Synopses & Reviews
Dr Winter gathers all available evidence on the first-century sophistic movement from two major centres of learning in the East. Together with the writings of Philo and Paul, this provides the first discussion of all the protagonists and antagonists of this movement in Alexandria and Corinth. While both these contemporary Hellenistic Jews responded to the movement on the basis of the Old Testament, Philo was also indebted to Plato for his assessment and Paul filtered important Old Testament texts through the message of the crucified Messiah. This study provides important insights into the problems this elitist movement created for Diaspora Jews in Alexandria, and for Christians in Corinth. It also fills a crucial gap in our understanding of the rise of the Second Sophistic.
Synopsis
A study of Philo and Paul and the first-century sophistic movement.
Synopsis
Dr Winter demonstrates that there was a flourishing sophistic movement in Alexandria in the first century CE. He then investigates the existence of sophists in Corinth during the same period, and lastly he considers Paul's attitude to sophistic conventions and his critique of their influence on the Corinthian Christians.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 250-270) and indexes.
Table of Contents
Preface; Introduction; Part I. The Alexandrian Sophists: Introduction; 1. A student among Alexandrian sophists; 2. Dio and the Alexandrian sophistic leaders; 3. Who are Philo's sophists?; 4. Philo's critique of the Alexandrian sophistic tradition; 5. Philo among the sophists; Part II. The Corinthian Sophists: Introduction; 6. Epictetus and the Corinthian student of the sophists; 7. Dio and Plutarch among the Corinthian sophists; 8. Paul and sophistic conventions; 9. Paul's critique of the Corinthian sophistic tradition; 10. Paul among the Christian sophists; 11. Conclusions; Appendix; Bibliography; Indexes.