Divine Titles for Julio-Claudian Imperials in Corinth

Several scholars conclude that the inhabitants of Corinth considered Julio-Claudian family members to be lords. Some commentators propose that these figures were regarded as lords and gods. Therefore, 1 Cor 8:5 is a Pauline polemic against emperor worship. The evidence for both proposals is Paul’s u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The catholic biblical quarterly
Main Author: Burnett, Clint 1984- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Catholic Biblical Association of America 2020
In: The catholic biblical quarterly
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Bible. Corinthians 1. 8,5 / God / Roman Empire / Ruler worship
RelBib Classification:BE Greco-Roman religions
CC Christianity and Non-Christian religion; Inter-religious relations
HC New Testament
NBC Doctrine of God
Further subjects:B Emperor Worship
B Gods
B imperial cults
B lord(s)
B 1 Corinthians
B in heaven and on earth
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Several scholars conclude that the inhabitants of Corinth considered Julio-Claudian family members to be lords. Some commentators propose that these figures were regarded as lords and gods. Therefore, 1 Cor 8:5 is a Pauline polemic against emperor worship. The evidence for both proposals is Paul’s use of κύριος and θεός in 1 Cor 8:5, titles that Greek cities bestowed on Julio-Claudians. These conclusions are problematic because they ignore the diversity of imperial worship and key evidence from Corinth. Data for Corinthian emperor veneration indicate that its imperial cults focused on deceased and officially deified emperors, divi, and the genius of the reigning emperor. This means that, while Corinthians regarded divi as divine, the divi were neither lords nor gods. Consequently, 1 Cor 8:5 is not a Pauline polemic coined to oppose imperial worship.
ISSN:2163-2529
Contains:Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2020.0113