Death as Eschaton. A Study of Ignatius of Antioch’s Desire for Death

386 Pages·2000·30.66 MB·English

by  A.O. Mellink

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DEATHH AS ESCHATON

DEATHH AS ESCHATON
AA Study of Ignatius of Antioch's Desire for Death
Academischh proefschrift
terr verkrijging van de graad van doctor
aann de Universiteit van Amsterdam
opp gezag van de Rector Magnificus
prof.. dr. JJ.M. Franse
tenn overstaan van een door het college voor promoties ingestelde
commissiee in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Aula der Universiteit
opp woensdag 12 april 2000 te 14:00 uur
door r
ALBERTT OSGER MELLINK
geborenn te Haarlem
PROMOTOR:: PROF. DR. J.W. VAN HENTEN
FACULTEITT DER GEESTESWETENSCHAPPEN
CONTENTS S
Prefacee vu
Abbreviationss ix
INTRODUCTIONN 1
CHAPTERR ONE. THE LETTERS OF IGNATIUS: PROBLEMS OF INTRODUCTION
§§ 1. Introduction 5
§§ 2. The Three Recensions 5
§§ 3. The Priority of the Middle Recension 22
§§ 4. The Authenticity of the Middle Recension 26
§§ 5. The Date of the Authentic Letters 44
§§ 6. Conclusion 49
CHAPTERR TWO. THE ROAD TO ROME: A HISTORY OF RESEARCH
§§ 1. Introduction 51
§§ 2. Ignatius the Martyr 53
§§ 3. Gnosticism and Mystery Cults 57
§§ 4. A Second Passion 70
§§ 5. Ignatius' Theology of Martyrdom 74
§§ 6. Martyrdom and the Eucharist 83
§§ 7. Neurosis and Failure 91
§§ 8. Ignatius and the Early Roman Empire 116
§§ 9. Conclusion 128
CHAPTERR THREE. UNTO FULFILMENT. A CLOSE READING
§§ 1. Introduction 130
§§ 2. To Suffer - To Die - To Fight the Beasts 132
§§ 3. To Be Judged Worthy 154
§§ 4. To Be Perfected 163
§§ 5. To Be Justified 177
§§ 6. To Become a Disciple 185
§§ 7. To Attain God 209
§§ 8. To Attain the Lot 241
§§ 9. To Rise 251
§10.. To Set from the World 287
§11.. Conclusion 317
CHAPTERR FOUR. THE DESIRE FOR THE END: CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
§§ 1. Introduction 320
§§ 2. The Eschatology of Ignatius 320
§§ 3. Death and the Eschaton 332
§§ 4. Conclusion 342
Bibliographyy 344
Samenvattingg (Dutch Summary) 358
*** *
PREFACE E
Thiss dissertation is very much the final result of a rather solitary undertaking.
Nevertheless,, it could not have been completed without the support of a number
off individuals and institutions.
Myy work on Ignatius of Antioch began in 1993. At that time I was enrolled
inn the Ph.D.-program "New Testament and Early Christianity" of Loyola Univer-
sityy of Chicago. During the fall semester I took a course on the letters of Ignatius,
givenn by David E. Aune. I did not have to think very long about a topic for the
requiredd research paper. My fascination for the extreme immediately drew me to
Ignatius'' desire for death as the most interesting and startling issue in the letters.
Sincee then, a lot has happened, but in a way this dissertation could be said to be
aa revised and largely extended version of that endterm paper. I am indebted to
Loyolaa University of Chicago for supporting my studies at that stage of my career
ass a graduate student.
II owe it very much to one person that my work on Ignatius did not end back
inn 1993. At my return to the Netherlands in 1994, Jan Willem van Henten - then
onlyy just appointed as full professor at the Faculty of Theology of the University
off Amsterdam - warmheartedly supported my efforts to find a position as research
assistant.. In 1995 this came through so that I could continue my Ph.D.-studies and
writee my doctoral thesis under his direction. I am grateful for his support and his
confidencee in my talents. I hope that I have not disappointed him too much. Our
sharedd interest in the inscrutable depths of the souls of the Christian and Jewish
martyrss has encouraged me to press on.
II wish to thank all the members of the reading committee: David Aune
(Notree Dame), Athalya Brenner (Amsterdam), Daan den Hengst (Amsterdam), and
Henkk Jan de Jonge (Leiden), and all others who have commented on my work at
differentt stages and in different settings. I also need to express my indebtedness
too two scholars whom I have never had the pleasure to meet in person: Joseph
Barberr Lightfoot and William R. Schoedel. In many respects their admirable works
onn Ignatius have been my points of departure. These two scholars are the shoulders
onn which I stand.
Lastt but not least, warm thanks go to all those who have made my stay at
thee University of Amsterdam a joy - i.e. not only my colleagues but also those
studentss who were so kind to put up with me as a young teacher -, and to all
thosee who saw to it that I did not spend too much time alone with my books and
behindd my computer. As Ignatius would have put it: "in every way you refreshed
mee both in flesh and spirit." Finally, special thanks are due to my brother, Melle
Mellink,, for the technical realization of the cover design. Without his assistance,
thee appearance of this book would have been much less exciting.
Osgerr Mellink Amsterdam,, April 2000
_ _
ABBREVIATIONS S
Aa a Lipsius,, R.A.; Bonnet, M., eds., Acta apostolorum apocrypha (3 vols.; 1891-
1903,, reprint Darmstadt 1959)
Act.Act. And. TheThe Acts of Andrew
Act.Act. Barn. TheThe Acts of Barnabas
Act.Act. Carp. TheThe Acts of Carpus, Papylus, and Agathonicê
Act.Act. Cypr. TheThe Acts of Saint Cyprian
Act.Act. Eupl. TheThe Acts of Euplus
Act.Act. John TheThe Acts of John
Act.Act. Just. TheThe Acts of Justin and Companions
Act.Act. Max. TheThe Acts of Maximilian
Act.Act. Pet. TheThe Acts of Peter
Act.Act. Phil. TheThe Acts ofPhileas
Act.Act. Phili. TheThe Acts of Philip
Act.Act. PI. TheThe Acts of Paul
Act.Act. Scil TheThe Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs
Act.Act. Thee. TheThe Acts of Thecla (and Paul)
Act.Act. Thorn. TheThe Acts of Thomas
Aeliuss Aristides
Or. Or. Orationes Orationes
Aeschylus s
Agammemnon Agammemnon Prom. PVrionm. V. in. PrometheusPrometheus Vinctus
Eum. Eum. Eumenides Eumenides Sept. Sept. SeptemSeptem contra Thebas
AnBoll AnBoll AnalectaAnalecta Bollandiana
ANF ANF TheThe Ante-Nicene Fathers (10 vols.; American reprint of the Edinburgh ed.; Grand
Rapidss 1993)
ANRW ANRW AufstiegAufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt
APOT APOT Charles,, R.H., ed., The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in
EnglishEnglish (2 vols.; Oxford 1963)
Appianus s
Bell.Bell. CiBv.e llumBellum Civile
Apuleius s
Met. Met. Metamorphoses Metamorphoses
Aristotle e
EN EN EthicaEthica Nicomachea Part.Part. AnimD. eDe partibus animalium
Interpr. InterDpre.D e interpretatione Rhet. Rhet. Rhetorica Rhetorica
ARW ARW ArchivfurArchivfur Religionswissenschaft
As.As. Mos. AssumptionAssumption of Moses
Athenaeus s
Deipn. DeipnD. eipnosophistae Deipnosophistae
Athenagoras s
Suppl. SupplS. upplicatioSupplicatio pro ChristRiaens.i sR es. DeDe resurrectione mortuorum.
ATR ATR AnglicanAnglican Theological Review
22 Bar. SecondSecond (Syriac Apocalypse of) Baruch
Barn. Barn. Thee letter of Barnabas
Bauer r Bauer,, W., Griechisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen
TestamentsTestaments (Berlin 51971)
BETL L Bibliothecaa ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium
BJRL BJRL BulletinBulletin of the John Rylands Library
BKV V Bibliothekk der KirchenvSter
Blass s Blass,, F.; Debrunner, A.; Rehkopf, F., Grammatik des neutestamentlichen
GriechischGriechisch (Göttingen 161984)