I have a strong recollection of a talk given in the 1970's by John Eddison, by all appearances very much an establishment figure. He said that Jesus had much more to say about the dangers of money than the dangers of sex. This was to a group of students who had little of the former and many opportunities for the latter!
What he said is true. With all the disputing over SSM, SSB etc, perhaps we should pay more attention to the deeper and more serious issues in the church over attitudes to wealth and prosperity.
Believe it or not, Peter, Hart's articles understate how radical a departure from tradition his translation is. Taking all of his renovations as a whole, he has attempted a non-Augustinian translation-- one that not only does not replicate doubtful translations of technical importance to Western theology (eg *eph ho* at Romans 5:12) but replaces the big picture of a religion that is ultimately about everlasting bliss or torment (his translation of *aionios*), with one primarily about which actions in the present body determine the quality of soul (his translation of *psuche*) that will endure in communion with God (his translation of *koinonia* and its cognates).
"I have also allowed my thinking on certain terms to be shaped by—in addition to the studies of many modern biblical scholars—the readings offered by certain ancient authorities who, to my mind, possessed at once all the necessary attributes of trustworthy exegetical guides: complete linguistic proficiency, penetrating exegetical insight, and genuinely redoubtable theological powers: Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and Theodore of Mopsuestia (among others)."
--David Bentley Hart, The New Testament: A Translation. Yale University Press. Kindle 11895-11898.
And, in a few places, he has rejected English words incompatible with the tenor of writings from the apostolic fathers.
"As sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, so death spread to all men; and because of death, all men have sinned..." -- Romans 5:12, translated by Meyendorff.
"Therefore, just as sin entered into the cosmos through one man, and death through sin, so also death pervaded all humanity, whereupon all sinned..." -- Romans 5:12, translated by Hart.
Peter, on Romans 5:12 there are still longer reads available! For old times' sake, see p. 96 of John Meyendorff, and the long quotation from Joseph Fitzmeyer at n 22 on p. 101--
The central problem: the most probable construal of the syntax of 5:12 makes death the cause of sin rather than vice versa, but doing so challenges our received notions about sin, judgment, and the scope of salvation. The Western imagination shaped by St Augustine does not see how death could cause sin, how Life could remedy the guilt of disobedience, nor how the scope of an atonement from victory over death could be anything but universal. So while one would best translate the text at hand as Meyendorff and Hart have done, doing so draws it close to contradicting Western translations of other verses that treat sin as juridical, judgment as retributive, and punishment as everlasting torment.
Until fairly recently, Western exegetes chose construals of 5:12 that, although improbable, did not raise these questions. Deeper understanding of Eastern exegeses-- and some profound Western critiques of infernalism-- have made such evasion impossible today. That said, evangelical scholars are not yet ready to sail to Byzantium. Gerald Bray and Michael Bird have both attempted restatements of the Western position that try fairly engage the evidence.
So much, then, for the advocates of the 'Prosperity Gospel'.
ReplyDeleteI have a strong recollection of a talk given in the 1970's by John Eddison, by all appearances very much an establishment figure. He said that Jesus had much more to say about the dangers of money than the dangers of sex. This was to a group of students who had little of the former and many opportunities for the latter!
ReplyDeleteWhat he said is true. With all the disputing over SSM, SSB etc, perhaps we should pay more attention to the deeper and more serious issues in the church over attitudes to wealth and prosperity.
Believe it or not, Peter, Hart's articles understate how radical a departure from tradition his translation is. Taking all of his renovations as a whole, he has attempted a non-Augustinian translation-- one that not only does not replicate doubtful translations of technical importance to Western theology (eg *eph ho* at Romans 5:12) but replaces the big picture of a religion that is ultimately about everlasting bliss or torment (his translation of *aionios*), with one primarily about which actions in the present body determine the quality of soul (his translation of *psuche*) that will endure in communion with God (his translation of *koinonia* and its cognates).
ReplyDeleteBW
"I have also allowed my thinking on certain terms to be shaped by—in addition to the studies of many modern biblical scholars—the readings offered by certain ancient authorities who, to my mind, possessed at once all the necessary attributes of trustworthy exegetical guides: complete linguistic proficiency, penetrating exegetical insight, and genuinely redoubtable theological powers: Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and Theodore of Mopsuestia (among others)."
ReplyDelete--David Bentley Hart, The New Testament: A Translation. Yale University Press. Kindle 11895-11898.
And, in a few places, he has rejected English words incompatible with the tenor of writings from the apostolic fathers.
BW
Dear Bowman
ReplyDeleteHave looked up the footnote to Romans 5:12. Quite a long read!
"As sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, so death spread to all men; and because of death, all men have sinned..."
ReplyDelete-- Romans 5:12, translated by Meyendorff.
"Therefore, just as sin entered into the cosmos through one man, and death through sin, so also death pervaded all humanity, whereupon all sinned..."
-- Romans 5:12, translated by Hart.
Peter, on Romans 5:12 there are still longer reads available! For old times' sake, see p. 96 of John Meyendorff, and the long quotation from Joseph Fitzmeyer at n 22 on p. 101--
http://www.abbaziagreca.it/en/documents/collection/byzantine_theology.pdf
The central problem: the most probable construal of the syntax of 5:12 makes death the cause of sin rather than vice versa, but doing so challenges our received notions about sin, judgment, and the scope of salvation. The Western imagination shaped by St Augustine does not see how death could cause sin, how Life could remedy the guilt of disobedience, nor how the scope of an atonement from victory over death could be anything but universal. So while one would best translate the text at hand as Meyendorff and Hart have done, doing so draws it close to contradicting Western translations of other verses that treat sin as juridical, judgment as retributive, and punishment as everlasting torment.
Until fairly recently, Western exegetes chose construals of 5:12 that, although improbable, did not raise these questions. Deeper understanding of Eastern exegeses-- and some profound Western critiques of infernalism-- have made such evasion impossible today. That said, evangelical scholars are not yet ready to sail to Byzantium. Gerald Bray and Michael Bird have both attempted restatements of the Western position that try fairly engage the evidence.
BW