ignatian middle recension.

Las dimensiones del 'Iudex' en el pensamiento y en la actividad episcopal de Agustín

The article addresses two specific areas on the topic of the iudex in Augustine, namely: his thought and his episcopal activity. First, the article deals with the roots of the concept of iudex in the Greek and Latin legal tradition. Later the idea of iudex is approached within the New Testament, particularly in the Pauline writings. Next, the theological and eschatological dimension of iudex in Saint Augustine is presented, highlighting the common use that the Bishop of Hippo makes of the term iudex, underlining words such as Iudicium, or legal situations such as the iudex qui litem suam fecit, or the decision of the iudex, considered from a theological and legal point of view. In this theological dimension, the aspect of God as universal and cosmological iudex is not excluded. Subsequently, the Donatist dispute is analyzed from a legal perspective, highlighting the ecclesiastical law of the state, discussing the epp. 133, 151 and 134, stressing in the latter the legal value of the word necessitas. The importance of the episcopal intercessio is also underlined, analyzing epp. 152 and 153, as well as the terms of reus, supplicium and supplicatio, within the framework of the Pelagian polemic. The article also considers the issue of compelle intrare, in epp. 93, 173, as well as in the s. 112. The correspondence of Saint Augustine with Boniface and Dulcitius (ep. 185, De correctione donatistarum), ep. 204 is analyzed in this same context, as well as some texts from c. Gaud. The dimension of the iudex in the Pelagian controversy is also addressed, discussing particularly texts from Gest. Pel. and c. Iul. imp., highlighting in this last work the legal vocabulary, particularly the words that refer to the iudex. The epìscopalis Audientia is also addressed, presenting the imperial laws that framed it, both those of Constantine, as well as those of Honorius and Arcadius, to later stress the actions that Saint Augustine performed as a judge. As an example of the performance of Saint Augustine as judge, ep. 7 * is discussed, highlighting the actions of the Bishop of Hippo as a judge in matters related to property, as well as Saint Augustine’s knowledge of the legal terms and procedures, presenting the example of ep. 8*, and his technical use of terms such as actio in rem, uindicatio, causa, among others. Finally, ep. 24* is discussed, where the knowledge that Saint Augustine had of the ius uetus and of the ius nouum is revealed.

La venida de Cristo y todos sus santos (1Tes 3,12-13)

The first letter to the Thessalonians is considered the most eschatological of Pauline writings. In fact, this letter is the one that uses the term parousia the most when referring to Jesus Christ. One of them is 1 Thes 3:11-13. It is a prayer addressed to God the Father and the Lord Jesus. In these verses, we find two striking peculiarities. Firstly, Saint Paul sets himself as a model of the love that the Lord has to grant to the Thessalonians. Secondly, he affirms that Jesus, in his glorious coming, will be accompanied by “all his saints”; i.e., all the Christian faithful. Such a statement has no parallel in the Pauline writings or in the other books of the New Testament. In this article, we will try to shed light on these expressions and to elucidate the concept of eschatology of Saint Paul.

Pasolini’s Pauls

AbstractBecause Pier Paolo Pasolini never completed his movie Saint Paul, any discussion of it must be speculative. However, insofar as the film appears in Pasolini’s screenplay outline and plan, it depicts Paul, in relation to the Pauline writings of the Bible, as a seriously fragmented person. This Paul struggles with multiple personalities that are continually fragmenting and at war with one another. In this way the film fuses together in a single cinematic narrative the many “Pauls” who appear in the Pauline letters and the Acts of the Apostles. The “remixed” quality that then appears in the screenplay contrasts sharply to Pasolini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew. The resulting story echoes some of the writings of Italo Calvino, as well as Spike Jonze’s movie Adaptation.

MUTED SCHOLARSHIP IN 1 CORINTHIANS: A GENDER-CRITICAL ENQUIRY

The First Letter to the Corinthians has provided a significant amount of material for scholars interested in studying how gender functions within Pauline writings and more generally in early Christianity. The body of work is rich and vast and draws largely on feminist theory and method as both an approach and an analytical lens. This paper argues that a careful application of gender-critical analysis has arguably been mute in such studies, despite the vast amount of feminist critique applied to these texts. Such muted scholarship has perpetuated a dialogical framework that juxtaposes studies of femininity and masculinity and has failed to take seriously the argumentative nature of rhetoric and explore important issues such as gender construction and representation within 1 Corinthians.

Identity and Unity: Studies in Pauline Writings

Identity and Unity: Studies in Pauline Writings

The Construction of Paul’s Self in His Writings: Narrative Identity, Social Memory and Metaphorical Truth

The article aims to investigate – in two autobiographical fragments of the Pauline writings (1 Cor. 15:8-10 and Gal. 1:13-24) – how the narrative mode enables the apostle to grasp the continuity and coherence of his identity, while integrating in the construction of his self disparate and discordant elements (like the Damascus event) which continually threaten the “narrative unity of a human life” (MacIntyre). Furthermore, since “collective memory” precedes and shapes the individual representation of the past (Halbwachs; Assmann), the article also examines how Paul integrates and negotiates in his construction of self-identity the “communal memories” shared by his social group, and in particular his past as persecutor of the Church. Finally, we shall describe the integration of these autobiographical fragments within their respective literary contexts and explore the “metaphorical truth” – or the “refiguration” of reality – which is produced by these different “configurations” of Pauline identity (Ricoeur).

Pauline Language and the Pastoral Epistles

In Pauline Language and the Pastoral Epistles, Jermo van Nes argues that the language of the so-called Pastoral Epistles is not significantly different from the other Pauline writings, and therefore should no longer be used as a criterion in discussions of their authorship.

The Apostolic Fathers and Paul eds. by Todd D. Still and David E. White

Reviewed by: The Apostolic Fathers and Paul eds. by Todd D. Still and David E. White Sandy L. Haney todd d. still and david e. white (eds.), The Apostolic Fathers and Paul (Pauline and Patristic Scholars in Debate 2; London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2017). Pp. xxii + 282. $114. As the second volume of the Pauline and Patristics Scholars in Debate series, The Apostolic Fathers and Paul examines the reception of Paul in the Apostolic Fathers. Readers will appreciate the volume's broad understanding of the reception history of Paul and the Pauline tradition. The editors acknowledge the complexity of defining both "reception" and "Pauline" material. The volume gives attention to each text of the Apostolic Fathers, even those without obvious connection to Paul, thus nuancing and expanding the conversation regarding Paul's relation to the corpus of the Apostolic Fathers. Such breadth in content is echoed in the myriad methods and approaches offered by the authors. David L. Eastman ("Paul as Martyr in the Apostolic Fathers") discusses the beginnings of the Pauline cult and particularly the development of the view of Paul as martyr. He addresses the import of this concept for ecclesial authority and its rhetorical weight during times of persecution. Through a comparative analysis in "The Implications of Paul as Epistolatory Author and Church Planter in 1 Clement and Polycarp's Philippians," Paul Hartog explores how both epistles provide insight into Paul's letter-writing ministry as well as his church-planting approach, focusing particular attention on the way Philippians may assist in determining the date of Revelation. [End Page 361] Clayton N. Jeffords ("Missing Pauline Tradition in the Apostolic Fathers? Didache, Shepherd of Hermas, Papias, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, and the Epistle to Diognetus") nuances the ways in which Pauline influence in these works might be determined and defined, probing reasons for possible absences. In "The Absence of Paul in 2 Clement," Paul Foster examines 2 Clement and its supposed Pauline parallels, arguing against any direct dependence on Paul and Pauline writings and attributing the similarities between 2 Clement and Paul to shared Christian traditions. Carlton Paget problematizes the quest for Pauline influence on Barnabas in "Paul and the Epistle of Barnabas," teasing out the various levels of Barnabas's potential "Pauline" knowledge. Reading 1 Clement as an allegorical letter in "The Reception of Paul in 1 Clement," Clare K. Rothschild demonstrates 1 Clement's multifaceted, purposeful use of Paul's 1 Corinthians to address a new situation involving issues of authority and schism. Todd D. Still's short essay on Ignatius and Paul, "Ignatius and Paul on Suffering and Death: A Short, Comparative Study," argues, against Arthur J. Droge, that Paul does not share Ignatius's pathological desire for death. David J. Downs ("The Pauline Concept of Union with Christ in Ignatius of Antioch") analyzes the theme of union with Christ in Ignatius, contending that Ignatius's thoughts share great similarity with Paul's theology, even if direct dependence cannot be proven. Through a sociogeographic perspective in "Paul, Ignatius, and Thirdspace: A Socio-Geographic Exploration," Harry O. Maier compares and contrasts Paul's and Ignatius's creation of Thirdspace, particularly regarding their vision of church. He focuses attention on the way Ignatius employs civic language and imagery in the controversies over ecclesial leadership. Giving attention to social setting in "Neither 'Pure Evangelic Manna' nor 'Tainted Scraps': Reflections on the Study of Pseudo-Ignatius," L. Stephanie Cobb proposes that Pseudo-Ignatius uses the apostolic authority of Paul and Ignatius—particularly Pauline reception through Ignatius—to offer a moderating ethical position in the polarized ascetic environment of fourth-century Antioch. In "Polycarp's Reception of Paul and Rhetorical Structure: Can One Inform the Other?," David E. Wilhite analyzes the potential connections between the rhetorical aims of Polycarp's first letter to the Philippians and Polycarp's use of Pauline materials, particularly in light of Polycarp's use of Johannine, not Pauline, material in his attacks against docetism. Andrew Gregory's "Afterword: Some Reflections on Methods and Approaches," provides a helpful, critical synthesis of the volume's essays, highlighting the relations among the authors' arguments and marking intersections between this work and other recent publications. The volume is...

Paul: Windows on His Thought and His World by Maria Pascuzzi

Reviewed by: Paul: Windows on His Thought and His World by Maria Pascuzzi Mary T. Brien maria pascuzzi, Paul: Windows on His Thought and His World (Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2014). Pp. 302. Paper $31.95. Only a scholar of Maria Pascuzzi’s standing and experience could successfully introduce the reader to the essentials of Paul’s thought and world in a slim volume of some three hundred pages. Instead of treading the well-worn path of surveying Paul’s life and apostolate in a sequential manner, the author chooses the novel method of opening “windows” onto Paul’s world and his message. These “windows” come in the guise of ten chapters, the first three of which cover the basics of “Putting Paul in His Place,” “What Did Paul Do?,” and “The World of Paul’s Ministry.” The remaining seven chapters explore the heights and [End Page 150] the depths of Paul’s message as presented in those Pauline writings regarded as authentic. Topics covered include Paul’s good news, salvation, Paul and the law, fellowship with Christ, living as members of a saved community, Paul and women, and Paul and the Roman Empire. A valuable epilogue invites the reader to three “takeaways” that sum up neatly the author’s own approach in this book: “Paul must be studied in context” (p. 278); his theology is “re-shaped by an Encounter and re-focused through an Event”; and “responsible use of the biblical text is up to the reader” (p. 279). These “takeaways” are exemplified in the author’s methodology and conclusions throughout. Pascuzzi’s “windows” on Paul provide the reader, whether student or advanced scholar, with a rich vein of assimilated scholarship, which shines a light on the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds of Paul’s day and on Paul’s powerful message. Footnotes, sidebars and apt illustrations provide valuable resources and pointers toward further exploration. Reference to reliable websites adds another useful dimension. Knowledge of the prevailing cultures—Jewish and Greco-Roman—is shown to be relevant to any informed grappling with some of Paul’s most troublesome texts. Controversial aspects of Paul’s teaching are not shunned. Contemporary scholarship is invoked on the heated topics of Paul’s attitudes to women, to the empire, to sexual morality, and to homosexual activity. The disputed texts of 1 Cor 11:2–16 and 1 Cor 14:34–35, while contextualized within “the gender ideology prevalent in both pagan and Jewish culture at the time” (p. 239), are presented for what they are: “texts that were and are offensive to women.” A reminder follows: responsible scholarship would be remiss “if it filtered Paul’s views on women through these two texts alone to the neglect of the rest of the evidence” (p. 242). The vexed question of Paul’s ambivalent attitude to the Roman Empire, especially in texts such as Rom 13:1–7, is addressed at length. Yet the ambiguity is not excised. I know of no other scholarly companion to Paul published within the past ten years that achieves what this book achieves. Scholarly without being ponderous, it is much more than a primer. Attractively presented, with copious notes and references, it allows the amazing and enigmatic Paul to walk alive from the pages. Each chapter is prefaced by a list of selected biblical texts—required reading for what follows. By opening up “windows” on Paul and his thought, P. succeeds in respecting the richness and complexity of Paul and his message while refusing to deny the attending problems. As a most valuable resource for pastoral as well as academic requirements, this book deserves a place on bookshelves in parish and academy throughout the English-speaking world. It is a handbook to which academics, homilists, and interested readers are likely to return again and again. Mary T. Brien PBVM, MIC/University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland Copyright © 2017 Catholic Biblical Association of America

Rethinking Christian Identity: African Reflections from Pauline Writings

Abstract Despite its existence for over a century in Africa and statistics putting the Christian populations at average 80 percent mostly in sub-Saharan African countries, Christianity has not managed to provide an alternative identity to ethnicity as issues of identity continue dogging the continent. Many African societies remain divided and at war on the basis of identities, be they racial, tribal, creedal, gender, class, language or other identities. Surprisingly, this state of affairs is also found even within the precincts of the church. Many churches remain divided along racial, ethnic, tribal, and other identities. One does not need to look far and wide to acknowledge this reality. Does Christianity have an identity? Could the writings of Paul address the issues of Christian identity? Or do the writings address this problem at all? These are the questions at the heart of this paper. Making use of Pauline texts such as Galatians 3:28 and scholarly works such as those of Buell and Hodge (2004:237), I discuss Paul’s understanding of Christian identity and its implications for Christian identity in Africa today.

Une expression agonistique chez Saint Paul et dans trois inscriptions anatoliennes

The Pauline writings are rich in agonistic images. One of them is in 2 Tim 2,5 : ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀθλῇ τις, οὐ στεφανοῦται ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. The expression νομίμως ἀθλέω was often taken up by the Church Fathers. We find it in three inscriptions. The first, found in Zeitindağ, near the ancient Elaia, is a decree in honour of an athlete, Marcus Alfidius (G. E. Bean, Belleten 29, 1965, p. 588-593, n° 2) ; the beginning of the text can be improved. The second text is an inscription with unusual wording in honour of the winner in the Pythia of Delphi Pergamos (I. Ilion 125). The third is a Christian inscription from Artanada, in Isauria (Sterrett, Wolfe Expedition, 120) ; this epigram, who gets other agonistic images that are found in St. Paul, was to adorn the tomb of martyrs. 2 Tim 2,5 should be analysed in light of the many pagan and Christian texts using the expression νομίμως ἀθλέω : professional athletes must during their entire career follow the rules of life of the professional.

Paul in the Summa Theologiae by Matthew Levering

Reviewed by: Paul in the Summa Theologiae by Matthew Levering Aaron Canty Paul in the Summa Theologiae. By Matthew Levering. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2014. Pp. 336. $61.00 (cloth). ISBN: 978-0-8132-2597-5. It is not apparent to all readers of Thomas Aquinas that the Bible plays an indispensable role in his theology. That seems to be an unstated thesis of Matthew Levering in his book, Paul in the Summa Theologiae. After decades of relative neglect in the first half of the twentieth century and into the second half, Aquinas’s scriptural commentaries began to receive scholarly attention. Less attention, however, has been paid to the role of Scripture in Aquinas’s synthetic works, including the Summa theologiae. Using as a reference point Wilhelmus G. B. M. Valkenberg’s magisterial study Words of the Living God: Place and Function of Holy Scripture in the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, which evaluates scriptural citations in the Summa theologiae, Levering proposes a more circumscribed study, namely, to discover the particular contribution of Pauline texts to the Summa theologiae. Taking the Pauline corpus for what Aquinas understood it to be, namely, the fourteen letters of the New Testament from Romans to Hebrews, Levering undertakes a detailed study of Paul’s influence on Aquinas. Levering’s book is divided into three sections. The first section examines how Aquinas applies Pauline texts in his exposition of three theological topics: the Trinity, Christ’s passion, and baptism. In his treatment of each of these three topics, Levering follows the order of the Summa theologiae, locating each Pauline text and commenting on where and how Aquinas uses it, whether in an objection, the sed contra, the respondeo, or the reply to an objection. With respect to the Trinity, Aquinas uses Paul especially in the questions of the Prima pars on human knowledge of God (q. 12), God’s knowledge (q. 14), God’s will (q. 19), predestination (q. 23), God the Father (q. 33), and the missions of the Son and Holy Spirit (q. 43). Levering finds that Paul’s emphasis on human salvation is what links these theological topics. God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, wills to save humanity through Christ’s atoning death and resurrection, and the sending forth of the Holy Spirit allows humanity to respond in faith and love to the Father’s revelation in Christ. Regarding Christ’s passion, which Aquinas treats in questions 46 to 49 of the Tertia pars, Levering draws three main conclusions about Aquinas’s engagement with Paul. First, Aquinas emphasizes the importance of Christ’s love and obedience while enduring his suffering and death. Paul testifies to Christ’s love in Ephesians 5:2 and Galatians 2:20, and he underscores the role of Christ’s obedience to the Father in Philippians 2:8 and Romans 5:29. Second, Aquinas draws from the Pauline writings various soteriological elements of Christ’s death. These elements include the meriting of exaltation for himself and for those who believe in him (Phil 2:9), the sacrificial and redemptive dimensions of his death (Eph 5:2; Gal 3:13), and the exemplary [End Page 152] and revelatory functions by which God manifests his power and glory through human weakness (1 Cor 1:18 and 1:25; 2 Cor 12:4). Third, Aquinas describes how Christ’s passion changes the lives of believers. God elicits through Christ a free response in faith and love (Rom 3:25 and 5:8), reconciles humanity to himself (Rom 5:10), and liberates humanity from the power of the devil (2 Thess 2:9). Aquinas discusses the sacrament of baptism a little later in the Tertia pars (qq. 66-69). Levering finds that Pauline texts in the first three questions, which pertain to the nature of baptism, the minister, and the recipients respectively, play a smaller role than they do in question 69, which contains 26 of the 89 Pauline quotations Aquinas appropriates in the questions on baptism. Most of these quotations derive from Romans, in which Paul discusses baptism at some length. Romans 6:11 claims that Christians have been baptized into Christ...

“Oft in my face he doth his banner rest”

AbstractThis paper aims to shed light on the influence that metaphors of war as used in Pauline writings had on early English literature. The particular metaphorical exploitation of the semantic field of war fell on fertile ground in English contexts. For instance, the motifs of genuine English heroic poetry lent themselves well to be a canvas for a ‘religious turn’ in metaphor interpretation. To illustrate this process, selected examples from Old to Present-Day English are discussed from a cognitive linguistics perspective. The findings suggest that the forging of an English poetry tradition was accompanied by a continually recontextualising use of war metaphors. Finally, the analysis of the text samples is embedded into a model of general metaphor incorporation in literature.

Love and letter

In Hardy’s fiction love often entails biblical resurgences, notably from the New Testament. Among these, the first epistle to the Corinthians seems to be the most widely used. One thinks for instance of the strong echoes of it in The Return of the Native, Tess of the D’Urbervilles or Jude the Obscure.However, the attention granted to Job and Ecclesiastes has often led the diffuse yet insistent presence of Pauline writings in Hardy’s novels to be neglected, or has led to excessively narrow parallels. It will thus be necessary to probe into the patterns shared by the apostle and the writer, and into the modes of this intertextuality, in the light of Hardy’s well-know ambivalence towards Holy Scriptures, and of the paradoxes of his religious approach. This paper endeavours to get a better grasp on the torsions and inversions imposed by Hardy on the principle of love par excellence (Christian charity or agape) that is expounded in the epistle to the Corinthians. The integration of this biblical hypotext, and its appropriation by Hardy, lead in effect to the transformation of the epistle and of peripheral Pauline writings. This process of rewriting, which obviously implies a secularisation of the sacred and evinces a loss of the original divine perspective, constantly establishes and dissolves links between St Paul’s precepts and hardyan thought.The supposed influence of paulinism therefore seems to contain a strong polemical dimension, which the author weaves and unveils novel after novel. The novels illustrate the cruel or ironic limits of ideal love, which becomes deadly when it is elevated as a law, and remains inaccessible for the human subject without a divine perspective.

Who Wrote 2 Thessalonians? A Fresh Look at an Old Problem

In light of the New Perspective on Paul, recognition of apocalyptic as a central category in Pauline theology, and the crumbling consensus concerning seven authentic epistles of Paul, it is time to reconsider the arguments for the authenticity of his letters. Here the specific question of the authorship of 2 Thessalonians is re-examined. It is noted that many of the standard arguments for or against the authenticity of 2 Thessalonians are either irrelevant or inconclusive. This discussion seeks to reveal the slender evidential basis of certain ‘classic’ arguments against the authenticity of the letter, and also to present some fresh reasons why the epistle should be regarded as written by Paul. The implications of including 2 Thessalonians among the authentic Pauline writings are then examined. In particular, it is suggested that the development in Paul’s thinking as reflected in 2 Thessalonians reveals that his theological formulations developed in response to situations in his fledgling communities. In this regard, Paul’s theological positions emerged through a negotiated response to pressing pastoral situations.

“Apostle of (Self-)Consciousness”: The Figure of Saint Paul in Andrej Belyjʼs Istorija Stanovlenija Samosoznajuščej Duši

Hardly any figure in Andrei Belyiʼs Istoriia stanovleniia samosoznaiushchei dushi ( ISSD) is mentioned more often than the Apostle Paul. Belyiʼs late philosophical treatise often, whether directly or indirectly, refers to the person and work of the Apostle. Ranging from biographical concerns and Pauline thinking to Belyiʼs adoption of the Pauline writings, a multifaceted preoccupation with the person of the so-called apostle to the gentiles can be observed throughout ISSD and Belyiʼs oeuvre. This article aims to chart the stages of Belyiʼs relationship with Paul, and to indicate the parallels he draws between his life and work as prophet of the new Christianity and his own biography, which leads him to describe the Apostle as the first bearer of what he terms the (Self-)Consciousness Soul.

A biblical death-wish: Paul celebrating dying in Phil 1:21

Death features as an important concept in the Pauline writings in the New Testament for a number of reasons. However, the intriguing way in which the apostle at times addressed death as positive notion in itself, was traditionally related to Paul�s theological convictions and his understanding of the death of Christ in particular. The remarkably pointed way in which Paul positively celebrated death in Philippians 1:21 borders on invoking a martyrological paradigm, and raises questions about his convictions regarding life, and bodily existence in particular. Interesting analogies emerge when Paul�s celebration of death is compared in a concluding section with contemporary, popular instances where death is � even if for different reasons � presented as �gain�.