Bnts Programme 2014 Final Anon PDF

BRITISH NEW
TESTAMENT
SOCIETY 2014
34th Annual Conference
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
Wifi
Wifi is available in all University buildings.Temporary guest accounts are available at the Conference Reception
Desk during registration.The University is also part of the eduroam network and if your computing devices are
already registered with eduroam you should be able to use the system automatically.
Publishers Display
The publishers display is located in the Dining Room in Hulme Hall.
From Egypt to Manchester: Unraveling the John Rylands Papyrus Collection

A trip to the Papyrology Conference at The John Rylands Library is organised for free time on Friday
afternoon.Please note that only those who have registered in advance can attend the conference but others
are welcome to join the group for a general trip to the Library. The group will leave from Hulme Hall reception
at 1300 and will aim to be back by 1600.
Departure
Rooms must be vacated by 10:00 on Saturday, 6th September unless delegates have made special
arrangements with the conference organisers.There will be space in Hulme Hall to store your luggage before
your departure.
Organisers and Contacts

Benedict Kent (general enquiries) 07597 649065
Hannah Mansell (registration) +44 (0)161 275 3319
Photo Credits
Front cover: The John Rylands Library; Inside cover: The Copper Scroll, which was opened at Manchester
(c) 2014 The University of Manchester all rights reserved. Used with permission.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
Thursday, 4th September
1500-1730
Check-in and Registration
Reception
1730-1830
Reception
Dining Room
1830-1930
Dinner
Dining Room
2000-2130
Plenary Session 1: Prof. Joan Taylor

Mary Magdalene and the Case of the Missing Magdala
John Hartshorne Lecture Theatre
2100-0000
The Bar is open
Bar
Friday, 5th September

0730-0800
Morning Prayer
Junior Common Room
0730-0845
Breakfast
Dining Room
0900-1030
Seminar Groups: Session 1
See page 4
1030-1100
Coffee
Dining Room
1100-1230
See page 4
1230-1330
Lunch
Dining Room
1330-1600
Free time
Papyrology Conference
John Rylands Library, Deansgate
1400
Committee Meeting
Junior Common Room
1515-1545
Tea
Dining Room
1600-1730
Short Papers
See page 4
1730-1800
Reception
Dining Room
1800-1900
Dinner
Dining Room
1915-2000
BNTS Business Meeting
20002130
Plenary Session 2: Prof. Judith Lieu

Marcion and the Contradictions of the Gospel
(Graham Stanton Memorial Lecture)
2130-0030
The Bar will be open
Bar
Saturday, 6th September

Rooms must be vacated by 1000.
0730-0810
Eucharist
Junior Common Room
0730-0900
Breakfast
Dining Room
0830-1015
Jesus Seminar Session 3
See page 4
0915-1045
See page 4
1000
Rooms must be vacated. There will be space to store luggage in Hulme Hall.
1045-1115
Coffee
Dining Room
1115-1245
Plenary Session 3: Dr Simon Gathercole

Jesus, the Apostolic Gospel, and the Gospels
1300-1400
Lunch and Departures
Dining Room
SEMINAR LOCATIONS
Acts
(page 5)
Hulme Hall
Sessions 1 & 2: Lecture Theatre
Session 3: Junior Common Room
Early Christianity
(page 5)
St Gabriels
Junior Common Room
Jesus
(page 6)
Hulme Hall
Old Dining Hall
*Session 3 will begin at 0830-1015
Johannine Literature
(page 6)
St Gabriels
Chapel
New Testament and

Second Temple Judaism
(page 7)
Dalton Ellis
Committee Room
New Testament: Use and

Influence
(page 7)
Hulme Hall
Session 1 & 2: Junior Common Room
Session 3: Lecture Theatre
Paul
(page 7)
Hulme Hall
Seminar Room
Revelation
(page 8)
Dalton Ellis
Dalton Library
Simultaneous Short Papers

(page 8)
Group 1: Hulme Hall Lecture Theatre

Group 2: Hulme Hall ODR
Group 3: Hulme Hall Seminar Room
Social World of the New

Testament
(page 9)
Dalton Ellis
Gallery
Synoptic Gospels
(page 9)
Dalton Ellis
Lecture Room
MAPS ON PAGES 45 & 46, NEAR THE END OF THE PROGRAMME.
SEMINAR PAPERS
ACTS
Chairs: Matthew Sleeman & Steve Walton
Abstracts on page 10
Session 1
Josh Mann (University of Edinburgh)

Illumination in Acts and Jewish Unbelief
Dr Matthew Sleeman (Oak Hill College, London)
Making Place while in Chains: Pauls Captivity and the Continuing Productions
of Space within Acts
Session 2
Dr Dirk Jongkind (St Edmunds College & Tyndale House, Cambridge)

Textual Criticism and the Greek Text of Acts: An Editors Account
Dr Jenny Read-Heimerdinger (University of Wales Trinity St. David)
Who are We? Clues in the Variant Readings of Acts to the Identity of the We-group
Session 3
Kylie Crabbe (University of Oxford)

Locating the Present: The Periodisation of History in the Animal Apocalypse,
Daniel 7, and Luke/Acts
Dany Christopher (Durham University)
The Echo and Function of Passover in the Rescue Narratives of Peter
(Acts 12:125) and Paul (Acts 27:1344)
EARLY CHRISTIANITY Theme: Gender
Chair: Loveday Alexander
Session 1
Professor Jorunn kland (Oslo University)

Mapping the territory: Gender Studies and Early Christianity today
Session 2
Elif Aynaci (University of Manchester)

Married life in Ephesus and in the New Testament texts related to Ephesus
Kimberley Fowler (University of Manchester)
Souls Femininity and the Theme of Repentance in the Exegesis on the Soul
Session 3
Panel review
Kate Cooper, Band of Angels: The Forgotten Worlds of Early Christian Women. (London:
Atlantic Books, 2013).
Panellists:
Dr Paul Middleton (University of Chester)
Dr Dominika Kurek-Chomycz (Liverpool Hope University)
Repondent:
Dr Kate Cooper (University of Manchester)
Themes and proposals for future programmes
JESUS
Chairs: Helen Bond & Chris Keith
Session 1
Orality and the Gospels: A Discussion with Eric Eve and Rafael Rodrguez
Eric Eve (Harris Manchester College, Oxford)
Rafael Rodrguez (Johnson University, USA)
Session 2
Jesse Nickel (University of St Andrews)

The Battle with Beelzebul: Eschatological Violence, Jesus Exorcisms,
and the Coming of the Kingdom of God
Crispin Fletcher-Louis (Whymanity Research and Training)
Jesus divine self-consciousness: a proposal
Markus Bockmuehl (Keble College, Oxford)
The God of Israel and the Eschatology of Jesus
Session 3
Panel review
Jens Schrters From Jesus to the New Testament: Early Christian Theology
and the Origin of the New Testament Canon (Baylor University Press, 2013).
Panellists:
Jens Schrter (Humboldt Universitt zu Berlin)
Helen K. Bond (University of Edinburgh)
James Crossley (University of Sheffield)
Eddie Adams (Kings College London)
JOHANNINE LITERATURE
Chairs: David Lamb & Janet Unsworth
Session 1
Joshua Coutts (New College, University of Edinburgh)

I have come in my Fathers Name: John 5.43 in the context of Johns Name-Christology
Laura Hunt (University of Trinity St. Davids)
: Are You an Emperor, or a King?
Session 2
Prof. Dr. George H. van Kooten (Cambridge (visiting fellow 2013-14) / Groningen)
Heraclitus Axiom about Apollo neither telling nor concealing, but signifying:An
Ancient Semiotic Interpretation of Johns Signs, Dark Speech, and Figures of Speech
Prof. Andrew T. Lincoln (University of Gloucestershire)
A Life of Jesus as Testimony: The Divine Courtroom and the Gospel of John
Session 3
Anthony Royle (The Centre of Jewish-Christian Studies)

1 John as Midrash Pesher on Genesis 1-4: Eschatological Typology, Structure
and Early Christian Polemics
Sookgoo Shen (University of Cambridge)
Is there moral progress in Johns Gospel?
NT & SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM
Chair: James Davila
Session 1
Matthew Novenson (University of Edinburgh)

The Misguided Quest for the First Messiah
Session 2
Prof. Jim Davila (University of St. Andrews)

Roles of Angels and Demons in 1 Enoch and the Synoptic Gospels
Session 3
David Armitage (University of Nottingham)

Humiliation, eloquence and the pursuit of the good in Philo and Paul
NEW TESTAMENT: USE AND INFLUENCE
Chairs: Alison Jack & John Lyons
Session 1
Professor John Vincent (Urban Theology Unit, Sheffield)

New Moves in Practice Criticism
Rev Dr Kevin Ellis
Using the Drama of the Gospels to recreate stories of hope on the edge
Session 2
Panel discussion
James Crossley, Harnessing Chaos: The Bible in English Political Discourse since 1968
(Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2014)
William John Lyons, Joseph of Arimathea: A Study in Reception History
(Oxford University Press, 2014)
John Lyons (University of Bristol)
Jorunn kland (University of Oslo)
Robert Myles (University of Auckland)
Session 3
Dr Christine Joynes (University of Oxford)

Points of View: Assessing the Value of Visual Exegesis
PAUL
Chairs: Peter Oakes & Sarah Whittle
Session 1
Dorothea H. Bertschmann (Durham University)

Revenge is Mine, I Will Pay Back Re-visiting the Place of Divine Wrath
and Vengeance in Pauls Letter to the Romans
Panel/Open Discussion: Wrath and judgement in Pauls letters and theology
Francis Watson (Durham University)
Simon Gathercole (University of Cambridge)
Michael Thompson (Ridley Hall, Cambridge)
PAUL continued
Session 2
Jeanette Hagen (Durham University)

Faith in Christ: An Exegetical Examination of 2 Corinthians and Galatians
Revd Jonathon Tallon (University of Manchester)
Faith in Paul: the View from Late Antiquity
Open Discussion: What doespistismean?
Session 3
Matt OReilly (University of Gloucestershire)

Temporal Aspects of Social Identity in 1 Corinthians 15
David Harvey (University of Manchester)
Boasting in the Cross: Reconfigured Honour as the Ethics of Galatians
Open Discussion: What place do issues of social identity have in Pauls letters?
REVELATION
Chairs: Ian Paul & Simon Woodman
Session 1
Towan Greene (University of Sheffield)

Reading Revelation Typologically
Dr Ian Paul
The sources, structure and composition of Revelation
Session 2
Garrick V Allen (University of St Andrews)

The Process of Changing Texts
Timothy B. Sailors (Eberhard-Karls-Universitt Tbingen)
The Testimony of Jesus and the Spirit of Prophecy in the Apocalypse
of John and in Early Christianity
Session 3
Robert Royalty (Wabash College)

Demonic Symposia in the Apocalypse of John
Group Discussion: Future trends in apocalyptic studies
SIMULTANEOUS SHORT PAPERS
Chair: Paul Middleton
Session 1
Dr Dorothea Bertschmann (Durham University)

Hosting Jesus- revisiting Lukes sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50)
Michelle Fletcher (Kings College London)
Altering our Texts to Alter our Assumptions: What comes into a Woman and
what comes out of a Woman in Mark 7
SIMULTANEOUS SHORT PAPERS continuted

Session 2
Wei-Hsien Wan (Exeter University)

Here, There, Everywhere: The Contest for Space in the Imperial Cults and
Earliest Christianity in Roman Anatolia
Owen Edwards (University of Chester)
The Allegorical Spectrum: Motivations, Methods, and Results in Philo and Hebrews
Session 3
Ray Lozano (University of Edinburgh)

Matthews Temptation Account and Its Implications for the Worship of Jesus
Andrew Kelley (University of Edinburgh)
Moses Staff and Jesus Disciples in Mark 6:7-13
SOCIAL WORLD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Chairs: Lloyd Pietersen & Minna Shkul
Session 1
David M. Shaw (Exeter University)

Called to Bless: Considering an Underappreciated Aspect of Doing Good in 1 Peter
David Horrell (Exeter University)
A Chosen (White) Race? The Intersections of Religion, Ethnicity, Racism, and
Empire in Early Christian Texts and Modern New Testament Scholarship
Session 2
Richard Britton (University of Manchester)

Beyond the Branches; Between the Shoots: Deconstructing Oleiculture
in Romans 11:16-24
Alan Le Grys (University of Kent)
Sexuality and Purity in the NT World
Session 3
Rafael Rodrguez (Johnson University)

Oral Tradition and the New Testament: Reconfiguring the Question
SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
Chairs: Andy Angel & Elizabeth Shively
Session 1
Introduction to the problem

Elizabeth Shively
The Temple and the Cross in Mark: Another look at Christus Victor
Session 2
Monique Cuany
He was numbered with the lawless (Luke 22:37): Substitution in Lukes Passion Narrative
Michael Flowers
Did Luke believe that Jesus death had any redemptive significance?
Session 3
Tim Carter
Drinking the blood of the covenant
ABSTRACTS
ACTS
Session 1
Josh Mann (University of Edinburgh)
Illumination in Acts and Jewish Unbelief
The depiction of Jewish unbelief and rejection of the gospel in Acts has led scholars
to diverse conclusions about the authors attitude toward Jewsfrom a sympathetic
author to an anti-Semitic author. Absent from the discussion has been a sufficient
accounting for how the theme of ignorance and illumination, the concealing and
revealing of knowledge to characters, in Luke-Acts relates to Jewish unbelief in Acts.
This paper sets Jewish unbelief in Acts against the backdrop of the theme of illumination,
and then rereads the final rejection narrative in Acts 28 accordingly. It will be argued
that Luke offers a sympathetic interpretation of Jewish unbelief and rejection of the
gospel in Acts and leaves open the possibility of Jewish repentance in the future.
Dr Matthew Sleeman (Oak Hill College, London)
Making Place while in Chains: Pauls Captivity and the Continuing
Productions of Space within Acts
From Acts 21 onwards, Paul is a prisoner, unable to affect the production of space
and place in the manner possible in the preceding chapters which recount his relative
liberty to undertake missionary journeys. This paper explores how Paul continues to
speak and act in such a way as to continue shaping and projecting spatial practices and
projections during his extended captivity and the constraints it enforces on him. The
paper traces how, as prisoner, Pauls words and deeds both continue and bring to a
provisional climax the spatial vision pursued in earlier chapters of Acts. Having explored
these earlier productions of space in part in my Geography and the Ascension Narrative
in Acts (Cambridge University Press, 2009), this paper builds on, questions and extends
that work. It also raises some critical questions regarding the use of spatial theory for
reading scripture and, relatedly, about how scripture can itself inform readings for
space and place. Thus, as well as helping illuminate the latter chapters of Acts, this
paper also highlights the need for ancient texts to inform modern theory.
Session 2
Dr Dirk Jongkind (St Edmunds College & Tyndale House, Cambridge)
Textual Criticism and the Greek Text of Acts: An Editors Account
Tyndale House, Cambridge is working on a critical edition of the Greek text of the
New Testament, and recently a first draft of Acts was completed. This paper will share
some of the observations on source-materials, questions that posed themselves, and
reflections on the whole process.
10
The genre of Acts is unique within the New Testament and so is the situation of the
witnesses to its text. Within the big manuscripts Acts behaves as any other part of
the New Testament, but in the type and number of individual manuscripts Acts
shows some distinctives. Some of the materials for the study of the text of Acts that
have not been used very often will be pointed out, among which is the work of
Cosmas Indicopleustas.
The Greek text of Acts is known for its special text-critical situation, and the problem
posed by the so-called Western text requires careful reflection on the nature of the
various textual traditions. When is a text form still the same text with variations and
when does it become a different edition of the same text? How did one evolve into
the other? Is it possible to make a summary judgement on the whole of the text instead
of working on a case by case basis? We will argue that the Western text is the product
of a consistent, sustained, and unified editorial activity that covered virtually the whole
book. At present, it seems that when compared to the whole of the New Testament,
only in Acts we find editing on such scale.
In the course of preparing the Tyndale House edition the editors had to deal with
many small issues. These range from the spelling of simple words and determining
where one sentence stops and the next starts, to getting to know the ways in which
manuscripts deal with citations from the Greek Old Testament. Decisions have to be
made regarding text lay-out, readers helps, and general presentation. It is only once
one has to take responsibility for all these features that theirat timesproblematic
nature becomes clear.
Dr Jenny Read-Heimerdinger (University of Wales Trinity St. David)
Who are We? Clues in the Variant Readings of Acts to the Identity of the We-group
The identity and purpose of the we-group in Acts have been much debated, not
least because of the importance accorded to them for determining not only Lukes
purpose in telling his story but also the genre of his work. It seems that ancient readers
were also uncertain, for there are significant variant readings at the places where the
we-group are mentioned.
It will be argued in this paper that first person readings not retained by the current
Greek edition of the NT throw interesting light on the question. Notably, in the
composite picture of Codex Bezae (D.05), we can be seen to designate a group
of Pauls companions who function in the narrative as a collective character. They
play an enhanced role in that manuscript compared with the familiar text, both in
terms of the frequency of their appearance (they are active at 11.28; 13.14 and 21.29
in addition to the common references) and in the nature of their intervention (there
are significant differences of wording in the shared references of 16.10 and 21.11-12).
The group of companions speak as people who knew and understood Paul very well.
Their special role, as disciples who are in tune with the Holy Spirit, is to act as guides to
keep Paul following the path appointed by God at times when he deviates from it.
In this form of the narrative, Pauls inclination to take another direction is seen to be
11
prompted by his resistance to accept the mission to the Gentiles until the salvation
of Israel is secure.
Session 3
Kylie Crabbe (University of Oxford)
Locating the Present: The Periodisation of History in the Animal Apocalypse,
Daniel 7, and Luke/Acts
Traditional criticisms levelled at Luke/Acts range from claims that Luke focuses on
theologia gloriae at the expense of a theologia crucis, to assertions that he is apolitical
(or, worse, advocates complicity with ruling authorities), or that he has removed any
sense of imminence from eschatological expectations in order to address a crisis
brought about by the parousias delay. Such criticisms have been countered in various
ways. However, I argue that these concerns can also be addressed by attention to the
underlying shape of history in Lukes account.
This paper suggests that the focus on resurrection, presence of the Spirit, and the
spatial location of Jesus at Gods right from the time of his ascension confirms that
Luke understands that a new period of history has begun through Jesus resurrection.
It argues that Lukes understanding of history, as periodised, planned, and approaching
a telos, is reminiscent of the understanding found in apocalypses. This builds on C.
Kavin Rowes insight that Luke is apocalyptic (in his World Upside Down: Reading
Acts in the Graeco-Roman Age, Oxford: OUP, 2009, 137) but, through a systematic
treatment of history in apocalypses, attempts a comparison that illuminates what this
might mean in terms of Lukes theological account of history.
In this paper I consider two apocalypses with historical reviews, 1 Enochs Animal
Apocalypse and Daniel 7, identifying the temporal placement of key events in these
histories. The location of the historical present is of particular interest, as a period of
affliction of the righteous and enlightenment for a select group, which stands on the
cusp of decisive divine action that will lead ultimately to restoration of the righteous.
In comparing the schema of history in these texts to the understanding of key events
of history in Luke/Acts, I note that Luke presumes a similar pattern, though with one
crucial difference: the resurrection of Jesus is presented as the basis for assurance
that the ultimate period has already begun.
Dany Christopher (Durham University)
The Echo and Function of Passover in the Rescue Narratives of Peter (Acts 12:125)
and Paul (Acts 27:1344)
That Passover plays an important role in Lukes soteriology (cf. Luke 22:1ff) is generally
accepted by scholars. However, the significant role of Passover in Acts has not gain
a lot of interest. While a number of scholars note the echo of Passover in the rescue
narrative of Peter (Acts 12:125), they seldom discuss its function. Even fewer are
the discussions on the possible echo to Passover in the rescue narrative of Paul
12
(Acts 27:1344). Thus, in this paper I propose that both rescue narratives echo back
to Israels Passover narrative (Exodus 12) as well as Jesus new Passover narrative
(Luke 22). I believe that these twofold allusions serve as a hermeneutical key to
understand the rescue narratives of Peter and Paul.
To support my view, two points will be argued. First, I will show that the link between
Jesus new Passover and Israels Passover is necessary to signify the continuity and
climax of Gods salvation. Second, the same pattern and link can also be found in the
rescue narrative of Peter and Paul. In these narratives, both Peter and Paul experience
death threat. Yet both also experience salvation from their present danger. Building
on these two points I will analyse the function of the Passover in the two rescue
narratives, putting into account the similarities and the differences between the two.
EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Theme: Gender
Session 1
Professor Jorunn kland (Oslo University)
Mapping the territory: Gender Studies and Early Christianity today
The paper will survey current interests in gender studies at large, and gender studies
in the Humanities in particular, and then move on to analyse what is currently going
on in the area of gender studies in Early Christianity and New Testament. Biblical
scholars often complain that theoretically, they seem to be lagging 20 years behind
other Humanities disciplines, but is this a fair self-criticism? The paper will finally point
to current possibilities that are under-explored in current gender studies in Early
Christianity, and discuss the significance of the award of the Ratzinger Prize (2014) to
Anne-Marie Pelletier, the first woman to receive the prize, and a scholar of gender
and Early Christianity - among other things.
Session 2
Elif Aynaci (University of Manchester)
Married life in Ephesus and in the New Testament texts related to Ephesus
The place of Ephesus as a city in early Christian history has proved to be vital. The
works of early Christian authors which are related to Ephesus, in the New Testament
letters in particular, shed light on the life of the early Christians. Marriage is a major
part of this life and it constituted an abundant subject for early Christian writings. In
this paper we would like to focus on the Ephesian letters from the New Testament
and examine the lives of women as wives in a deeper light. This subject is open to
discussion from many different aspects.
First of all, we will argue that in order to study an Ephesian New Testament text
properly, Greco-Roman culture, not Roman, needs to be taken into consideration.
Our argument propounds that local evidence is an essential compound for the
13
interpretation of the New Testament texts. We will engage with inscriptions, tombstones in particular, as our local evidence from Ephesus.
Secondly, we will try to see how early Christian authors perceived the relationship
between the couple and if they really treated the male and the female partner
equally or not. The equality issue is an ongoing debate in the scholarship. The
argument about different degrees of equality in different letters originates from
and relies greatly on the assumption of how much early Christian authors were aware
of their surrounding culture and how much they preferred to be in line with it.
This paper will argue that the Ephesian letters from the New Testament had indeed
taken the perception of women in the Greco-Roman society into consideration. The
status of female gender in the society in general has a great influenceon the marital
relationship of the Christian couple.
Kimberley Fowler (University of Manchester)
Souls Femininity and the Theme of Repentance in the Exegesis on the Soul
The Exegesis on the Soul (contained within Nag Hammadi Codex II), narrates the
trials of the soul, personified as a disobedient young girl, who having fallen from
her heavenly home with the Father, wanders earth in a female body, prostituting
herself to numerous adulterers. Souls sordid conduct on earth sullies her original
divine nature, which was androgynous and virginal. The Father, however, takes pity
on her, and sends her a saviour from heaven in the form of a bridegroom, union with
whom allows her to be reborn and return to her original state of purity. The author
of the text emphasises, however, that Souls restoration is dependent on her own
heartfelt contrition (Acts 13:24 is used as support for this). This paper will examine the
way in which the theme of repentance in the text is expressed poignantly via the
feminine gendering of the soul. Her female nature is explicitly tied up with her
repentance, as while she is prostituting herself her womb is external to her body like
male genitalia, leaving her open to attack from the polluting influences of the material
realm. I will discuss how the various aspects of Souls feminine form allow the author/
editor to convey complex notions about the plight of the human soul. Across the
tractate we see Soul in the roles of virginal daughter, prostitute, bride, and mother,
each of which represent various stages of the fallen human souls journey back to
the heavenly Father. I will argue, however, that while the gendering of Soul is certainly
effective in this regard, we ought not, as some scholars have done (e.g. Williams, 1988),
to assume that this allegory necessitates a strict celibate agenda on the part of the
author/editor. Indeed, Souls fornication (porneia) refers to a broader set of
transgressions than simply sexual ones.
14
Session 3
Panel review
Kate Cooper, Band of Angels: The Forgotten Worlds of Early Christian Women.
(London: Atlantic Books, 2013).
Panellists:
Dr Paul Middleton (University of Chester)
Dr Dominika Kurek-Chomycz (Liverpool Hope University)
Repondent:
Dr Kate Cooper (University of Manchester)
Themes and proposals for future programmes
JESUS
Session 1
Orality and the Gospels: A Discussion with Eric Eve and Rafael Rodrguez
Eric Eve (Fellow and Tutor in Theology, Harris Manchester College, Oxford)
author of Behind the Gospels: Understanding the Oral Tradition (SPCK, 2013)
Rafael Rodrguez (Professor of New Testament, Johnson University, USA)
author of Oral Tradition and the New Testament: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark,
2014)
Session 2
Jesse Nickel (University of St Andrews)
The Battle with Beelzebul: Eschatological Violence, Jesus Exorcisms, and the
Coming of the Kingdom of God
All three Synoptic Gospels record the accusation made against Jesus that it is through
being in league with Beelzebul, the archn of the demons, that Jesus is able to exert
his mighty power over the evil spirits he encounters (Mt. 12.22-32 // Mk. 3.19b-30 // Lk.
11.14-23). In all three, Jesus responds with familiar words about kingdoms divided
against themselves and the binding of the strong man. However, Matthew and Luke
both add an intriguing extra statement, with which Jesus makes it clear that his casting
out of demons, rather than indicating partnership with the powers of evil, in fact
signifies the presence of the kingdom of God (Mt. 12.28 // Lk. 11.20).
Using this pericope as a starting point, in this paper I will explore the connection
between Jesus exorcisms and the inauguration of the kingdom of God in the
15
Synoptic Gospels, in the context of the historical eschatological expectations of

second-Temple Judaism. Although the portrayals of eschatological events in Jewish
writings from this period are diverse, one of the nearly unanimous expectations was
that the arrival of the kingdom of God would entail the violent destruction of all the
enemies of God and/or his people (cf., e.g., Dan. 7; 1 En. 85-90; 1QM). I will discuss
how this component of second-Temple Jewish eschatology was represented and
manifested in the kingdom-ministry of the Synoptic Jesus. I will argue that, counter
to many of his Jewish contemporaries, who expected that this would involve a holy
war waged by the faithful against their Gentile oppressors, Jesus understood himself
to be prosecuting the expected eschatological battle in his encounters with evil spirits
the true enemies of God and his people. In these mighty deeds, the anticipated
victory which would attend the inauguration of the kingdom of God was being won.
Crispin Fletcher-Louis (Whymanity Research and Training)
Jesus divine self-consciousness: a proposal
This paper will sketch the conceptual framework for a new approach to the study
of the historical Jesus; specifically Jesus own contribution to the origins of the early
Churchs so-called Christological monotheism and Christ devotion.
The paper will summarise the relevant sections of the second volume of my forthcoming book (Jesus Monotheism: A New Paradigm for the Shape andOrigins of the
Earliest Christology), in which I argue that, taken together, the OT and the NTalong
with the historical evidence for Second Temple life and thoughtall point to Jesus
own self-consciousness as a heaven-sent, and uniquely divine, priest-king of a
new eschatological order (or covenant) as a decisive, determining, factor in
Christological origins.
Markus Bockmuehl (Keble College, Oxford)
The God of Israel and the Eschatology of Jesus
Contrary to recent critiques of monotheisms supposedly intrinsic authoritarianism,
Jesus of Nazareths strongly theocentric eschatology shaped a nonviolent opposition
to evilwhether its manifestation appeared individual or communal, moral or political,
demonic or structural. At the same time, an active negotiation of eschatological tension
and deferral arises from another characteristic thread of the Jesus tradition: the Synoptic
Jesus buttresses his calls for constant watchfulness with the strangely ambivalent
insistence that the day or the hour is unknown even to him. Jesus teaching is
marked by both urgency and restraint, and surprisingly short on unambiguous
specifics; proximity and postponement keep close moral company here.
An urgent eschatology of definitive judgment and redemption thus stands side by
side with the charge to cast out demons and bring in the poor, the crippled, the
blind and the lame (Luke 14.21; cf Mark 3.15 par.).
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Session 3
Panel review
Jens Schrters From Jesus to the New Testament: Early Christian Theology and
the Origin of the New Testament Canon (Baylor University Press, 2013).
Panellists:
Jens Schrter (Humboldt Universitt zu Berlin)
Helen K. Bond (University of Edinburgh)
Eddie Adams (Kings College London)
JOHANNINE LITERATURE
Session 1
Joshua Coutts (New College, University of Edinburgh)
I have come in my Fathers Name: John 5.43 in the context of Johns
Name-Christology
Most scholars pass over Jesus claim in John 5.43 I have come in my Fathers name
with little comment. It is simply a standard expression of agency, subsumed within
Jesus defense. However, John appears here to reflect a programmatic development
of the Jesus tradition which linked Psalm 118 with Jesus Entry: Blessed is the one
coming in the name of the Lord. In this paper, I argue that John interest in this
expression arises from his conviction that the eschatological manifestation of the
divine Name occurs in Jesus. Jesus does not only come in the divine Name, but
is profoundly identified with it, and thereby associated with the Father. This raises
questions about the role and significance of the divine Name for Johns wider
narrative, and about the factors which may have contributed to the production
of Johns Gospel.
Laura Hunt (University of Trinity St. Davids)
: Are You an Emperor, or a King?
Characters in the Gospel of John are generally seen to represent possible responses
to Jesus. Although Pilate is also often analysed according to this criteria, he may be
an exception that proves the rule. This paper suggests that instead the author of the
Fourth Gospel uses Pilate to elucidate for Latin-aware auditors an understanding of
that clarifies Jesus as imperator, not rex.
Since Johns audience already knows the outcome of the trial, Pilates final decision
is never in doubt. Josephus writes of Romans in general and Philo writes of Pilate
specifically, both relating incidents where decisions are made according to political
expediency rather than a concern for justice. The actions of Pilate as a character
17
fit that motivation.

If Pilates decision, then, is not the focus for John, what is? Archaeological evidence
supports contact between Latin and Greek in locations connected with the production
of the Gospel. Furthermore, the distinction between imperator and rex was key within
the Roman encyclopedia. This paper, therefore, will provide a reading of the trial
narrative that brings out this clarification: To claim that Jesus was
meant
that he was imperator, not rex.
Session 2
Prof. Dr. George H. van Kooten (Cambridge (visiting fellow 2013-14) / Groningen)
Heraclitus Axiom about Apollo neither telling nor concealing, but signifying:An
Ancient Semiotic Interpretation of Johns Signs, Dark Speech, and Figures of
Speech
In this paper it is argued that John reflects awareness of an theory of ancient semiotics
which was shaped by Heraclitus axiom the Lord whose prophetic shrine is at Delphi
neither tells nor conceals, but signifies (
; fragm. 93). Such an acquaintance of John with
Heraclitus is not altogether unlikely, as also a Jewish Hellenistic author such as Philo is
acquainted with Heraclitus, and refers to him on a variety of issues, emphasizing his
compatibility with, or even his dependence upon Moses. It seems that the tension
between Heraclitus contradiction of neither telling nor concealing runs through
the Johannine narrative. Interestingly, John appears to reflect on these semiotics in
a way very similar to Plutarchs reflections on Heraclitus axiom, in his The Oracles at
Delphi No Longer Given in Verse (De Pythiae Oraculis). Making use of Plutarchs
semiotics, this paper will explore how John can be understood as a narrative which
is embroidered on the Heraclitean axiom of God neither telling nor concealing, but
signifying, while clearly marking the transition from the indirect, diffuse circumlocution
of dark speech, figures of speech and signs to plain speech at the crucial moment
of the last Symposium (John 16.25-29).
Prof. Andrew T. Lincoln (University of Gloucestershire)
A Life of Jesus as Testimony: The Divine Courtroom and the Gospel of John
This paper resulted from an invitation to give a presentation on the Gospel of John
at a conference on The Divine Courtroom in Comparative Perspective. That occasion
provided the opportunity for the writer to revisit his work on the appeal to the divine
courtroom in this Gospel (Truth on Trial: The Lawsuit Motif in the Gospel of John, 2000),
to select some key issues in the Gospels presentation of this motif, and to do so in the
light of more recent treatments of the topic. After sketching some of the salient features
of the use of divine courtroom imagery, the paper re-emphasises the importance of
Deutero-Isaiah in Greek translation as the major literary source for this usage. It goes
on to indicate how this Scriptural source with its courtroom scenes has been mined and
re-worked in shaping Johns story of the life of Jesus. Consideration is then given
18
to the likelihood that the social memory of fierce dispute over Jesus identity between
a group of his followers, represented by the Gospels writer, and other Jews constituted
a further reason for appeal to the divine courtroom. In interaction with the observation
that accounts that have God as judge at the same time make readers judges of God,
the paper concludes with some brief reflections on how the forensic rhetoric of this
ancient biography of Jesus functions for its implied and real readers.
Session 3
Anthony Royle (The Centre of Jewish-Christian Studies)
1 John as Midrash Pesher on Genesis 1-4: Eschatological Typology, Structure and Early
Christian Polemics
Scholars have often ignored the importance of the impact of the OT upon 1 John
because of the lack of formal OT citations. However, the singular reference to Cain
and multiple allusions to the first four chapters of Genesis require further examination
that has been sorely overlooked. This paper explores the author of 1 Johns exclusive
allusions to Genesis 1-4 that have a prominent impact upon the language, theology
and structure of the epistle.
The author of 1 John has mirrored the narrative structure of Genesis 1-4 in chronological
order (1 John 1:1-2:11/Genesis 1:1-5, 1 John 2:20-29/Genesis 2:7, 1 John 3 1:10/Genesis
3:15-16 and 1 John 3:11-24/Genesis 4) culminating in a realized eschatological scenario
by means of a Qumranic-type pesher hermeneutic (1 John 4-5). This is accomplished by
extending light/darkness dualistic typology to the battle between the sons of God and
the seed of the serpent, characterised through midrashic techniques as Cain and Abel
who represent the faithful recipients of the letter and those who oppose them.
The association of Cain with the seed of the serpent is also found in pseudepigraphical
literature (e.g. Apocalypse of Abraham). Interestingly, the Cain and Abel narrative is
alluded to in similar fashion in other NT writings (Jude 11, Hebrews 11:4, Romans 7:11-25),
therefore indicating an early Christian understanding of their place in eschatological
events. It would appear that the author of 1 John draws upon an early Christian
interpretive tradition for his polemic as views and attitudes of the opposition
match that of Cain (seed of Satan, murderer of the righteous, wanderer, idolater).
Sookgoo Shen (University of Cambridge)
Is there moral progress in Johns Gospel?
Despite a renewed interest in Johns ethics, most of the works have been too narrow in
scope and thus have not been able to provide a comprehensive ethical dynamics that
undergirds the whole Gospel. Such a challenge lies in the fact that John does not seem
to use ordinary ethical language that is common to the minds of the modern readers or
that fits the criteria set by the modern concept of ethics. We must examine Johns ethics,
however, with the ethical criteria drawn from the contemporary world of Johns Gospel
because ethics is always bound by socio-cultural factors of its time. Unlike the modern
19
concept of ethics, which often makes a clear distinction between religious and ethical,
I argue that no such distinction existed in the ancient world. In fact, believing in or
imitating God(s) was often considered the foundational ethical deed that had a
consequential impact on how one lives in relation to other human beings. In light of
such a notion of ethics, I propose that there could be a meaningful moral progress in
the Gospel of John as the author consciously leads readers to come to believe in Jesus
as the Son of God in chs. 1-12 and leads readers further to identify with Jesus more
intimately by imitating him in chs. 13-17. I will first examine some of the misconceptions
that made John ethics problematic, and then will provide examples from Greco-Roman
literature to show that belief in gods was a moral category in the Greco-Roman world.
NT & SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM
Session 1
Matthew Novenson (University of Edinburgh)
The Misguided Quest for the First Messiah
There is one noteworthy strand in modern research on ancient Jewish messianism
whose practitioners set for themselves the task of identifying the first messiah, the
one historical figure to whose remarkable career certain puzzles in the development
of messianism (above all, the rise of Christianity) can be traced back and thereby
explained. In recent research, the key figures in this school are Israel Knohl and Michael
Wise, and the key texts are the Hodayot and Self-Glorification Hymn from Qumran,
as well as the recently published Hazon Gabriel stone. Knohls and Wises hypotheses
can be and have been criticised on exegetical grounds, as unsatisfactory interpretations
of the pertinent primary texts (as, e.g., by John Collins and Jrg Frey). In this paper, I
comment on several of the most important exegetical cruces, and I proceed to raise
a further, more fundamental criticism: It is not just that Knohls or Wises argument
happens to be a weak one. Rather, it is the case that the very notion of a quest for
the first messiah is misguided. The quest presupposes an Idealist model of messianism
that is demonstrably inadequate and that, ironically, reinscribes the very paradigm of
Christian uniqueness that the questers ostensibly want to escape.
Session 2
Prof. Jim Davila (St. Marys College , University of St. Andrews)
Roles of Angels and Demons in 1 Enoch and the Synoptic Gospels
In this paper I have collected all references to angels and evil spirits in the book of 1
Enoch and the three Synoptic Gospels and have laid out some provisional thoughts on
how these traditions might be mutually illuminating.
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Session 3
David Armitage (University of Nottingham)
Humiliation, eloquence and the pursuit of the good in Philo and Paul
The nature of the life to which one should aspire is developed in distinctive directions
by Paul and Philo, yet both advocate some measure of detachment from external
goods such as wealth. InQuod deterius potiori insidiari soleat 32-34 Philo contrasts
love of God (represented by Abel) with love ofself (represented by Cain). He
describes how the self-loving individual may, through sophistic questioning,
drive into retreat the individual motivated by love of God. The lovers of self, in
the course of their tirade as imagined by Philo, mock as weak, poor, and obscure
those who pursue virtue the
(a designation for which Philo has an
unusual fondness). This paper will explore how Philo responds to the hypothetical
claim that the
are unimpressive, comparing this with Pauls exposition
of the weakness, unimpressiveness, and poverty of the authentic apostle in the
Corinthian correspondence. Philo, despite denying that physical self-abasement
is a necessary corollary of pursuing virtue, does not directly challenge the allegation
that the self-loving may be outwardly more impressive. However he denies the
success of their rhetorical strategy, attributing its apparent triumph to the neglect
by many of the
of argumentative skill. He distinguishes those who are
simply virtuous (and should refrain from futile engagement with sophistry) from
those who have learned to combine virtue with eloquence and can easily defeat
their critics. In contrast Paul disavows the pursuit of eloquence and embraces the
reality of humiliation as intrinsic to the true apostolic calling. The distinctive approaches
to the interplay of humiliation and the good taken by Philo and Paul have implications
for locating them in relation to broader conceptions of the humantelosin their JewishHellenistic milieux.
NEW TESTAMENT: USE AND INFLUENCE
Session 1
Professor John Vincent (Urban Theology Unit, Sheffield)
New Moves in Practice Criticism
This paper will attempt to open up three issues which are emerging among
colleagues engaged in Practice Criticism work.
What hermeneutical methods are employed in Practice Criticism? Is there need for a
more developed practice related hermeneutics, such as the familiar Form-RedactionReception methods in literary studies? What are the appropriate Hermeneutics of
Suspicion?
How can the assumptions and presuppositions of Practice Criticism be received within
the literary-dominated Academy? How far in fact are processes of Contextual and
21
Practice-based record creation to be set alongside normal contextual and experiential

learning used in teaching and study?
Does the whole area of use and influence now appear divided? On the one hand
are those who have an intention to use a Gospel passage for some practical purpose
in discipleship, community or politics seeing it as an outworking of a Gospel story or
passage? Meantime the concept of influence is used by others to observe the
intentional or unintentional appearance of a Gospel story or passage in art,
architecture, drama or writing. Can these two ever meet?
Rev Dr Kevin Ellis
Using the Drama of the Gospels to recreate stories of hope on the edge
The overarching meta-narratives from our urban areas have largely gone. With the
decline of the heavy industries, the places and stories that bound people together
have disappeared. The stories that are popularly told in the media are ones that
focus on the deterioration of life within our outer estate and inner city areas; even
positive stories like the number of volunteers involved in the ever increasing network of food banks and credit advice agencies just reinforce the fact that such
areas problem. Narratives through iconic films like Cathy, Come Home, Kes,
the Full Monty, Billy Elliott and This is England, chart how stories are told of
individual redemption rather than of community renewal. This paper will explore
how the stories of Jesus, told in the Gospels, might recreate stories of hope and
individual/community redemption. We will do this through engaging with
theologies of liberation but more particularly with the work of NT Wright, and
his emphasis of the biblical drama as a whole being a story in five or six acts.
The paper will also engage with the presenters new context in Wales, where song
and story still abound, but the dissonance between stories that shape the lives of
many and the Christian story is still strong.
Session 2
Panel discussion
James Crossley, Harnessing Chaos: The Bible in English Political Discourse since 1968
(Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2014)
William John Lyons, Joseph of Arimathea: A Study in Reception History
(Oxford University Press, 2014)
Panellists:
John Lyons (University of Bristol)
Jorunn kland (University of Oslo)
Robert Myles (University of Auckland)
22
Crossley and Lyons will introduce and summarise their respective volumes before
kland and Myles respond to the books.
Session 3
Dr Christine Joynes (University of Oxford)
Points of View: Assessing the Value of Visual Exegesis
Cheryl Exum recently argued that visual criticism should be added to the students
exegetical toolbox, along with historical criticism, literary criticism and the like. This
paper seeks to engage with that suggestion, exploring the contribution that visual
exegesis makes to New Testament studies. How does the artist function as biblical
interpreter? Is Stanley Spencer more important as a biblical interpreter than George
Caird? And is Exums suggestion practical, given for example the paucity of art
on the Pauline epistles?
PAUL
Session 1
Dorothea H. Bertschmann (Durham University)
Revenge is Mine, I Will Pay Back Re-visiting the Place of Divine Wrath and
Vengeance in Pauls Letter to the Romans
At first glance revenge looks like an alien concept for Paul, who, unlike many
apocalyptic texts, seems no-where to delight in the torture of the wicked (C. Beker).
Romans has even been described as going from wrath to justification where Gods
boundless mercy far outshines divine wrath. More radical proposals argue that any
notions of paying back have been shown up as fundamentally wanting by Pauls
account of Gods victory (Campbell). The sudden mention of both Gods wrath (
)
and Gods vengeance/revenge (
) in Romans 12.19 and 13.4 has the potential
to embarrass in the context of such meta-readings. How can Paul still speak of wrath
and, worse, revenge post Christum?
This paper will argue that the divine wrath has soteriological aspects in many OT and
Jewish texts, functioning as integral part of Gods covenant faithfulness. However, an
analysis of the multiple occurrences of
in Romans seems to suggest that Pauls
radicalizing and universalizing of
leaves no space for this rather partisan aspect
of wrath. Romans 12.19 can be seen as bringing this theme abruptly to the fore again,
by emphasizing Gods vengeance and wrath on behalf of his people. This paper will
argue contra Campbell- that while Pauls radical notion of divine wrath is driven by
his distinctive notion of divine mercy, the wrath is an abiding and crucial element
of Paulstheological grammar. In deploying the concept, especially in Romans 12.19,
Paul makes an interesting attempt to hold Gods universal mercy and Gods specific
faithfulness together.
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Panel/Open Discussion: Wrath and judgement in Pauls letters and theology

Francis Watson (Durham University)
Simon Gathercole (University of Cambridge)
Michael Thompson (Ridley Hall, Cambridge)
Session 2
Jeanette Hagen (Durham University)
Faith in Christ: An Exegetical Examination of 2 Corinthians and Galatians
The Pauline conception of faith continues to be a controversial issue, playing a
significant part in many central debates (e.g. on the centre of Pauline theology,
on the relation between human and divine agency, and on
).
Initially moving outside of the regularly contested terrain of Galatians, Philippians,
and Romans, it is the aim of this paper to examine the question, What does Paul
mean by faith? in the context of 2 Corinthians. This letter provides an interesting
and overlooked field of exploration in this quest since the
-word group is not
prominently featured. Nevertheless, Paul underscores the importance of relying
upon God through a variety of confidence terms that map closely onto the language
of faith. Taking 2 Cor 1.9 as a concise thesis statement for the letter, and showing its
development in 4.7-15, the Pauline conception of faith is portrayed as the self-negating
posture in which a believer recognises his/her own impotence and thus identifies with
the Christ-event, relying fully on the pneumatological, operative power therein.
Having established a framework for elucidating Pauls understanding of faith from 2
Corinthians, I will briefly test these conclusions to determine their coherence in
Galatians, seeking at the same time clarification to the above-mentioned debates.
In short, faith is common to both justification and participation, depicting the selfinvolving human mode of existence in Christ. Yet it is not an independent operative
power within the believer; the power of God always precedes the faith by which
one subjects oneself in a fully dependent relationship to Christ. Finally, the objective
genitive reading of
corresponds with what Paul means by faith in the
broader context of his theology.
Revd Jonathon Tallon (University of Manchester)
Faith in Paul: the View from Late Antiquity
This paper proposes that late antique preachers on Pauls letters understood faith
(
) primarily through the lenses of social relationships where it commonly stood for
faithfulness, loyalty and trustful obedience rather than belief. It uses John Chrysostom in
particular as an example of a preacher who commonly turned to metaphors based on
household relationships such as master-slave or husband-wife for the relationship of
the Christian to God. Such relationships emphasise the importance of fidelity and
obedience. Such an understanding has implications for the interpretation of Paul,
including the debate surrounding the faith of Christ passages.
24
Open Discussion: What doespistismean?

Session 3
Matt OReilly (University of Gloucestershire)
Temporal Aspects of Social Identity in 1 Corinthians 15
In recent decades scholarly opinion regarding the ethical material in Galatians 5:136:10 has shifted from considering these verses as unrelated to the purpose of the
letter to a present position that endeavours to see them as integral and relevant to
the local situation. This paper will contribute to that debate by arguing that alertness
to the ancient-Mediterranean quest for honour, and the unusual way in which Paul
reconfigures this social value, is a key to understanding the shape of the ethical
advice in Galatians. To support this position it will offer a perspective on the summary
statement of 6:12-17 that justifies an honour reading of the letter through the lens of
Pauls autobiographical response to the Galatian opponents that he only boasts in the
cross (6:14). It will then argue that this negation of glorification in difference or socialstratification is the explicit reason why the moral maxims of 5:13 6:10 are carefully
formed to protect the nascent communities from the potential effect of in-group
honour contest and rivalry.
One shortcoming of social identity theory is the relatively little attention given by
theorists to the role of time in the formation and maintenance of group identity.
Groups exist in time, and dynamic serial processes impact the way group members
perceive group identity. This lack of attention to the diachronic nature of identity
formation among social identity specialists has left Pauline scholars little theoretical
basis for analyzing temporal aspects of identity formation in Pauls letters. An exception
is thework of M. Cinnirella, who developed the concept of possible social identities as
an attempt to better reckon with the temporal character of identity formation. His work
has been fruitfully applied to some Pauline texts, though its usefulness for interpreting
Paul has not been exhausted. This paper aims to explore the relationship between
identity and time by considering the function of Pauls argument for future bodily
resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 as it relates to the formation and maintenance of
Corinthian group identity.
Drawing on Cinnirella, I argue that Pauls discussion of resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15
functions to persuade the Corinthian factions to embrace his vision of believers as
those who will be raised from the dead as an essential aspect of their in Christ
identity. To that end, I first argue that Pauls vision of the resurrection of believers
represents a possible future social identity; second, Pauls construal of the past
establishes a narrative with which his vision of the groups future coheres (15:1-11);
third, he provides a negative evaluation of the denial of future bodily resurrection
(15:12-19) before, fourth, engaging in an extended positive evaluation of the
anticipated resurrection of the body (15:21-58). I conclude by pointing to ways
that this analysis provides a framework for interpreting behavioral instruction in
1 Corinthians 15 and elsewhere in the letter.
25
David Harvey (University of Manchester)

Boasting in the Cross: Reconfigured Honour as the Ethics of Galatians
In recent decades scholarly opinion regarding the ethical material in Galatians
5:13-6:10 has shifted from considering these verses as unrelated to the purpose
of the letter to a present position that endeavours to see them as integral and
relevant to the local situation. This paper will contribute to that debate by arguing
that alertness to the ancient-Mediterranean quest for honour, and the unusual way
in which Paul reconfigures this social value, is a key to understanding the shape of
the ethical advice in Galatians. To support this position it will offer a perspective on
the summary statement of 6:12-17 that justifies an honour reading of the letter through
the lens of Pauls autobiographical response to the Galatian opponents that he only
boasts in the cross (6:14). It will then argue that this negation of glorification in
difference or social-stratification is the explicit reason why the moral maxims of 5:13
6:10 are carefully formed to protect the nascent communities from the potential effect
of in-group honour contest and rivalry.
Open Discussion: What place do issues of social identity have in Pauls letters?
REVELATION
Session 1
Towan Greene (University of Sheffield)
Reading Revelation Typologically
Most critical readings of Revelation seek to understand its meaning and function in
its original 1stcentury context: Babylon is Rome, the Beast is the Emperor, and the
saints must forsake both if they are to remain faithful to the Lamb and conquer as
he has conquered. If the question of what relevance Revelation might have for later
generations is addressed, then these particulars may be generalised: Babylon and its
Beast stand for any self-absolutizing political, military, and religious power, and the
saints would do well to be wary of any of the above. Another well-established reading
of Revelation is that it is (at least from chapter 4 onwards) direct and literal prediction
of cataclysmic events yet ahead of us, culminating in the second coming of Jesus. The
most fundamental criticism of this reading is its failure to take seriously Revelations
symbolic language, but its popular appeal is precisely in the simplicity of the literal if
possible hermeneutical approach and the detailed eschatology that this produces.
This paper explores the capacity of a typological understanding of Revelation to
combine some of the strengths of these divergent readings. Viewing Rome and
Emperor as types with future antitypes relies on sensitivity to Revelations polyvalent
symbolism whilst affirming the specificity of its eschatological prediction. It will be
suggested that a typological reading is already invited in the way that Revelation
and the rest of the New Testament employ typology as a primary means of
interpreting and appropriating the Hebrew Bible.
26
Dr Ian Paul
The sources, structure and composition of Revelation
At least since R H Charles, there have continued to be various theories about the
composition of the book of Revelation; these often include complex reconstructions
of multiple sources and layers of redaction. Such theories present numerous problems
in terms of method. How do we detect literary seams in such a complex and varied
text? can we really look through the text to see multiple layers of redaction? Such
theories also often suffer from problems of internal inconsistency.
At the same time there has been increasing recognition of the literary structure
of Revelation, including its use of numerology in gematria and word frequencies.
Examining the occurrence of words with apparently significance frequency can in
fact throw important light on theories of multiple sources and layers of redaction,
offering a more objective evaluation of the ideas proposed.
Session 2
Garrick V Allen (University of St Andrews)
The Process of Changing Texts
An oft overlooked question in the discussion surrounding the reuse of scriptural
traditions in the book of Revelation is that of the authors techniques of reusethe
mechanic by which a source text is altered in the process of incorporation into a new
work and co-textual environment (target text). These alterations include quantitative
adjustment (omission, expansion) and other qualitative elements (morphology,
syntactic alterations, possible translation issues, lexical or synonym substitution, serial
alteration, phonological play, etc.). The purpose of this essay is to examine examples
of Johns techniques of reuse by noting surface feature divergence between allusions
to the Hebrew Bible embedded in the Apocalypse and the source tradition from
whence the allusion came. The analysis will include examples where the author
seems to reuse Hebrew texts and other where theVorlageof allusions seems to
reflect Greek scriptural text (OG/LXX). This approach is fruitful because it takes into
account the textual complexity of Johns allusions and provides comparisons that
allow is to ascertain if John approached his Greek and HebrewVorlagenconsistently
in terms of techniques of reuse. The main outcome of this study is a brief catalogue
of techniques of reuse that can readily be compared to similar instances of reuse
in the literature of Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity.
Timothy B. Sailors (Eberhard-Karls-Universitt Tbingen)
The Testimony of Jesus and the Spirit of Prophecy in the Apocalypse
of John and in Early Christianity
Recurring discussions concerning the grammar of the final sentence of Apoc. 19.10, ...
the testimony of/to Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, have created a false dichotomy in
which one is pressed to decide whether
in the phrase
is to
27
be taken as an objective or a subjective genitive. We should, rather, not force

ourselves into a dilemma that excludes an identification of this testimony notonly
with Jesus, butalsowith prophets. That is, the testimony borne by Jesus (subjective
genitive) is equated with the spirit of prophecy, in the sense that Jesus is thought to
witness through the spirit of prophecy, and therefore through those regarded as
prophets, so that the words of the prophets can be identified as the words of Jesus.
That this concept is not merely a grammatically possible interpretation of the final
sentence of 19.10, but reflects the very understanding of the author is reinforced
by 22.9, a parallel passage in which the words of this book correspond to the
testimony of Jesus in the antepenultimate sentence of 19.10. This parallel between
the earlier sentences of 19.10, which also contain the phrase the testimony of Jesus,
and 22.9, which refers to the prophets, is far too seldom taken into consideration
when assessing the meaning of the final sentence of 19.10. This paper examines
the concept alluded to in these passages, not only in the immediate context of
the Apocalypse, but in the broader context of early Christianity.
This understanding of the passage in the Apocalypse has a fundamental bearing
on how one conceives of the ancient perception of early Christian prophets and
prophecy; the transmission, modification and creation of Jesus traditions in the
early church; and the creation of early Christian literature - such as the Apocalypse,
but not least gospel literature.
Session 3
Robert Royalty (Wabash College)
Demonic Symposia in the Apocalypse of John
Eating and drinking appears throughout the Apocalypse of John. Positive references
to meals with Jesus Christ in Rev 3:20 and 19:9 bracket a number of negative uses
applied to demonic or satanic opponents. Wedding imagery is an important context
for interpreting the use of
in Revelation 19. The Apocalypse also draws on
the Jewish apocalyptic tradition of the eschatological meal or banquet. But the
demonic references to food and drink suggest an additional field for interpretation,
the symposium orcena. This paper will explore how the two divine meals in the
Apocalypse are intentionally contrasted with the demonic symposia in the text,
drawing on the Greco-Roman tradition of the anti-symposium, which function
as part of the polemical parallelism in Revelation and Johns rhetorical attack on
his opponents.
Group Discussion: Future trends in apocalyptic studies
28
SIMULTANEOUS SHORT PAPERS

Session 1
Dr Dorothea Bertschmann (Durham University)
Hosting Jesus- revisiting Lukes sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50)
The narrative of the sinful woman anointing Jesus feet is for many the paradigmatic
story of repentance and forgiveness, highlighting in particular the womans tears as
a sign of contrition.
For others, particularly socio-historical contributors, the emphasis is the radical
inclusiveness of Jesus fellowship meal with sinners, an offensive gesture to
many contemporaries (cf. the studies of Dunn, Neyrey, Bloomberg and others).
Both rightly perceive Jesus as the dominant actor of the scene in Luke 7:36-50,
offering salvific goods to the woman, but they somehow underemphasize Jesus
reinterpretation of the womans actions as the laudable gestures of a host.
Exploring antique notions of interactions between guests and hosts, this paper
argues that her hospitality is at the heart of the narrative, controlling any notions
of gracious forgiveness or care for the marginalized.
While there is no doubt mutuality between Jesus and the woman, it is better not to
perceive Jesus as the simultaneous guest and host in this scene (pace Byrne), but
to see him as constructing a new cycle of exchange between a host and a guest of
honour, after the initial one has collapsed. This paper will finish with some concluding
reflections on how Luke combines soteriological and Christological concerns in the
theme of hosting Jesus.
Michelle Fletcher (Kings College London)
Altering our Texts to Alter our Assumptions: What comes into a Woman and
what comes out of a Woman in Mark 7
This paper introduces textual intervention as a powerful reading strategy for biblical
scholarship. It will begin by introducing the methodology, presenting what seems like
a somewhat simple idea: change a text and it will alter the way you read it. However,
despite its apparent simplicity, this paper will demonstrate just how effective de-centring
and re-centring the biblical text can be as a way of reappraising scholarly interpretations,
and even the texts themselves. In this case it will demonstrate how textual invention can
allow us to examine whether interpretations of gender-inclusive biblical passages are
actually inclusive. It will use Mark 7: 14-23 as its example; a text hailed as being gender
inclusive, focusing on the generic anthropos, and the potential for food and unwashed
hands to contaminate the body. After altering the text so it has a female subject and
object, the text will be re-read in order to examine textual assumptions. This alteration
will expose how scholarly readings are far from inclusive, based on male anatomy and
29
excluding the female from the generic anthropos. It then reveals that whilst interpreters
have previously believed the passage to centre on the ability of food and unclean
hands to defile a person, when the focus turns to a female body, an entirely different
interpretation of the passage can be seen, which calls for a re-examination the male
focused concepts of inner and outer purity projected onto Mark 7. Thus, this paper will
show how textual intervention provides an effective way of reassessing how texts have
been read, and also a way of re-reading them from radically new perspectives.
Session 2
Wei-Hsien Wan (Exeter University)
Here, There, Everywhere: The Contest for Space in the Imperial Cults and Earliest
Christianity in Roman Anatolia
The reign of Augustus signalled a series of decisive transformations in Roman religion,
among which was the increase of cults that were no longer tied to specific places or
localities, but rather transcended their traditional sites. This shift from locative religion
(religion of place) to utopian religion (religion of nowhere) became increasingly
pronounced in the imperial cults that spread rapidly throughout the first century CE.
This paper offers a comparative study in the ideologies of space embedded in these
cults as well as in 1 Peter, a contemporaneous circular letter addressed to the fledgling
Christian communities of Asia Minor. Adopting the stance that spatial discourse is an
inherently sociopolitical act penetrating deep into the rhythms and structures of everyday life, I argue that in reconfiguring the meaning of space around the revelation of
God in Jesus of Nazareth, 1 Peter contested not only Romes territorial claims, but also
the authority and legitimacy of the imperial center.
Owen Edwards (University of Chester)
The Allegorical Spectrum: Motivations, Methods, and Results in Philo and Hebrews
This paper seeks to advance beyond Nathan MacDonalds judgement (which may be
taken as a relative consensus view) that These non-literal modes of interpretation can
include what twentieth-century scholarship sought to distinguish as typological and
allegorical modes of reading. Hebrews knows nothing of this distinction and is happy
to move between them. The paper will begin by substantiating MacDonalds view,
before moving to its own dual premise - firstly, that the term allegory may still be
meaningfully applied to a variety of antique authors, but on the basis of the term
allgoria as used in antiquityrather than any artificial modern dichotomy; and secondly,
that the Epistle to the Hebrews fits within this new definition of allegory.
Both premises will be demonstrated by the same means - by comparing the
motivations, methods, and results of how Philo (an undoubted allegorist)and
Hebrews interpret the Hebrew Bible, it will be seen that: (1) a meaningful spectrum
of post-dichotomy allegorical techniques can be identified; and (2) Hebrews fits
comfortably into that spectrum, allowing us to identify the author as an Alexandrian
30
allegorist. On the basis of that demonstration, preliminary judgments will be offered

on the authors theology of Scripture, as well as on the distinguishing features of his
Christian allegory compared to Greek and Jewish forebears.
Session 3
Ray Lozano (University of Edinburgh)
Matthews Temptation Account and Its Implications for the Worship of Jesus
The aim of this paper is to highlight and discuss the literary features in Matthews
temptation account which suggest the author includes Jesus as one worthy of
worship when Jesus himself declares in the third temptation that God alone is to
be worshiped. A number of scholars (e.g., Hurtado, Bauckham, Gathercole) agree
that Matthew portrays Jesus as one worthy of divine worship by frequently making
him the object of proskynew (worship). Indeed, more so than the other Gospel
authors, Matthew has Jesus receiving reverence through proskynew on many separate
occasions in his Gospel narrative (Matt 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17; cf.
Mark 5:6; 15:19 [twice]; Luke 24:52 [once]; John 9:38 [once]). Yet there is one aspect
of this Matthean motif which receives very little attention: the frequent depiction of
Jesus receiving worship appears in a Gospel where the worship of God alone is
unambiguously asserted in Jesus third temptation (Matt 4:10). Far from excluding
Jesus as one worthy of divine worship, certain literary features of the temptation
account indicate that Matthew intends to include Jesus as one worthy of such exclusive reverence. They are as follows: 1) The third temptation set as the climax of
the temptation account indicates the question of who is worthy to receive worship
is of paramount importance; 2) Satans desire to have Jesus fall down and worship
him (4:9) recalls the scene where the magi fall down and worship Jesus (2:11), which
brings the person of Jesus into this important issue of worship; 3) The mountain setting
of the third temptation (4:8) foreshadows the resurrection scene where the risen Jesus
is worshiped by his disciples on a mountain, having received from God everything
which Satan attempted to give to Jesus (28:16-18). Although Jesus refuses to worship
Satan since God alone is to be worshiped, by linking the third temptation to key
scenes where Jesus receives worship, Matthew includes Jesus as one worthy of
such divine reverence.
Andrew Kelley (University of Edinburgh)
Moses Staff and Jesus Disciples in Mark 6:7-13
In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus commissions his disciples to preach the gospel, heal the sick,
and exorcise demons. The only item (aside from the mention of sandals) that they are
explicitly told to bring with them is a staff (
). In this paper, I argue that
the staff in Mark 6:7-13 is an allusion to Moses staff in the Exodus narratives. In the first
section, I will briefly examine the various proposal for the inclusion of only a staff in
the commissioning of the disciples, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each. In
the second section I will examine the use of
in Exodus as well as the retellings
of these miracle- narratives by Josephus, Philo, Ezekiel the Tragedian, and Artapanus,
31
focussing specifically on its role in the performing of miracles. Next, I will argue that
the use of
in Mark 6:7-13 is not an allusion to the staff possessed by the
Israelites on the eve of the exodus (as has been argued by some), but instead is an
allusion to Moses miracle-working staff in the Exodus narratives (supported by its
regular use in Jewish miracle-narratives). Finally, I will draw conclusions about how
this particular allusion characterizes Jesus disciples as important, yet subordinate
miracle-workers in the Gospel of Mark.
SOCIAL WORLD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Session 1
David M. Shaw (Exeter University)
Called to Bless: Considering an Underappreciated Aspect of Doing Good in 1 Peter
One of the debates in modern 1 Peter scholarship has focussed on the nature of the
churchs stance towards the world that the letters author proposes. This was most starkly
presented in the now infamous Balch-Elliott debate during the 1980s. Balch suggested
that the Haustafel presented in 1 Peter was a move towards assimilation with the greater
culture which in turn assisted the church in its wider witness. Elliott, focussing on the
language of paroikoi and parepidemoi, argued almost the exact opposite; that such
language was designed to develop a sense of corporate identity in order to resist any
social pressure to assimilate.
More recently, the debate within Petrine scholarship has questioned the polarising
choices of assimilation versus isolation presented by Balch and Elliott respectively,
e.g, Volfs Soft Difference, Greens notion of holy engagement, and Trrechs
attractive community ideal, to name but a few. And whilst it is unsurprising that
many of the aforementioned articles interact with 1 Peters theme of doing good
(see 2:12-15, 20; 3:11-13; 4:19, etc.), one significant omission in the discussion has
been any talk of blessing, i.e., bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain
a blessing (3:9 ESV). It is towards this gap in the discussion that this paper seeks to
make a contribution. Underlying the importance of 3:9 is its placement within the
conclusion of the Haustafel that is addressed to the whole church (3:8ff). By utilizing
insights from Social Identity Theory and the current missional theology conversation,
I suggest that more than simply doing good, Peter is calling on the Anatolian churches
to actively seek the blessing and prosperity of their unbelieving neighbourseven as
they face opposition from themregardless of whether or not they convert to the faith.
David Horrell (Exeter University)
A Chosen (White) Race? The Intersections of Religion, Ethnicity, Racism,
and Empire in Early Christian Texts and Modern New Testament Scholarship
What kind of identity is Christian identity, as it emerges in the period of Christian
origins, and how is it different, if at all, from Jewish identity and indeed other kinds
of group-identity in the same period? How does biblical scholarship construe these
32
different identities, and what kinds of religious and racial ideologies are implicit in those
scholarly construals? Drawing on social-scientific discussions of ethnicity and race, this
paper will address these questions, examining examples of the construction of Jewish
and Christian identity from texts of the period and considering how these are depicted
in contemporary scholarship. The argument I propose is essentially in three steps: first,
that, given the contemporary realisation that ethnic and racial identities are constructed
through discourse and practice rather than being in any sense objectively existent,
there is no clear or necessary category distinction between the kind of ethnic identity
constructed by Jewish texts and the religious non-ethnic identity constructed (using
ethnoracial terminology) by early Christian texts. Second, that the tendency to depict
Jewish identity as ethnic and Christian identity as non- or supra-ethnic implicitly serves
to convey the idea that Judaism could not serve as an incorporative community within
which diverse (ethnic) groups could be united while Christianity could and that this
distinction (unintentionally) reflects a stance of Christian superiority. Third, and most
speculatively, that this perspective often serves simultaneously to valorize both early
Christianity and Western democratic liberalism, and is thus a point at which whiteness
and Christianness coalesce: in both cases the category is implicitly assumed to be the
default, inclusive, all-incorporating framework within which and beneath which
others can and should (co)exist.
Session 2
Richard Britton (University of Manchester)
Beyond the Branches; Between the Shoots: Deconstructing Oleiculture
in Romans 11:16-24
The olive-tree allegory in Romans 11:16-24 has been propelled in two main directions
throughout the history of its scholarship: In the first it has been explained to be a
deliberate inversion of Theosphrastus of Eresuss instructions on grafting branches
of cultivated olive trees onto wild ones, to portray the gentile believers to be inferior
(W.D Davies, Philip Esler et al.). In the second, the reverse interpretation is made that
presents the gentiles as morally rejuvenating Israel (Christopher Bryan, James Dunn et
al.). Within this second direction, others (Baxter and Ziesler, William Ramsay) see the
allegory modelled on texts by Roman writers Columella and Palladius, in which shoots
from wild-olive trees are indeed grafted onto cultivated ones, thus moving this
argument for rejuvenation further. Using the work of Jacques Derrida (Margins of
Philosophy; Of Grammatology), it is possible to draw on these Greek and Roman
sources to look beyond the affirmation or condemnation of ethnicity in Rom 11:16-24,
to the jouissance, or play, inherent in difference and sameness. Through this it becomes
apparent that the body of Christ can only exist as a concept by the withdrawal of
metaphysical identities and the friction of difference.
33
Alan Le Grys (University of Kent)

Sexuality and Purity in the NT World
Christianity has a reputation as one of the most sex-negative religions in the world.
This understanding of sex is found already in some of the earliest post NT theologians
such as Tertullian and Origen, yet analysis of this early Christian tradition suggests it was
driven as much by Greek philosophical ideals as first century Jewish belief. This evolving
synthesis of Greek and Jewish ideas fuelled an emerging understanding of Christian
askesis that led eventually to the formal linking of sexuality and sin found in Augustines
notion of original sin, which was then read back into the NT. William Loader, amongst
others, has done much to explore the pre-Christian Jewish framework which helped to
shape and inform the thinking of Jesus and Paul on human sexuality. The Jesus tradition,
in fact, has remarkably little to say about sex, and later Christian interest seems way out
of proportion to the concern shown in the gospels. Loader argues, therefore, that the
primary factor shaping NT attitudes was simply the Jewish notion of purity: Jesus and
Paul shared with John the Baptist, (some of) the Essenes, and others, the belief that
sexuality is a divine gift for this world but has no place in the world to come. The new
world is to be an extended temple, a new Jerusalem in which the profane plays no
part; sex, in this context, is not so much wrong as out of place in the worship of heaven.
This paper seeks to explore these purity issues in greater depth and place them in a
wider first century social matrix. It will attempt to identify and examine the underlying
social assumptions behind the tradition to ask whether sex negativity is an inescapable
part of continuing Christianity or a culturally limited determinant in need of reappraisal
in contemporary practice.
Session 3
Rafael Rodrguez (Johnson University)
Oral Tradition and the New Testament: Reconfiguring the Question
The analysis of oral tradition and its impact for the historical and literary appraisal
of the texts of the New Testament has advanced considerably since the height of
Formgeschichtes influence in the mid-twentieth century. Over the last twenty-five
years, the discussion has steadily developed into an increasingly complicated search
for shards of orality encased in the foreign soil of [hand-]written texts. I argue that
this search, which I call the morphological approach to oral tradition and the NT,
misunderstands both what oral tradition is and how it affects the interpretation of
ancient written texts. In place of this morphological approach, I build on the pioneering
work of John Miles Foley to offer what I call the contextual approach to oral tradition
and the NT. Rather than looking for the shape (= morphology) of oral tradition in
written texts, the contextual approach situates written traditions in relation to larger
traditional dynamics, both oral and written. This approach goes beyond the recent
and vibrant work on intertextuality because the scope of its vision is broader: Not
the relation of one text to another but the relation of a written text as well as its
author(s) and audience(s) to their circumambient tradition. This paper will focus on
the theoretical discussion of oral tradition/performance and the interpretation of
written texts; however, some attention will be given to suggestive concrete examples.
34
SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
Session 1
Introduction to the problem
Elizabeth Shively
The Temple and the Cross in Mark: Another look at Christus Victor
The purpose of this paper is to suggest an expanded view of the atonement in
Gospel of Mark that takes into account Marks presentation of Jesus conflict with
Satan. I argue that Jesus, by his death, defeats Satan and liberates human beings
from satanic power, particularly the power to deceive. My approach is to analyze
the characterization of Satan and Jesus in Mark, and the narration of two related texts
in light of related themes in the larger story: Jesus prophetic act in the Temple that
leads to his death (11:15-19), and the crucifixion scene in which Jesus death is tied
to the tearing of the Temple veil (15:33-39). I demonstrate that both texts mimic
exorcisms and belong to Jesus struggle against satanic power. In addition, both
texts are indicative of human perception about the work of God. The Temple scene
indicts its authorities for their failure to recognize Jesus and for their complicity in
preventing the nations from understanding the Temples proper use. The scene at
the cross changes the trajectory of human misperception: at the moment of Jesus
death and the tearing of the veil, the centurion confesses that Jesus is the Son of
God. Somehow, Jesus death is a victory over the powers that keep people in
bondage, by illuminating human understanding to see Jesus.
Session 2
Monique Cuany
He was numbered with the lawless (Luke 22:37): Substitution in Lukes Passion Narrative
Lukes gospel has often been considered as downplaying if not eradicating the
atoning significance of Jesus death. Indeed, famously Luke omits the ransom
saying from Mk 10:45. It is further pointed out that he does not intimate that Jesus
death has substitutionary value when Jesus declares that Isaiah 53:12 must be fulfilled
in him in Luke 22:37. This essay re-examines the function of the quotation of Is 53:12
He was numbered among the transgressorsin Lukes passion narrative. Far from
an insignificant allusion to the suffering servant, it argues that Luke develops the
theme of substitution throughout the passion narrative, showing Jesus as suffering
the punishment which should have been inflicted on those around him. While
several exegetes have identified such ironies in Lukes depiction of Jesus trials,
this paper examines this development in detail.
35
Michael Flowers
Did Luke believe that Jesus death had any redemptive significance?
The term redemption appears several times in Lukes writings and is certainly not
restricted to Jesus death, but it should not be understood in isolation from it either.
In the opening scenes of Lukes Gospel the stage is set for redemption to occur.
When Zechariahs tongue is loosed he declares (proleptically) that God has redeemed
his people (Lk 1:68). Anna is said to have awaited the redemption of Jerusalem (2:68).
The next we hear of redemption is shortly after Jesus death, on the road to Emmaeus
where the distraught disciples lament: But we had hoped that he (Jesus) was the
one to redeem Israel. Jesus then rebukes them. The point here seems to be that
the disciples had failed to appreciate the redemptive significance of Jesus death.
I maintain that in ch. 22 Luke emphasizes the connection between Christs passion
(pascho) and the Passover (pascha) festival, suggesting that his death was the
fulfillment of this type. This word play was not unknown in the Jewish world. The
textual issue in Lk 22:19b-20 would also be discussed in this context.
There are good reasons for thinking the verses were original to Luke. In the crucifixion
scene, the differences between Lk and Mk with respect to the temple curtain being
torn are probably not theologically significant and we should avoid reading too much
into them. Pauls farewell statement to the Ephesian church in Acts 20:28 can only mean
that Jesus death was an atonement for sin. Luke has accurately preserved Pauline
thought here and this suggests that he held similar thoughts.There may have been
reasons as to why Lukes presentation about Jesus death is more subtle. But if we look
carefully we need hardly conclude that in Lukes thought there is no direct
soteriological significance drawn from Jesus suffering or death (Conzelmann) or that
in Lukes writings Nothing is said of the saving significance of the cross of
Christ (Vielhauer).
Session 3
Tim Carter
Drinking the blood of the covenant
There is surprisingly little common ground between the four versions of Jesus cup
word at the Last Supper: there is a cup and Jesus says something about his blood and
the covenant; if shared tradition is taken as evidence of historicity, this is pretty meagre
fare. Yet we can be reasonably confident of one thing: the disciples all drank the wine
which Jesus identified with his blood, notwithstanding the strongly-held Jewish taboo
on blood consumption. This paper utiltises this act of drinking what has been identified
as blood as a way of exploring Jesus understanding of the atoning effects of his death.
Those who shared in the wine were engaged in a covenant-making ritual, and it will be
suggested that in symbolically breaking this ancient taboo Jesus was displaying a unique
authority in asserting the atoning significance of his blood. The paper offers an exegesis
of Lev. 17:11: rather than offering a definitive understanding of how blood effects
atonement the text should be read as an example of gazerah shawah, juxtaposing a
36
reference to the life being in the blood with the comparatively rare view that blood
atones for ones life, thereby arriving at the notion that the life in the blood atones for
the life of the worshipper. Thus the only OT offering an explanation of how atonement
works is an exercise in creativity: Jesus developed this creative tradition in the words he
said over the cup and this trend is developed further in the different versions we have
of his cup word as well as in the wide range of sacrificial interpretations of his death in
the New Testament. The meaning of the atonement can be explained, but can never
be exhausted, by the range of metaphors available in and beyond the pages of the
New Testament.
37
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The Conference Facilities Directory of The University of Manchester
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nazarene
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
MANCHESTER
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Didsbury, Manchester
Nazarene Theological College is a hidden gem
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BRITISH NEW

From Egypt to Manchester: Unraveling the John Rylands Papyrus Collection

Organisers and Contacts

Check-in and Registration

Plenary Session 1: Prof. Joan Taylor

John Hartshorne Lecture Theatre

The Bar is open

Friday, 5th September

Junior Common Room

Seminar Groups: Session 1

Seminar Groups: Session 2

John Rylands Library, Deansgate

Junior Common Room

BNTS Business Meeting

John Hartshorne Lecture Theatre

Plenary Session 2: Prof. Judith Lieu

John Hartshorne Lecture Theatre

The Bar will be open

Saturday, 6th September

Junior Common Room

Jesus Seminar Session 3

Seminar Groups: Session 3

Plenary Session 3: Dr Simon Gathercole

John Hartshorne Lecture Theatre

Lunch and Departures

New Testament and

New Testament: Use and

Simultaneous Short Papers

Group 1: Hulme Hall Lecture Theatre

Social World of the New

MAPS ON PAGES 45 & 46, NEAR THE END OF THE PROGRAMME.

Chairs: Matthew Sleeman & Steve Walton

Josh Mann (University of Edinburgh)

Dr Dirk Jongkind (St Edmunds College & Tyndale House, Cambridge)

Kylie Crabbe (University of Oxford)

EARLY CHRISTIANITY Theme: Gender

Chair: Loveday Alexander

Professor Jorunn kland (Oslo University)

Elif Aynaci (University of Manchester)

Chairs: Helen Bond & Chris Keith

Jesse Nickel (University of St Andrews)

Chairs: David Lamb & Janet Unsworth

Joshua Coutts (New College, University of Edinburgh)

Anthony Royle (The Centre of Jewish-Christian Studies)

NT & SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM

Chair: James Davila

Matthew Novenson (University of Edinburgh)

Prof. Jim Davila (University of St. Andrews)

David Armitage (University of Nottingham)

NEW TESTAMENT: USE AND INFLUENCE

Chairs: Alison Jack & John Lyons

Professor John Vincent (Urban Theology Unit, Sheffield)

Dr Christine Joynes (University of Oxford)

Chairs: Peter Oakes & Sarah Whittle

Dorothea H. Bertschmann (Durham University)

Jeanette Hagen (Durham University)

Matt OReilly (University of Gloucestershire)

Chairs: Ian Paul & Simon Woodman

Towan Greene (University of Sheffield)

Garrick V Allen (University of St Andrews)

Robert Royalty (Wabash College)

SIMULTANEOUS SHORT PAPERS

Chair: Paul Middleton