The Problem of Anti Judaism in 1 Thess 2:14–16 and Related Pauline Texts

Abstract

Concepts from the fields of social psychology and symbolic anthropology are utilized in this case study to gain a clearer understanding of the problem of anti-Judaism in 1 Thess 2:14–16 and related Pauline texts. The study begins with a theoretical discussion of the nature of prejudice and conflict. Texts suggesting that Paul may have experienced feelings of personal inadequacy and texts describing Paul's association with Jewish groups prior to, at the time of, and after the Thessalonian incident are analyzed in investigating the problem of Pauline anti-Judaism. These texts suggest that occasionally Paul felt inadequate, that others may have perceived him as possessing a marginal social status, and that he was opposed by various groups throughout his ministry. Each of these factors could be associated with the development and expression of prejudicial attitudes. Paul's prejudice, however, was of a religious, not a racial, nature.

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