New Testament History and Literature with Dale B. Martin

tv show

poster for New Testament History and Literature with Dale B. Martin

26 total episodes

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1 seasons

First Aired September 02, 2009

Overview

Yale Courses - This course approaches the New Testament not as scripture, or a piece of authoritative holy writing, but as a collection of historical documents. Therefore, students are urged to leave behind their pre-conceived notions of the New Testament and read it as if they had never heard of it before. This involves understanding the historical context of the New Testament and imagining how it might appear to an ancient person.

The "Anti-household" Paul: Thecla poster unavailable

The "Anti-household" Paul: Thecla

Season 1 - Episode 20 - 0h 0m

Air Date

September 02, 2009

Overview

The Acts of Paul and Thecla has a narrative quite similar to those in ancient Greco-Roman novels: Thecla becomes enamored of Paul and they share a number of adventures. However, the Acts redirects eroticism towards a belief in a gospel of purity and asceticism. The Acts of Paul and Thecla present an ascetic, anti-marriage, anti-family message that would break the cycle of sex, birth, death, and decay that was so obvious in the ancient world. Given that Thecla emerges from the story as the true hero (and not Paul), is it possible to read the story as a feminist one?