| title: | Introduction to the Early Christian Way of Thinking |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6849 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
6.6. Theology |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Eesti Evangeelse Luterliku Kiriku Usuteaduse Instituut (EELK UI) |
| head of project: | Randar Tasmuth |
| duration: | 01.01.2006 - 31.12.2008 |
| description: | In the following we point to the main areas of attention of our study. 1) Early Christian mentality is sometimes described as mystical way of thinking, and this kind of approach to religious phenomena is actual today. Studies on mystical aspects in the early Christianity helps us to differ between Christian and Oriental characteristics of mysticism. It goes without saying that such studies shed light to the tendencies we may see today. 2) Attention that is paid to the concept of religious thinking in general as a theme of modern theological studies has challenged scholars to make the results of theological studies understandable and applicable not only to theologians, but also to secular readers. The goal of our project is to find out and chart some elements of the way of thinking of the new movement that were decisive to the formation of its identity. Resting upon my earlier studies and experience I surmise that terms and concepts like gospel, truth, life, and lord(ship) are in the centre of the ideas that went through the process of modification and functioned as some kind of identity makers (and markers). At first we confine us hypothetically with these concepts and look which role these words had in the conflict of ideas within the early Christianity. At first, our hypothesis is that the conflict in early Christianity was not so much between the so-called “old” and the “new”. The conflicts were rather in the areas where Semitic and Hellenistic symbolic worlds intersected with the third one – a fresh proclamation, a new narrative of the man from Nazareth. Conflicts on the level of the shift of the meaning of the basic ideas (Begriff) are in the centre of the formation of the new way of thinking and self-understanding. Second, we suppose that one of the central reasons of conflict was the interpretation of the meaning of lord(ship). It is important for our study to clarify what kind of alterations of these concepts took place. Methodology. The main aspects of our work is as follows: The study of the meaning of the words and sentences that reflect important aspects of the early Christian way of thinking; tracing the trajectory of these ideas in the canonical, non-canonical and other contemporary literature (Begriffsgeschichte); mystical aspect is taken into consideration by dealing both with Jewish and Greek-Roman sources. At last an attempt will be made to envisage the trajectory (development) of these ideas and their place in the life of early Christians (Sitz im Leben). During the study texts and concepts are studied both in Jewish and Hellenistic contexts. Historical-critical methods are complemented with narrative and rhetoric criticism. An important part of the project is dedicated to L. Gulkowitsch, former professor of Judaic studies at the University of Tartu. His method, based on the history of ideas (begriffsgeschichtliche Methode), is not yet utilised. On the one hand, the works of Gulkowitsch are used as points of departure. On the other hand his method is a topic of examination. The first article collects the theses of his method and describes them in the context of the 1920s and 1930s. In the second article an attempt will be made to apply his method in order to study the application of one or two concepts of OT wisdom literature in the NT by Paul, i.e. in the context of the formation of the early Christian way of thinking. Importance of the study. The study will make clearer the impact of early Christian thinking to its environment and in the circumstances where new identity found itself in conflict with prevailing ideologies (polytheism, cult of Caesars). Today it is didactic and edifying to reflect upon the processes how this new way of thinking regulated its relations with Jewish and Hellenistic societies, pluralistic and monarchic ideologies and the state, Roman empire, that requested obedience. These mechanisms do not lose its importance in the history. The works contain both humanistic fundamental research and hermeneutical application. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Arne Hiob | |||
| 2. | Urmas Nõmmik | |||
| 3. | Randar Tasmuth | Eesti Evangeelse Luterliku Kiriku Usuteaduse Instituut (EELK UI) | ||