Curses in Acts: Hearing the Apostles’ Words of Judgment Alongside ‘Magical’ Spell Texts
Scholars of Luke-Acts have struggled to define the apostles’ proclamations of judgment on those who threatened the early Christian community. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 4.32-5.11), Simon magus (8.4-25) and Bar-Jesus (13.4-12) all fall victim to the apostles’ words of power, yet scholars have typical...
| Published in: | Journal for the study of the New Testament |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
[2017]
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| In: |
Journal for the study of the New Testament
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Acts of the Apostles
/ Apostle
/ Curse
/ Greece (Antiquity)
/ Egypt (Antiquity)
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| RelBib Classification: | AZ New religious movements BC Ancient Orient; religion BE Greco-Roman religions HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Apostles
B BLESSING & cursing in literature B Curse B Magic B Bible. Acts B PAPYRUS manuscripts B Bible. Luke B Acts B Coptic literature B Papyri B Coptic |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Scholars of Luke-Acts have struggled to define the apostles’ proclamations of judgment on those who threatened the early Christian community. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 4.32-5.11), Simon magus (8.4-25) and Bar-Jesus (13.4-12) all fall victim to the apostles’ words of power, yet scholars have typically shied away from categorizing their speeches as curses. Close analysis of the structure, style, phonaesthetic and dramatic aspects of the Greek texts suggests, however, that Luke indeed intends the apostles’ speeches to be heard as curses whilst simultaneously presenting them as legitimate acts of power. A comparison with Greek and Coptic ‘magical’ texts helps to place the curses of Acts in the context of cursing traditions in the wider ancient Mediterranean world. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5294 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the New Testament
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0142064X17703296 |