Early Christianity Seminar Programme 2026

Naomi Reiss, University of Edinburgh, ‘And behold, I am with you most of the time: Divine Intervention in Early Christian Prison Legends’

This paper explores divine presence and absence in the legendary prisons of early Christianity. Though the early prison episodes of Acts are characterised by angelic rescues (Acts 5 and 12), reminiscent of God’s jailbreaking action in the Hebrew Bible, Paul’s extended incarcerations in the latter portion of Acts are curiously devoid of divine intervention. This Lukan oversight is remedied by the second-century Acts of Paul, which provides Paul with his own shackle-unlocking divine apparition – though he makes questionable use of his divinely-enabled escape. In the third-century Passion of Lucius and Montanus, meanwhile, a similar divine apparition in fact fails to unlock the prison cell, but instead offers his solidarity with the inmates, asserting ego hic sum vobiscum, ‘I am with you here’ (7.4 [cf. Matt 28:20]). This paper traces and analyses these developments in divine pastoral policy concerning the Christian incarcerated of ancient Rome and its provinces.

Steve Walton, Trinity College, Bristol, ‘Meeting Suffering and Persecution: A Conversation between the Martyrdom of Polycarp and 1 Peter’

The Martydom of Polycarp tells the story of the Bishop of Smyrna’s suffering and death in the second century. Connections with some parts of the New Testament have been noticed before, e.g. by J. B. Lightfoot. This paper locates Mart. Pol. amidst the pressures on believers in Smyrna of the period, instantiating the Christian faith amidst a strongly hellenised city, and considers the themes of testimony, suffering, and defence of faith in Christ in the book and 1 Peter, in conversation with key scholarship on the two books. The paper argues that Mart. Pol. is painting the bishop using colours drawn from 1 Peter’s paintbox.

Paul Treblico, University of Otago, ‘Debating the Date of Ignatius’ Letters’

There has been significant debate in recent years about the date of Ignatius’ letters. Currently, there are three main options – 105-110 CE, 120-140 CE, or 160-180 CE. This is an important issue because Ignatius’ letters give us evidence for a whole range of matters relating to the study of the New Testament and Christ-believing communities in the second century, including the use of books that became part of the New Testament, the development of leadership structures in early Christian communities, the persecution of Christians, and the development of Christology. The date of Ignatius’ letters is also very important for dating Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians. In this paper I will present and evaluate the arguments for the different dating options and put the case for a date of 120-140 CE.

Tim Murray, Independent Scholar, ‘Popular Philosophy and the New Testament: Turning the Question Around’

Scholarship that seeks to interpret early-Christian texts with reference to Greco-Roman philosophy must make assumptions about knowledge of both the authors and recipients of these texts. What philosophical ideas would an average member of the Thessalonian (or Galatian, Corinthian, etc.) community Paul wrote to be familiar with? The merits of such scholarship largely rest on the plausibility of these assumptions. One primary problem is that formal philosophical education in the first century is accepted by most scholars to be an elite phenomenon – whereas early Christianity is not. This has prompted a search for ‘popular philosophy’, influentially by Abraham Malherbe and more recently led by the work of Johan Thom.

This paper argues that although the case for a meaningful ‘popular philosophy’ could be strengthened by closer attention to the epicurean tradition, there is still little we can confidently assume. Rather, the most fruitful way forward is to flip the question and recognise the New Testament and other early-Christian literature as some of the most important evidence for popular philosophy – briefly illustrated with reference to 1 Thessalonians.

Carl Johan Berglund, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, ‘Paul’s Use of Greco-Roman Literary Criticism in First Corinthians’

As an author of elaborate Greek epistles, the apostle Paul undeniably participated in a Greco-Roman literary culture where oratory was not only encapsulated in written form but also analyzed using methods such as textual criticism (διορθωτικόν), word studies (γλωσσηματικόν), grammatical analysis (τεχνικόν), analysis of what the text refers to in the extratextual world (ἱστορικόν), and critique of its style and meter (μετρικόν). If we assume that Paul had at least a partial Greco-Roman education, we can recognize the passages in First Corinthians where he identifies his opponents as failed grammarians (1 Cor 1:20), applies the methods of ancient literary criticism (9:9–11; 15:26–28), and cites one of its most important interpretive principles (4:6). These traces do not make Paul an expert in ancient literary criticism, but indicates that he found it useful to demonstrate his abilities to strengthen his authority among the Corinthian Christians.

Jeremias Jozabad Avilés Ramírez, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ‘Scriptural “Pasture” and the Re-Mapping of Israel: New Testament Hermeneutics in Origen’s Psalms Homilies’

This paper argues that Origen’s Psalms homilies preserve Israel’s scriptural vocabulary while reconfiguring it under an explicitly New Testament hermeneutical regime. In a programmatic move, Origen defines the “pasture” (νομὴ) of God’s flock as “the sacred writings,” specifying that this pasture is the Law, the Prophets, “the Gospels,” and “the Apostles.” The Psalter thus becomes a site where canon is not merely cited but re-mapped: Israel’s idiom is retained while its scope is expanded christologically. At the same time, Origen radicalizes communal identity by positing “two synagogues,” one of God and one of the devil, making belonging a moral and pneumatic reality rather than a purely ethnic or institutional category. Finally, he frames exegesis as spiritual combat by anchoring Psalmic imagery in Eph 6 (“the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”). The case study clarifies how NT theology operates as a rule of reading for the Jewish Scriptures in early Christian preaching.

Isaac A. Olivarez, University of Cambridge, ‘Lukan Meal Scenes as the Manifestation of God’s Justice and Righteousness’

This paper argues that the Old Testament, namely, the Mosaic law, provides the underlying ethic of Jesus’ Lukan meal ministry. A meal motif is apparent in the formation of Israel’s identity, as God’s salvific plans for Israel expand to include all nations (Gen. 12:1–3; Exod. 19:4–6). This shared ethic evidences God’s attributes of justice and righteousness in Luke’s Gospel as the law does in Israel’s history. This framework includes provisions for Israel’s poor and vulnerable, especially as it pertains to keeping them fed. When Israel disobeys the covenant, Israel’s prophets relay God’s judgment against Israel by appealing to God’s justice and righteousness, which undergird the law. Indications of continuity can be found in Luke 4:18–19, where Jesus quotes Isa. 58:6–7 and 61:1–2 to announce his ministry. This article thus seeks to mitigate the marginalisation of this vital Old Testament context in studies of Jesus’ meal ministry, and centralise it by highlighting key Lukan meal scenes that exemplify this relationship (5:27–32; 7:36–50; 11:37–54; 14:7–14; 19:1–10).

Charel du Toit, University of Pretoria / Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, ‘Woman as House: An Unhiding Reading of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46–49)’

This paper proposes an “Unhiding Reading” of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46–49), arguing that women are central, albeit textually unmentioned, symbolic elements within the narrative framework. Traditional interpretations focus on contrasting foundations of obedience; however, a linguistic and cultural analysis reveals a deeper layer of meaning accessible to the ancient audience.

By examining the Greek verb oikodomeō (“to build”) and its Septuagintal link to the “building” of Eve in Genesis 2:22, this study connects the construction of a house directly to the creation of Woman. This connection is further illuminated by the ancient rabbinic concept of “Woman-as-house”. Using a “double imagination” to reconstruct the socio-cultural scripts of first-century listeners, the paper explores how the “house” (wife), “rock” (foundational community), and “torrent” (gendered chaotic forces) were all potent female-coded elements. Ultimately, this reading reclaims the unacknowledged presence of women, moving them from the margins to the very foundation of the story.

Welcoming of new seminar chairs and future plans (30 mins)