Stephen's Prophetic Speech and Luke's New Exile
Many understand Stephen's speech in Acts 7 as having theological implications regarding unbelieving Jews and the Jerusalem temple. In this study, however, I reassess Stephen's speech through the lens of prophetic critique and argue that his speech, based on the Hebrew prophets, is not enti...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Catholic Biblical Association of America
2024
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| In: |
The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2024, Volume: 86, Issue: 1, Pages: 104-123 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Acts of the Apostles
/ Bible. Apostelgeschichte 7
/ Prophet
/ Prophecy
/ Exile
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| IxTheo Classification: | BH Judaism HA Bible HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Stephen's speech
B Early Christianity B new exile B prophetic critique B Luke-Acts |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Many understand Stephen's speech in Acts 7 as having theological implications regarding unbelieving Jews and the Jerusalem temple. In this study, however, I reassess Stephen's speech through the lens of prophetic critique and argue that his speech, based on the Hebrew prophets, is not entirely negative. Before looking closely at Stephen's speech, I provide a brief overview of the prophetic critique in Luke-Acts as well as a discussion of its interpretation and appropriation. The prophetic heritage, in which Luke portrays Stephen, calls for repentance and warns of judgment, yet may still retain hope for restoration. Although Acts is often read as a story of new exodus for early Christianity, I suggest reading the narrative (of which Stephen's speech is a plausible microcosm) as anticipating a new exile. I believe readings of Acts that highlight exile, such as the one I suggest here, have the capacity to better hold Luke's tensions and conflicts that the early Jesus movement had with late Second Temple Judaism. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-2529 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
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