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The Paraenesis of the Epistle to the Hebrews: Purpose, Function and Theology in the Paraenetical Passages
Paluchník, Pavel ; Mrázek, Jiří (advisor) ; Ábel, František (referee) ; Brož, Jaroslav (referee)
This thesis entitled "The Paraenesis of the Epistle to the Hebrews: Purpose, Function and Theology in the Paraenetical Passages" deals with the role of the paraenesis in the epistle to the Hebrews. The aim of the study is to analyze the paraenetical passages in the letter and answer the question what the paraenetical purpose of the epistle is. Concerning (chapter 1) the unique relationship between exposition and exhortation in Hebrews I focus on the definition of the Early Christian ethics and its relationship to theology. I then proceed to the history of research in the letter. The introductory topics (chapter 2) such as the authorship, the date of writing, the address, a religious background, the opponent, the rhetoric, the structure and the theology of the epistle significantly shape the understanding of the text. Still, many of these questions remain the matter of dispute in scholarly circles. In the exegetical section (chapter 3) I analyze all the paraenetical passages in Hebrews (2:1-4; 3:1-6; 3:7-4:13; 4:14-16; 5:11-6:20; 10:19-39; 12:1-29 and 13:1-25) and focus on the rhetorical strategy, description of the problem, typical motives in exhortations and how the paraenesis is related to the theology of the letter. At the end (chapter 4) I summarize the results. The paraenesis of the epistle is...
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A vision of the Wisdom of the Prophet Enoch. On the Function of the Parable of Enoch.
Cielontko, Dávid ; Mrázek, Jiří (advisor) ; Ábel, František (referee) ; Brož, Jaroslav (referee)
The main aim of this dissertation is to understand the function of the text The Parables of Enoch (PE) in its ancient context. Despite the complicated and composite nature of this text, I have tried to explain the internal logic of this text, especially with an emphasis on understanding the different timelines with which the author of the text works. A critical evaluation of the limits of working with the preserved Ethiopian translations, as well as with the composite nature of the extant form of the text is the essential prerequisite for the interpretation of PE. In the exegetical part, I seek to demonstrate the main thesis that the purpose of PE is to offer a complex symbolic universe through ancient authoritative visions of the ancestor Enoch that serves to legitimize the shared social reality, which is in danger due to the difficult situation of persecution and oppression. I take the theoretical framework for this research over from the sociological constructivism. While the shared social reality is often in crisis, the symbolic universe as a complex level of legitimation intends to explain this discrepancy between the assumed social reality and the reality of the everyday experience. In the case of PE, it is a discrepancy between the experience of oppression and persecution of the addressees...
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The Narrowness of the Jewish World in the <> Encyclical of James in the Context of Political and Religious Conflicts of the Second Temple Period
Tarasenko, Olexandr ; Lášek, Jan Blahoslav (advisor) ; Pokorný, Petr (referee) ; Ábel, František (referee)
This dissertation explores the value system held by the author of the Epistle of James. Most likely, this interesting Epistle of a former Galilean peasant is a collection of his sermons or discourses gathered and edited by one of his followers. The Epistle does not relate to any specific problems of concrete communities or persons and, therefore, it may be viewed as an encyclical letter. The author's main tone is: «you must act in this way and only this way». Therefore this document is a type of «halakhah», a literary form used by the sages of Israel before the Common Era. «Halakhah», as well as the Greek literary form paraenesis, does not imply any discussion of the material, but rather calls the readers to submission. The author of this «halakhic» encyclical shifts the attention of his readers from their realities to his idealistic world. He omits many aspects of Second-Temple-Period Jewish life, focusing his attention instead on the rules of spiritual life common for both Judeans and Christians. This focus explains why the Epistle has only two brief and indirect references to Jesus Christ, who as the hero surprisingly does not play a distinctive role. for several reasons the Messiah is replaced by famous characters from the Tanakh (i. e., Abraham, Rahab, Job, and Elijah) as being the best examples for...
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