Alexandrian theology Quick reference
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3 ed.)
... theology . A modern designation for a style of theology associated with the Church of Alexandria . It is particularly used (in contrast to Antiochene theology ) of forms of belief which emphasized the Divine nature of Christ and the unity of His person. In their exegesis of the Bible the Alexandrians were drawn to mystical and allegorical exposition, in contrast with the literal and historical method of Antioch. See also Catechetical School of Alexandria...
Alexandrian theology Reference library
Mark Edwards
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (4 ed.)
...Alexandrian theology This is a modern designation for a style of theology associated with the Church at Alexandria . In contrast to those of Antioch, Alexandrian followers of Clement and Origen largely ignored the historical circumstances of the author, using allegory and typology to invest every passage of scripture with a lofty and timeless sense. In Christology ‘Alexandrian’ (in contrast to ‘ Antiochene ’) refers to forms and expressions of belief which laid special stress on the divine nature of Christ and the unity of his person. Its primary exemplar is...
Alexandrian theology
The New Testament Reference library
David Parker
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible
...that what had been named the western recension by Semler was very distinctive, against the Alexandrian and eastern texts. The claim that this Western Text is consistently better than the other two has been upheld by some people ever since. But the majority of scholars were becoming aware of the virtues of the Alexandrian witnesses. This trend was encouraged by the researches of J. J. Griesbach (1745–1812), who gave these three text-types their common names Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine. Griesbach was also the first scholar to show how three types of...
Modern Translations Reference library
Stanley E. Porter
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible
...vitriolic, but as is so often the case in instances such as this, much of it was misdirected and misguided. For example, there were accusations that theological truths had been lost in the translation. Some of these accusations overlooked the fact that in certain places many of these truths were still reflected, but they were often not to be found where the underlying original text did not include such theological wording. The consensus has been that the Revised Standard Version in most ways accomplished its purpose. The committee was not content with its product...
The Apocrypha Reference library
Philip Davies
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible
...visions given to Salathiel (identified with Ezra), reflecting the recent destruction of Jerusalem and the theological problems posed by this catastrophe for the nature of God and the redemption of the people of Israel. There are also some (varied) speculations about the messianic future. Wisdom, or the Wisdom of Solomon, is one of the two originally Greek compositions in the Apocrypha, and is generally agreed to have been composed by an Alexandrian Jew, probably in the first century bce . It claims Solomonic authorship ( ch. 7 ), personifies Wisdom as an...
The Bible in Judaism Reference library
Philip Alexander
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible
...the farflung Jewish diaspora than it was for their Palestinian co-religionists who lived nearer the Jerusalem temple. The most important of these diaspora centres was at Alexandria in Egypt, where there was a large, prosperous, and well-educated Jewish community. A number of Alexandrian Jews acquired a good Greek education and produced syntheses of Jewish and Greek ideas which were to be of incalculable importance for the subsequent development of European thought. A portrait of Moses reading from the Torah, from the West Wall of the ancient synagogue...
Visions of Kingdoms: From Pompey to the First Jewish Revolt Reference library
Amy-Jill Levine
Oxford History of the Biblical World
...the century. Moreover, the evangelists are addressing the concerns of the early Christian communities, most likely outside Palestine. Theological statements written by passionate believers rather than unbiased outsiders' recollections, the Gospels present, each in its own way, the story of Jesus adapted to meet the needs of the diverse Christian groups in the early years of the church. Theology and history need not be mutually exclusive, but even so how we read the stories of Jesus preserved from antiquity will to a great extent be determined...
1 Chronicles Reference library
H. P. Mathys, H. P. Mathys, and H. P. Mathys
The Oxford Bible Commentary
...roughly up to 460 or 320 bce ; it is not of much help. Theology. 1. The underlying presumption of this commentary is that Chronicles can be seen as a counter to Manetho, Hekataios, and Berossos, whilst providing an alternative to the predominant Hellenistic values of the time. It ascribes well-received Hellenistic improvements (in agriculture, fortress construction, army organization, and warfare technology) to Israel, but virtually ignores or implicitly combats Greek culture and theology. This thesis has been partially anticipated by Welten ( 1973 )....
Acts Reference library
Loveday Alexander and Loveday Alexander
The Oxford Bible Commentary
...a theological interpretation through a lengthy speech by Peter ( 3:11–26 ), which in turn provokes its own reactions ( 4:1–4 ). But this time there is a new twist to the plot. Peter's action attracts the attention of the temple authorities, and the apostles are arrested and put on trial ( 4:5–12 ). This is the first of a series of trial scenes that will dominate Acts, bringing out the full forensic implications of the apostles' calling to act as Jesus' ‘witnesses’ ( 1:8 ), and expanding the circle of characters used by Luke to explore the theological...
Churches in Context: The Jesus Movement in the Roman World Reference library
Daniel N. Schowalter
Oxford History of the Biblical World
... Apparently, some Jews were attempting to improve their status by joining in games and other activities. This intrusion prompted some Alexandrians to attack the Jewish community, at times violently. Claudius threatened to punish both sides if the dispute was not resolved, but he imposed extra restrictions on the Jews. Most notably, in order to relieve the xenophobic fears of the Alexandrians, the emperor prohibited further Jewish immigration into the city. These actions illustrated the Roman desire to maintain order, whatever the cost. Unlike...
Israel among the Nations: The Persian Period Reference library
Mary Joan Winn Leith
Oxford History of the Biblical World
...the book of Haggai is written entirely in the third person, as a historical narrative rather than a first-person delivery of Yahweh's word. Nonetheless, both prophets address the corollary principle of preexilic Temple ideology, namely, the Zion/David theology. Most notably expressed in Psalms, this theology proclaimed that the king rather than the priesthood bore primary responsibility for protecting and promoting the national worship. Haggai more than Zechariah retains the older monarchical ideals, specifically in association with Zerubbabel. Repeating...
Introduction to the Apocrypha Reference library
Martin Goodman
The Oxford Bible Commentary
...sent to Alexandria from Jerusalem by the high priest Eleazar at the behest of King Ptolemy II Philadelphus (283–246 bce ) and, although the detailed historicity of this legend is dubious, and it is more likely that the work was commissioned by Greek-speaking Jews, the Alexandrian origin of the work is plausible since a festival to celebrate the translation was held there regularly in the first century ce (Philo, vit. Mos. 2.7 (41)). But the other books were translated piecemeal and quite possibly in other parts of the Greek-speaking diaspora. All...
Between Alexandria and Antioch: Jews and Judaism in the Hellenistic Period Reference library
Leonard J. Greenspoon
Oxford History of the Biblical World
...intellectual curiosity that he would have given strong royal support to his chief librarian's request for a Greek translation of the sacred texts, especially the laws, of his Jewish subjects. At the same time, such a version would have been promoted and widely accepted in the Alexandrian Jewish community, among whom knowledge of Hebrew was growing rarer. Although the Letter of Aristeas narrates the arrival from Jerusalem of seventy-two elders as translators, Alexandria itself probably supplied the group responsible for this earliest foreign-language version. As...
John Reference library
René Kieffer and René Kieffer
The Oxford Bible Commentary
... 1987–8 ; 1992 ). He wants primarily to show that Jesus really is the Messiah and the Son of God ( cf. Jn 20:31 ). Matthew has already dared to group Jesus' preaching into five or six longer discourses in order to favour his own theological purpose; John is even bolder when he freely organizes his material according to his theological views, making no stylistic difference between what Jesus, the Baptist, or he himself has to say. 3. The Johannine presentation is permeated with contrasts between light and darkness, life and death, truth and falsehood, heaven...
The Wisdom of Solomon Reference library
William Horbury and William Horbury
The Oxford Bible Commentary
...(in his comment cited in wis b .1). This date is one of those which might suit address to the kings of the earth ( 6:1 ) and opposition to ruler-cult and idolatry ( chs. 13–15 ), with the depiction of persecution ( chs. 1–6 ), for these are themes of Philo's defence of the Alexandrian Jews under Caligula; but the academic tone of the remarks on ruler-cult is less urgent than would be natural under Caligula, and this date allows less time than would be expected for the book to gain the high esteem implied by its Christian usage. The first-century bce date...
Essay with Commentary on Post-Biblical Jewish Literature Reference library
Philip S. Alexander
The Oxford Bible Commentary
...Rather, both traditions probably originated in the speculations of priestly circles in the Jerusalem temple in late Second Temple times. These priests were probably attempting to reach a more theological understanding of prayer, and to deepen the spirituality of temple worship. The same general motivation may lie behind the emergence of a sacramental theology of sacrifice which linked the binding of Isaac ( anth a .6) with the Temple Mount, behind which was the idea that the great temple sacrifices were efficacious to atone for sin because they were a...
Antiochene theology
Polychronius
