One hears much these days about the African renaissance at the heart of which is the
persistent call for a development-enhancing and durable peace in what is still a
largely marginalized continent. Here it is proposed that an oral, rhetorical and
epistolary analysis of the theme of peace
(είρ'η η) in Ephesians,
against the backdrop of a contemporary postcolonial and predominantly African oral
environment in which the Bible is currently being translated, predisposes us to hear
and, perhaps, better appreciate the political ring of peace
(είρ'η η). This allows us to
hear not only an echo of when rightly understood against the backdrop of the Hebrew
Scriptures and traditions, but also acoustic resonances of the Pax Romana
or Pax Augusti within the more immediate Graeco-Roman environment as
well—one within which the original and mostly marginalized listeners to
the orally performed epistle were themselves situated.
Achtemeier, P.1990 `
Omne Verbum Sonat: The New Testament and the Oral Environment of Late Antiquity'
, JBL109:
3-27
.
2.
Arens, E.1999 `
El cordero y el dragón: El apocalipse—una teologia política'
, Páginas158:
6-14
.
3.
Arnal, W., and M. Desjardins (eds.) 1997Whose Historical Jesus
(Studies in Christianity and Judaism, 7;
Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
).
4.
Arnold, G.2005Africa: A Modern History (
London: Atlantic Books
).
5.
Asmal, K.
, et al. (eds.) 2003Nelson Mandela: From Freedom to the Future (
Johannesburg : Jonathan Ball
).
6.
Barnwell, K.1996Translators' Workplace 2.0 (
Dallas, TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics
).
7.
Barth, M.1974A Commentary on Ephesians (2 vols.; AB;
New York: Doubleday
).
8.
Beale, G.K.1999 `
Peace and Mercy upon the Israel of God: The Old Testament Background of
Galatians 6, 16b
', Bib80:
204-23
.
9.
Beavis, M.A.2006Jesus and Utopia: Looking for the Kingdom in the Roman World (
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press
).
10.
Best, E.1998A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians (
Edinburgh: T&T Clark
).
11.
Boesak, A.2006 `
African Renaissance and Spirituality
', The International Journal of African Renaissance Studies1:
175-83
.
12.
Bratcher, R.
, and
E. Nida1997Handbook on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (
New York: United Bible Societies
).
13.
Brent, A.1999 `
John as Theologos: The Imperial Mysteries and the Apocalypse
', JSNT75:
87-102
.
14.
Byron, Gay. L.2002Symbolic Blackness and Ethnic Difference in Early Christian Literature (
London: Routledge
).
15.
Cameron, A.1991Christianity and the Rhetoric of the Empire: The Development of Christian
Discourse (
Berkeley: University of California Press
).
16.
Clabeaux, J.J.1989A Lost Edition of the Letters of Paul: A Reassessment of the Text of The
Pauline Corpus Attested by Marcion (
Washington, DC: CBA
).
17.
Da, Adi2006Not-Two is Peace: The Ordinary People's Way of Global Cooperative Order (
Middletown, CA: Is Peace
).
18.
Davis, Casey W.1999Oral Biblical Criticism: The Influence of the Principles of Orality on the
Literary Structure of Paul's Epistle to the Philippians (
Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press
).
19.
Diop, D.1999 ` Africa: Mankind's Past and Future', in
M.W. Makgoba
(ed.), African Renaissance: The New Struggle (
Sandton: Mafube
): 3-9.
20.
Dunn, J.D.G.2003 `
Altering the Default Setting: Re-envisaging the Early Transmission of the
Jesus Tradition'
, NTS49:
139-75
.
21.
Elliott, N.1994Liberating Paul: The Justice of God and the Politics of the Apostle (
Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press
).
22.
Eyoh, D.1998 `
Conflicting Narratives of Anglophone Protest and the Politics of Identity
in Cameroon'
, Journal of Contemporary African Studies16:
249-76
.
23.
Gamble, H.Y.1995Books and Readers in the Early Church: A History of Early Christian Texts (
New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
).
24.
Getui, M.
, and
P. Kanyandaro
(eds.) 2003From Violence to Peace: A Challenge for African Christianity (
Nairobi
:
Acton
).
25.
Gilliard, F.D.1993 `
More Silent Reading in Antiquity: Non Omne Verbum Sonabat
', JBL112:
689-99
.
26.
Gingrich, R.
, and
T. Grimsrud
(eds.) 2006Transforming the Powers: Peace, Justice, and the Domination System (
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press
).
27.
The Good News Study Bible1997 (
New York: United Bible Societies
).
28.
The Greek New Testament1994 (4th rev. edn;
Stuttgart: United Bible Societies
).
29.
Harrison, J.R.1999 `
Paul, Eschatology and the Augustan Age of Grace
', TynBul50:
79-91
.
30.
Harvey, J.D.1998Listening to the Text: Oral Patterning in Paul's Letters (
Grand Rapids, MI
:
Baker
).
31.
Hollingshead, J.R.1998The Household of Caesar and the Body of Christ: A Political Interpretation of
the Letters of Paul (
Lanham, MD: University Press of America
).
32.
Horsley, R.A.
(ed.) 1997Paul and Empire: Religion and Power in Roman Imperial Society (
Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International
).
33.
Paul and Politics: Ekklesia, Israel, Imperium, Interpretation: Essays in Honor
of Krister Stendahl (
Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International
).
34.
Paul and the Roman Imperial Order (
Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International
).
35.
Horsley, R.A.
, et al. (eds.) 2006Performing the Gospel: Orality, Memory, and Mark (
Minneapolis, MN : Fortress Press
).
36.
Kittredge, C.B.1998Community and Authority: The Rhetoric of Obedience in the Pauline
Tradition (
Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International
).
37.
Kunene, D.1999 `
Oral Residuals in African-Language Literature'
, Voices: A Journal for Oral Studies2:
22-36
.
38.
Lieu, J.M.1985 `
“Grace to You and Peace”: The Apostolic Greeting
', BJRL68:
161-75
.
39.
Lincoln, A.T.1990A Commentary on Ephesians (WBC;
Waco, TX: Word
).
40.
Lord, A.B.1986 `Words Heard and Words Seen', in
R.A. Whitaker
and
E.R. Sienaert
(eds.), Oral Tradition and Literacy: Changing Visions of the World (
Durban: Natal University Oral Documentation and
Research Centre
): 1-17.
41.
Louw, J.P.
, and
E. Nida1986Greek—English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic
Domains (2 vols.;
Cape Town: Bible Society of South Africa
).
42.
Magesa, L.
, and
Z. Nthamburi
(eds.) 1997Democracy and Reconciliation: A Challenge for African Christianity (
Nairobi: Acton
).
Mboya, M.M.2006 `
Mbeki and the Peace Process in Africa: A Contribution to the African
Renaissance', The International Journal of AfricanRenaissance Studies1:
80-90
.
45.
Melbourne, B.2005 `
Ephesians 2.13-16: Are the Barriers Still Broken Down?
', JRT57/58:
107-19
.
46.
Mitchell, M.M.2004Foreword to Augustus to Constantine: The Rise and Triumph of Christianity in
the Roman World by R. Grant (
Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox
): xiii-xlii.
47.
Neufeld, T.R.Y.2000Put on the Whole Armour of God: The Divine Warrior from Isaiah to
Ephesians (
Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press
).
48.
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London : United Bible Societies
).
49.
Ong, W.1982Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (
London: Routledge
).
50.
Rhoads, D.M.2006 `
Performance Criticism: An Emerging Methodology in Second Testament Studies'
, BTB36:
164-84
.
51.
Rodney, W.1976How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (
Dar-es-Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House
).
52.
Soodyall, H.
(ed.) 2006The Prehistory of Africa: Tracing the Lineage of Modern Man (
Johannesburg : Jonathan Ball
).
Swartley, W.M.2006Covenant of Peace: The Missing Peace in New Testament Theology and Ethics (
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans
).
56.
Thatcher, T.2006Why John Wrote a Gospel: Jesus—Memory—History (
Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox
).
57.
Weima, J.A.D.1994Neglected Endings: The Significance of Paul's Letter Closings (
Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press
).
58.
Wengst, Klaus1987Pax Romana and the Peace of Jesus Christ (
London: SCM Press
).
59.
West, G.
, and
M. Dube
(eds.) 2000The Bible in Africa: Transactions, Trajectories and Trends (
Leiden: Brill
).
60.
Williams, B.1970Modern Africa: 1870—1970 (
London : Longman
).
61.
Yee, T.N.2005Jews, Gentiles and Ethnic Reconciliation: Paul's Jewish Identity and
Ephesians (
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
).
62.
Yorke, G.L.1991The Church as the Body of Christ in the Pauline Corpus: A Re-examination (
Lanham, MD: University Press of America
).
63.
`
“Grace and Peace” in the Pauline Corpus and the
Portuguese Bible: Implications for Translating “Grace”
in Lusophone Africa and a “Peace” Proposal for UBS Handbooks
', The Bible Translator: Technical Papers54:
332-46
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64.
`A Response to Werner Kelber's “Orality, Scribality and
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65.
Yorke, G.L.
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