Husband, Wife, Father, Child, Master, Slave: Peter through Roman Eyes
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
When the New Testament speaks of slaves and masters, is it affirming an institution that we find reprehensible? Biblical scholars across the theological and political spectrum generally conclude that the answer is “yes.” And in the same passages the Bible seems to affirm male dominance in marriage, if not in society at large. This book meticulously places these passages, the Bible’s “household codes,” in their historical and literary context, focusing on 1 Peter’s extensive code. A careful side-by-side reading with Rome’s cultural equivalent (Aristotle’s household code) reveals both the brilliance of the biblical author and the depth of 1 Peter’s antipathy toward slavery and misogyny.
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“Summary: In contrast to many biblical scholars who argue that
the “household codes” of scripture do indeed, for various reasons,
affirm cultural role expectations, this work argues that Peter’s
version is actually a subtle satire that opposes the cultural norms
of Greco-Roman culture.”
“I think the strength of this work is the extensive cultural
background work on household codes that serves as the basis for
showing how 1 Peter parodies these codes as a form of dissent from
them rather than support for them. His approach of setting 1 Peter
and Aristotle side by side is instructive for showing how Peter’s
vision of the household of God (1 Peter 2:5; 4:17) contrasts with
the Aristotelian household. This reading removes the stumbling
block of these texts’ implicit support for slavery and the
subordination of women without treating the texts as anachronisms
or accommodations. It also reminds us that it is possible for
biblical writers to use satire and wit in their writing, something
we may overlook in our seriousness about biblical authority.”
---Bob Trube, Bob on Books Blog
Product Details
- Title : Husband, Wife, Father, Child, Master, Slave: Peter through Roman Eyes
- Author: Schaefer, Kurt C.
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Publication Date: 2018
- ISBN: 9781532640650
I was born in 1958 in Peoria, Illinois, to a German-Lutheran
family in Richard Pryor's neighborhood. My education (large urban
high school to University of Michigan) was strong on the liberal
arts, and led to a PhD in econometrics and the history of economic
thought. I have taught mainly in New York and Michigan, but also in
London, Budapest, and Oslo. After teaching for several decades, I
completed a Master of Divinity degree (think of Fred Rogers or
Desmond Tutu).
Most of my writing has been for scholarly journals, doing economic
analysis of international trade or gender-pay differentials or
poverty policy or economic thought in classical civilizations. I've
directed a social research center and led an internship/seminar
program on nonprofit leadership for liberal arts students. I do
quite a bit of speaking at college chapel services and other
church-related venues, and I am the parish accordionist (!) in my
religious congregation. I definitely have the best spouse and
children in the universe. As time allows, I also enjoy sailing,
walking, and cooking.