Paul and Seneca within the Ancient Consolation Tradition

Alex W. Muir, PhD (2022), University of Edinburgh, is Departmental Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Oxford.

Abbreviations



1 Defining Consolation in Antiquity: Traditions and Modes

 1 Consolation: Initial Definitions

 2 Ancient Sources on Consolation

 3 Consolation as Genre?



2 Comparing Paul and Seneca on Consolation: How and Why

 1 Issues with the Comparative Endeavour

 2 Merits of the Comparative Endeavour

 3 Comparing New Testament Writers with Ancient Philosophers

 4 Comparing Paul and Seneca

 5 Comparing Paul and Seneca on Consolation

 6 The Direction of This Study



3 Consolations from Seneca’s Early Career

 1 Introduction

 2 Ad Marciam

 3 Ad Helviam

 4 Ad Polybium

 5 Summary



4 Consolations from Seneca’s Later Career

 1 Introduction

 2 Naturales quaestiones 6

 3 Epistulae morales

 4 Conclusion



5 Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians

 1 Introduction

 2 Comfort and Consolation in Apocalyptic Affliction (1 Thessalonians 1)

 3 Paul’s Dramatic Entrance in Thessalonica: Mutual Consolation (1 Thessalonians 2)

 4 Consolatory Envoys and Networks (1 Thessalonians 3)

 5 Preparation for Consolation (1 Thess 4:13)

 6 Consolatory Parousia Narrative (1 Thess 4:14–18)

 7 Consolation in Community (1 Thess 5:12–14)

 8 Conclusion



6 Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians

 1 Introduction

 2 Grief on All Sides: From 1 Corinthians to 2 Corinthians

 3 Consolation from God and the Network of Consolation (2 Cor 1:1–11)

 4 Consolation then Reconciliation for Grief in Corinth (2 Cor 1:12–2:11)

 5 Beginnings of an Ekphrasis (2 Cor 2:12–17)

 6 Ekphrastic Auto-Consolation (2 Cor 4:1–5:5)

 7 Ekphrastic Reconciliation and Exhortation from Consolation (2 Cor 5:6–7:4)

 8 The Consolatory Network Developed (2 Cor 7:5–16)

 9 Continued Consolation in 2 Corinthians 8–13?

 10 Conclusion



7 Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

 1 Introduction

 2 Phil 1:1–11—From Joyful Memories to Eschatological Paraenesis

 3 Phil 1:12–26: Consolation from Prison

 4 Philippians 1:27–2:5: Comforting the Philippians between Exempla

 5 Phil 2:5–11: Christ’s Consolatory Example

 6 Phil 2:12–16: Exhortation for Cosmological Transformation

 7 Phil 2:17–30: Consolation through Exemplary Envoys

 8 Phil 3:1–14: Knowledge Changes Everything?

 9 Phil 3:15–21: Our Progress, Our Belonging, Our Consolation

 10 Phil 4:4–9: Present Joy and Peace—Valedictory Consolation

 11 Phil 4:10–23: The Gift Network Underpinning Consolation

 12 Conclusion



8 Comparing Paul’s and Seneca’s Consolatory Discourses and Narratives

 1 Introduction

 2 Seeking Common Ground: Comparing Seneca’s and Paul’s Consolatory Discourses

 3 Establishing Degrees of Difference: Towards Seneca’s and Paul’s Consolatory Narratives

 4 Conclusion



9 Conclusion: Paul and Seneca within the Ancient Consolation Tradition

 1 Chief Findings of the Study

 2 Chief Contributions of the Study

 3 Coda



Bibliography

Index