Meddelanden 24 (2009) (PDF 780 kB - Nytt fönster) - Centrum för ...

whether these points really served to mark the boundaries between
“orthodoxy” and “heresy”, a proposal that is somewhat surprising in the
light of Tellbe’s own findings regarding diversity and even mutual antagonism
in these sources.
Runar M. Thorsteinsson’s essay, “The Role of Morality in the Rise of
Roman Christianity” focuses on one important aspect of identity, the
question of difference and similarity. Thorsteinsson brings up a claim that
the rise of Christianity was due to significant theoretical and practical innovations
on moral matters, a claim that is recently argued most forcefully by
Rodney Stark. Against this claim, Thorsteinsson marshals evidence,
especially from Roman philosophers, that shows great similarities between
Christian and Stoic moral teachings. Thorsteinsson suggests that Stoicism
may have paved the way for the rise of Christianity and that it was
similarities and not differences between Christian and Roman moral teachings
that made possible the relatively rapid spread of Christianity.
In his essay, “Christian Identity as True Masculinity,” Fredrik Ivarsson
offers examples of how Paul uses the contemporary cultural stereotypes of
masculinity and effeminacy. Ivarsson argues, on the basis of selective passages
in Romans, 1 Corinthians and Galatians, that Paul employs masculinity
as a rhetorical tool as he exhorts his fellow believers to be masculine while
stereotyping the outsiders as effeminate. Ivarsson’s conclusions should be
assessed in light of some recent claims that there are significant traits in
early Christian traditions – especially in Jesus traditions – that challenge
contemporary notions of masculinity. It should be asked how the images of
Jesus as weak and subordinated – images that also Paul adopts and applies
at least to some extent to himself – do fit in the picture of Paul as an
advocate of true masculinity.
The book is a significant and coherent compilation that needs to be taken
into account in attempts to clarify early Christian identities. Many of the
essays are condensed parts of larger forthcoming studies which, in all likelyhood,
will shed more light on the topics addressed in the volume. It is
interesting that the interest in early Christian identity formation and some
shared methodological perspectives (e.g. social identity approach) are
emerging at the same time in different Nordic contexts (cf. http://
www.helsinki.fi/teol/pro/rimi/project). This may open interesting venues for
co-operation in the future.
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Raimo Hakola
Helsingfors