Kim -The Biblical Use Of The Descent Narrative

2006·16.8 MB·English

by  Bumsik Kim

The Biblical Use of the Descent Tradition and Its Conceptualization
toward the Descensus Christi ad Inferos
A Dissertation
presented to
the X'aculty of the
Claremont School of Theology
In Partial Fulfillment
of the the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Bumsik Kim
May 2006
This dissertation completed by
Bun¿srx Krvr
has been presented to and accepted by the
faculty of Claremont School of Theology in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the
DOCToR oF'PHILoSoPHY
X'aculty Committee
Gregory J. Riley, Chairperson
Marvin A. Sweeney
Karen J. Torjesen
Dean of the Faculty
John R. Fitzmier
May 2006
Due to extenuating circumstances, final edits were not completed for this project.
ABSTRACT
The Biblical Use of the Descent Tradition and Its Conceptualization toward the
Descensus Christi ad Inferos
Bumsik Kim
Descent myths or stories appear in many cultures and religious themes. Amidst
them, the descent into the netherworld takes place when divinities, heroes, or humans
descend to the underworld to save their loved ones, or to represent the theme of the cycle
of seasons, or to show the audience the features of the afterlife. Such mythical traditions
have been appropriated and sometimes demythologized into biblical conceptualizations
that are demonstrated in several biblical texts. I examine these descent stories and
traditions and their uses in the Bible, which have converged into alater idea of Christ's
descent into Hades.
The diverse biblical conceptualizations of this descensus tradition occur in
Jonah's Jewish descent into Sheol, Luke's Greek nelqtia, Paul's Christological
articulation of Christ's descensus and ascenszs, John's gnostic idea of Christ's descent in
the sayings of the Son of Man, and I Peter's baptismal conceptualization of Christ's
descent for his proclamation to the spirits. These biblical conceptualizations demonstrate
their cosmologies as well as the features of the afterlife, developed at the turn of the
Christian era. The conceptual trajectory of the idea of the Descensus Christi ad Inferos
reflects its mythical overtones, to the extent that such a Christological articulation
involves the mythological reflection of Christ's three-day death. This configuration of
Christ's death came to mean the Descensuskampf or Chaosknmpffor the early church
fathers. The theological and exegetical works of the church fathers in the ante-Nicene
period indicate the early existence of the teaching of Christ's descent into Hades even
prior to its insertion into the creeds in the fourth century.
In the history of an idea, Christ's descent into Hades is distinctive in that Christ's
death itself was conceptualized as to mean his victory over Hades and Death. Thus the
early Christians find an eschatological sign of Christian victory over death and evil in
Christ's descent and proclamation duringthe triduum mortis.
Acknowledgements
It is impossible to acknowledge all of those whom I am in debt, but I wish in a brief way
to have at least a start at it. My dissertation committee has guided me in its
encouragement and valuable insights. I am most deeply indebted to Professor Gregory J
Riley for his passionate and wonderful teaching on the Greco-Roman world and
Gnosticism as well as his priceless new perspective on New Testament texts. I am also
grateful to him for the direction of the dissertation and the freedom to take his idea into
other directions.
àøbI
I owe an immense þt of gratitude to Professor Ma¡vin A. Sweeney, agreat
Hebrew Bible scholar, for his intelligent teaching and perspective on the Hebrew Bible. I
also thank Professor Karen J. Torjesen, another member of my committee, one of the best
scholars in the study of Origen, for guiding me in studying Origen as well as sharing
from her unrivaled knowledge of the early church fathers.
The completion of the Ph.D. program could not be done were it not for much of
my intellectual growth under the tutelage of teachers in Boston University, Princeton
Theological Seminary, and Duke University, where I studied for several years. But for
my Korean friends in the school, I would not endure such hardship and loneliness
through the academic years.
Special thanks go to my family-my wife Sohyun, son Haakju, and daughter
Haeju. Without their daily patience, encouragement, and prayers during the past years,
bp
my pursuit of the Ph.D. could never have begun, let alone completed. Most of all, I thank
God for strengthening and using me for His Glory.
lll
kc'-rr.r,e&.'fr)
*tt .*t
t trl , J r È-n
----õ -)
CONTENTS
-<
1. The Christological Myth: Descensus Christi ad Inferos
fhe
The Christ of Mythological Imagination
1
Mythical Confluence in Jesus' Death 5
Angle of Approach and Content Overview 11
2. The Jewish Descent: Jonah2
Th¿Descent Myths and the Underworld 17
lr.Citgu*esh Tradition: Acceptance of Human Mortality 19
Descent of Inanna/Ishtar: Unbreakable Boundary 22
Baal versus Mot (Deatþ 25
The Descent of Jonah as a Jewish Conceptualization of Creation Theology 27
Literary Perspective
Prophetic Narrative with V/isdom Motifs 29
Literary Placement of Jonah's Psalm 34
-f[*¿,
Jewish Descent to the Netherworld in Jonah's Song
and gization from Wisdom
Embedded in the Story of the Fish and the Song
The Tempie as the Axis Mundi in Creation Theology 52
Remythologization of the Descensus Tradition 56
rS Sign of Jonah (Mrt12:40;Qll:29-32) 58
/
3. The Greek Descent: Luke 16 66
Greek Nelqtia: Breach of the Boundary between the Living and the Dead
Homeric Nelqtia 67
Plato and His Doctrine of the Soul 69
Vergil's Neþia 73
Lucian's Satirical Nelqtai 75
IV
The Parable of the Rich Man andLazarus (Lk 16:19-31) 77
Perspective of Nóoroç in the Travel Account (Lk 9:51-19:48) 79
Luke's Vision in the Greco-Roman V/orld 82
Some Literary Parallels to the Parable 86
Homeric Influences on the Lukan Scene of Hades 9l
Luke' s Christianizing the De s c ensus Tradition
Literary and Theological Agenda (Abraham's Bosom) 97
Lukan Neþia in Jesus' Nostos 101
"{
4. Pauline Thought Rqdlng the Descensus and Ascensus of Christ 105
Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation
"Christ is the Sophia": Argument against the Sophia Speculation:
ìñr.r*+ -à 1 Cor. 1-2 105
The Carmen Christi: Pauline Descensus and Ascensus:
ln¡,-i-+
Phil. 2:6-11 111
Christ's Cosmic Lordship in Pauline Texts:
Pauline Cosmic View and Christ's Subjugation of Evil Powers in Heaven 116
Christ's Ever-presence through His Descensus and Ascens¿¿s: Rom. 10:6-8 I24
5. The Gnostic Disguised Descent of the Son of Man: The Gospel of John I27
'Wisdom Mythology as the Religious Milieu for John? 129
The Descent Motif in the Gnostic Literature
Gnosticizingthe Descensus Tradition: Descent into the V/orld 134
Gnosticizing the Myth as Disguised Descent 143
The Son of Man Sayings with the Descent Motif 149
Proclaimed as the Revealer (1 :51) 151
He Alone Descended (3:13) 154
He Became a Seal (6:27) 163
Summar,v 169
V
6. Christ's Descent to Hades in the Baptismal Context: I Peter 3:18-22 172
Christ's Descent to Hades as an Otherworldly Joumey 173
(J F"¿c,h)
Jewish Apocalypticisn¡ The Hope in God's Judgment 175
Merkavah Mysticism: Descent to the Merkavah
yJ¿.,Y +. innlitureical Use 185
Conceptualization of the Descensus Tradition in the Baptismal Context
Conceptualizatíon for Christ's Redemptive Work 193
The Sethian Baptismal Context 197
â*
The Descenszs Tradition as Petrine
Pauline or Petrine? eo t
1 Peter 3:18-22 as a Baptismal Conceptualization: Parenesis for
¡,"'¡-f --;^ Christian Sufferings 208
The Petrine Tradition of the Descensus Christi 218
Summary 229
7. The Descensus Christi ad Inferos in Early Christianity
The Creedal Development of the Descensus Christi 232
-*ã
The Descensus Christi inthe Ante-Nicene Fathers
The'Western\Mitnesses -1'&S
I Hermas
Clement and the Shepherd of 235
Irenaeus' Adversus Haereses and Justin's Dialogue with
inår-d- 2Tr.ypho 237
Hippolytus and Tertullian 247
The Eastern Vy'itnesses
Ignatius and Polycarp 249
¡l*u
pz{.tnl, $ot
Clement of Alexandr'ia-251 }o"ro5o
Origen's Interpretation of thenDescensus Christi 254
Augustine's Response to the Origenist Understanding of
,*¿.-"f,-.> the Descensus Christi in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries 268
v1
Summary 274
Conclusions 276
Bibliography 281
vll