The product of a Petrine circle? A reassessment of the origin and character of 1 Peter

© 2002 SAGE PublicationsRecent studies of 1 Peter, especially by John Elliott, have sought to rescue the letter from its assimilation to the Pauline tradition and to establish the view, now widely held, that 1 Peter is the distinctive product of a Petrine circle. After examining the traditions in 1 Peter, both Pauline and non-Pauline, and the names in the letter (Silvanus, Mark and Peter), this essay argues that there is no substantial evidence, either inside or outside the letter, to support the view of 1 Peter as originating from a specifically Petrine group. It is much more plausibly seen as reflecting the consolidation of early Christian traditions in Roman Christianity. Despite the scholarly majority currently in its favour, the view of 1 Peter as the distinctive product of a Petrine tradition from a Petrine circle should therefore be rejected

New Testament Exegesis as an Academic Discipline with Relevance for Other Disciplines

This article is an English translation of a lecture delivered in November 2011 upon the author’s installation as Professor of New Testament at Uppsala University. It addresses several conceptual and methodological questions about New Testament Exegesis, including: ‘What is New Testament Exegesis?’ ‘What does it mean to call New Testament Exegesis an academic discipline?’ and ‘How can this discipline have relevance for other disciplines?’ A central argument is that the current balkanization of biblical studies is undesirable and that scholars who use more traditional or newer methods should engage each other rather than talk past each other. Since the so-called ‘historical-critical method’ is, in fact, not just one method, this misconception in current nomenclature merits critical attention. Additionally, ‘the linguistic turn’ holds promise for future discussions

"Jairus, His Daughter, and the Haemorrhaging Woman (Mk. 5:21-43; Mt. 9:18-26; Lk. 8:40-56): Research Survey of a Gospel Story about People in Distress."

This article examines the history of interpretation of the pericope of the healing of the haemorrhaging woman and the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mk 5.21-43; Mt. 9.18-26; Lk. 8.40-56). It starts with the earliest attempts to harmonize the synoptic accounts, and reviews medieval allegorical interpretations, historical-critical theories, including the apparent death (coma) theory, D.F. Strauss and mythical interpretation, form-criticism, the question of sources, literary and narrative approaches, socio-critical (feminist) interpretation, psychoanalytical criticism, and contextual (poststructural) readings