Author : Karl Olav Sandnes
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1139434721
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (394 download)
Book Synopsis Belly and Body in the Pauline Epistles by : Karl Olav Sandnes
Download or read book Belly and Body in the Pauline Epistles written by Karl Olav Sandnes and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-08-01 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The belly is today a matter of much concern. Modern cultures, particularly in the West, have developed means to cultivate this part of the body: corsets, exercises, revealing fashions. In this compelling exploration of the 'belly' motif, Karl Olav Sandnes asks whether St Paul might be addressing a culture in which the stomach is similarly high on the agenda. The result is a surprising new insight into his writings. Paul twice mentions the enigmatic phrase 'belly-worship' (Phil 3; Rom 16). The proper context for these texts is the moral philosophy debate about mastering the desires, and the reputation of Epicurus' philosophy as promoting indulgence. The belly became a catchword for a life controlled by pleasures. Belly-worship was not only pejorative rhetoric, but developed from Paul's conviction that the body was destined to a future with Christ.