| Popis: |
This chapter examines language of violence in the Synoptic Gospels. Sidestepping the challenges of connecting violent situations in texts with historical scenarios, the discussion instead examines the roles that violent imagery plays within the contours of the texts. The chapter first situates Jesus’s and John the Baptist’s deaths within a wider framework of violence against envoys of God; the violent rejection that Jesus, John the Baptist, and the early followers of Jesus experienced could thus be understood (and rationalized) as part of a long legacy of violence evident in Israelite traditions. The analysis then turns to the use of violence in many of Jesus’s parables, showing that the stories often reflect an agrarian world of routine violence and social inequality. Finally, it considers the well-known violence that accompanies apocalyptic traditions in the Synoptics. Overall, the chapter regards violence as a valuable, intellectual resource for the authors of the Gospels. |
