Felix Culpa

Peter-Ben Smit is Professor of Contextual Biblical Interpretation at the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam), Professor of Systematic Theology and Ecumenism at the University of Bern, Professor of Ancient Catholic Church Structures at Utrecht University and a Research Associate in the Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria.

Contents



Introduction



1 Ritual Failure—Ritual Negotiation—Ritual Innovation

 1 Early Christian Studies and Ritual Studies

 2 Ritual Failure and Ritual Negotiation



2 Ritual Competition and Ritual Failure in Philo’s De vita contemplativa

 1 Introduction

 2 Philo and the Sympotic Theology of His Day

 3 Competitive Meals in De Vita Contemplativa 40–63

 4 Conclusions



3 Ritual Failure and Circumcision

 1 Introduction

 2 Contours of Circumcision

 3 Circumcision in Paul’s Letters

 4 Conclusions: Ritual Identity and Ritual Failure as a Catalyst



4 Ritual Failure at Early Christian Meals

 1 Corinthians 8: Intercultural Ritual Transgression as a Theological Catalyst

 2 Ritual Failure, Ritual Negotiation, and Paul’s Argument in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34

 3 Concluding Observations



5 Ritual Failure and Baptism

 1 Introduction

 2 Baptism as a Ritual

 3 Baptism and Ritual Failure in Romans 6:1–14

 4 Forms of Ritual Failure and Aspects of Ritual Negotiation in Romans 6:1–14

 5 Conclusions



6 Ritual Failure, Crucifixion and Empire

 1 Introduction

 2 Crucifixion as Ritual Performance of Imperial Power

 3 Philippians 2 as a Case of Failed Imperial Ritual

 4 Conclusions



7 Ritual Failure and Gender

 1 Introduction

 2 Masculinities in the Greco-Roman World

 3 Ritually (De)Constructing Masculinity at the Table in Mark 6

 4 Femininity and Ritual Failure? The Two Female Characters in Mark 6 and Their Ritual Actions

 5 Concluding Observations



8 General Conclusions

Bibliography

Index