The Relationship between the Writings of the New Testament and the Roman Empire
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Armant Puig i Tàrrech
Abstract
The God-Caesar separation, proposed by Jesus, constitutes the basis of the different political theologies of the New Testament. This distinction between religion and politics does not exclude a political theology that tries to articulate those two realities. The separation of God and Caesar presupposes the end of theocracy, including the Roman imperial one, in which the emperor, since Augustus, becomes the pontifex maximus and the one who will receive divine honours in altars and temples dedicated to him after his death. Thus, the so-called “imperial ideology” is a civil religion that, based upon the enormous concentration of power in one single person, the emperor, the princeps. There are several modulations in the New Testament writings concerning the relations of Christianity and the Empire. We have identified four of them: letters of Paul, First letter of Peter, Luke-Acts and Revelation of John. In all these four groups, the Jesus’s principle of the separation between God and Caesar and the absolute primacy of God over Caesar is maintained. However, the political theologies are not the same, because the perception of the Empire is not the same in every group of writings. With Christianity arises a new culture, which is not against the Empire, but represents an alternative to the one dominant in the Empire.
Abstract
The God-Caesar separation, proposed by Jesus, constitutes the basis of the different political theologies of the New Testament. This distinction between religion and politics does not exclude a political theology that tries to articulate those two realities. The separation of God and Caesar presupposes the end of theocracy, including the Roman imperial one, in which the emperor, since Augustus, becomes the pontifex maximus and the one who will receive divine honours in altars and temples dedicated to him after his death. Thus, the so-called “imperial ideology” is a civil religion that, based upon the enormous concentration of power in one single person, the emperor, the princeps. There are several modulations in the New Testament writings concerning the relations of Christianity and the Empire. We have identified four of them: letters of Paul, First letter of Peter, Luke-Acts and Revelation of John. In all these four groups, the Jesus’s principle of the separation between God and Caesar and the absolute primacy of God over Caesar is maintained. However, the political theologies are not the same, because the perception of the Empire is not the same in every group of writings. With Christianity arises a new culture, which is not against the Empire, but represents an alternative to the one dominant in the Empire.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Abbreviations
- Introduction 1
- Rome in the New Testament: Early Traces of the Significance of the urbs in Christian History 5
- The Weak and the Strong in Rom 14:1–15:13 33
- A First Step Towards Reading 1 Clement in its Roman Context: Re-assessing the Patristic Evidence on the Date and Authorship of the Letter 53
- The Shepherd of Hermas in Its Roman Context: A Fresh Look at the First Three Visions 99
- The Relationship between the Writings of the New Testament and the Roman Empire 119
- The Application of the Lex Iulia de collegiis in the Early Imperial Context: Remarks for New Testament Exegesis 153
- The Mystery of the Woman or the Mystery of the Beast? Looking for Rome in the Book of Revelation 201
- Jews and Christians in First Century Rome: Fragmentary Evidence 215
- The Cult-Sites of Peter and Paul at Rome in the First Centuries of Christianity: From the Written Sources to the Monumental Remains 237
- Four “Prophecies from the Event” (vaticinia ex eventu): On Paul, Peter, and Rome 267
- Encounters of Christian Faith and Philosophy in Second and Third Century Rome 281
- The Impact of Cerdo, Marcion and Gnostic Teachers on Roman Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries 313
- Justin Martyr and Tatian the Syrian in their Roman Context 343
- Hippolytus, Gaius and the Alogi in Second and Third Century Rome 363
- List of Contributors
- Index of Ancient Sources
- Index of Names and Subjects
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Abbreviations
- Introduction 1
- Rome in the New Testament: Early Traces of the Significance of the urbs in Christian History 5
- The Weak and the Strong in Rom 14:1–15:13 33
- A First Step Towards Reading 1 Clement in its Roman Context: Re-assessing the Patristic Evidence on the Date and Authorship of the Letter 53
- The Shepherd of Hermas in Its Roman Context: A Fresh Look at the First Three Visions 99
- The Relationship between the Writings of the New Testament and the Roman Empire 119
- The Application of the Lex Iulia de collegiis in the Early Imperial Context: Remarks for New Testament Exegesis 153
- The Mystery of the Woman or the Mystery of the Beast? Looking for Rome in the Book of Revelation 201
- Jews and Christians in First Century Rome: Fragmentary Evidence 215
- The Cult-Sites of Peter and Paul at Rome in the First Centuries of Christianity: From the Written Sources to the Monumental Remains 237
- Four “Prophecies from the Event” (vaticinia ex eventu): On Paul, Peter, and Rome 267
- Encounters of Christian Faith and Philosophy in Second and Third Century Rome 281
- The Impact of Cerdo, Marcion and Gnostic Teachers on Roman Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries 313
- Justin Martyr and Tatian the Syrian in their Roman Context 343
- Hippolytus, Gaius and the Alogi in Second and Third Century Rome 363
- List of Contributors
- Index of Ancient Sources
- Index of Names and Subjects
