The Reality of Apocalypse: Rhetoric and Politics in the Book of Revelation (SBL Symposium Series 39)

317 Pages·2006·1.2 MB·English

by  David L. Barr (ed.)

The Reality of Apocalypse
Society of Biblical Literature
Symposium Series
Christopher R. Matthews, Editor
Number 39
the reality of apocalypse
Rhetoric and Politics
in the Book of Revelation
edited by
David L. Barr
the reality of apocalypse
Rhetoric and Politics
in the Book of Revelation
edited by
David L. Barr
Brill
Leiden • Boston
2006
the reality of apocalypse
Rhetoric and Politics
in the Book of Revelation
Copyright © 2006 by the Society of Biblical Literature
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The reality of Apocalypse : rhetoric and politics in the book of Revelation /
edited by David L. Barr.
p. cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature symposium series ; no. 39)
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15107-9 (cloth binding : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 90-04-15107-9 (cloth binding : alk. paper)
1. Bible. N.T. Revelation—Socio-rhetorical criticism—Congresses. I. Barr, David L.,
1942–. II. Series: Symposium series (Brill Academic Publishers) ; no. 39.
BS2825.52.R44 2006b
228'.06—dc22 2005037070
ISSN 1569-3627
Printed in the Netherlands on acid-free paper
Table of Contents
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Part One: Rhetoric and Reality
1. Reading the Apocalypse as Apocalypse: The Limits of Genre
Gregory L. Linton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
2. Apocalypse Renewed: An Intertextual Reading of the
Apocalypse of John
David E. Aune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3. Beyond Genre: The Expectations of Apocalypse
David L. Barr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
4. Hearing and Seeing but Not Saying: A Rhetoric of Authority
in Revelation 10:4 and 2 Corinthians 12:4
Jean-Pierre Ruiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
5. To Rejoice or Not to Rejoice? Rhetoric and the Fall of Satan
in Luke 10:17–24 and Rev 12:1–17
Edith M. Humphrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
6. Sarcasm in Revelation 2–3: Churches, Christians, True Jews,
and Satanic Synagogues
Steven J. Friesen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
v
vi Table of Contents
Part Two: Politics and Reality
7. The “Synagogue of Satan”: Crisis Mongering and the
Apocalypse of John
Paul Duff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
8. Symptoms of Resistance in the Book of Revelation
Greg Carey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
9. Dragon Myth and Imperial Ideology in Revelation 12–13
Jan Willem van Henten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
10. The Lamb Who Looks Like a Dragon? Characterizing Jesus
in John’s Apocalypse
David L. Barr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
11. Betwixt and Between on the Lord’s Day: Liturgy and the Apocalypse
Jean-Pierre Ruiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
12. Babylon the Great: A Rhetorical-Political Reading
of Revelation 17–18
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Select Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
Index of Ancient Writings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279
Index of Modern Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291
Subject Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299
Abbreviations
AB Anchor Bible
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und
Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung. Edited by
H. Temporini and W. Haase. Berlin, 1972–
ATR Australasian Theological Review
BAGD Bauer, W., W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker.
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature. 2d ed. Chicago, 1979
BBB Bonner biblische Beiträge
BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium
BHT Beiträge zur historischen Theologie
Bib Biblica
BibInt Biblical Interpretation
BR Biblical Research
BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche
Wissenschaft
CahT Cahiers Théologiques
CAT Commentaire de l’Ancien Testament
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CC Continental Commentary
CdE Chronique d’Egypte
CH Church History
CNT Commentaire du Nouveau Testament
ConBNT Coniectanea neotestamentica
CSEL Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum latinorum
EPRO Etudes préliminaires aux religions orientales dans l’empire
romain
ESCJ Études sur le christianisme et le judaïsme
EvQ Evangelical Quarterly
ExAud Ex auditu
FOTL Forms of the Old Testament Literature
vii
viii Abbreviations
FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen
Testaments
GNS Good News Studies
GTJ Grace Theological Journal
HDR Harvard Dissertations in Religion
HNT Handbuch zum Neuen Testament
HNTC Harper’s New Testament Commentaries
HR History of Religions
HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs
HTR Harvard Theological Review
ICC International Critical Commentary
IDBSup Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: Supplementary Volume.
Edited by K. Crim. Nashville, 1976
Int Interpretation
JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JEA Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies
JJS Journal of Jewish Studies
JR Journal of Religion
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement
Series
JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement
Series
JSP Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha
JSPSup Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha: Supplement
Series
JSS Journal of Semitic Studies
JSSR Journal for the Scientifi c Study of Religion
KEK Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament
(Meyer-Kommentar)
LCL Loeb Classical Library
LEC Library of Early Christianity
LSJ Liddell, H. G., R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon.
9th ed. with revised supplement. Oxford, 1996
LumVie Lumière et vie
NCB New Century Bible
Neot Neotestamentica
NHC Nag Hammadi Codices
NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament
NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary
NovT Novum Testamentum
NTOA Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus
NTS New Testament Studies
Abbreviations ix
QJS Quarterly Journal of Speech
RAC Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum. Edited by T. Kluser et
al. Stuttgart, 1950–
RB Revue biblique
RelSRev Religious Studies Review
RevExp Review and Expositor
RHPR Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses
RivBSup Rivista biblica italiana Supplement Series
RSR Recherches de science religieuse
SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series
SBLRBS Society of Biblical Literature Resources for Biblical Study
SBLSP Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers
SBM Stuttgarter biblische Monographien
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
SCHNT Studia ad corpus hellenisticum Novi Testamenti
SNT Studien zum Neuen Testament
StABH Studies in American Biblical Hermeneutics
TANZ Texte und Arbeiten zum neutestamentlichen Zeitalter
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by
G. Kittel and G. Friedrich. Translated by G. W. Bromiley. 10
vols. Grand Rapids, 1964–1976
TF Theologische Forschung
THKNT Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen Testament
TJ Trinity Journal
TPQ Theologisch-praktische Quartalschrift
TZ Theologische Zeitschrift
VD Verbum domini
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen
Testament
WTJ Westminster Theological Journal
WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament
ZNW Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde
der älteren Kirche
ZTK Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche