Table Of ContentThe Practice of the Body of Christ: Human Agency in Pauline Theology After MacIntyre
by
Colin Douglas Miller
Department of Religion
Duke University
Date:_______________________
Approved:
___________________________
Douglas Campbell, Co-Supervisor
___________________________
Stanley Hauerwas, Co-Supervisor
___________________________
Richard B. Hays
___________________________
Susan Eastman
___________________________
Warren Smith
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of
Religion in the Graduate School
of Duke University
2010
ABSTRACT
The Practice of the Body of Christ: Human Agency in Pauline Theology After MacIntyre
by
Colin Douglas Miller
Department of Religion
Duke University
Date:_______________________
Approved:
___________________________
Douglas Campbell, Co-Supervisor
___________________________
Stanley Hauerwas, Co-Supervisor
___________________________
Richard B. Hays
___________________________
Susan Eastman
___________________________
Warren Smith
An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of
Religion in the Graduate School
of Duke University
2010
Copyright by
Colin Douglas Miller
2010
Abstract
This dissertation begins a conversation between “apocalyptic” interpretations of the
Apostle Paul and the contemporary revival in “virtue ethics.” It argues that the human
actor’s place in Pauline theology has long been captive to theological concerns foreign to
Paul and that we can discern in Paul a classical account of human action that Alasdair
MacIntyre’s work helps to recover. Such an account of agency helps ground an
apocalyptic reading of Paul by recovering the centrality of the church and its day-to-day
Christic practices, specifically, but not exclusively, the Eucharist. To demonstrate this we
first offer a critique of some contemporary accounts of agency in Paul in light of
MacIntyre’s work. Three exegetical chapters then establish a “MacIntyrian” re-reading of
central parts of the letter to the Romans. A concluding chapter offers theological
syntheses and prospects for future research.
iv
!
For my wife Lisa
v
Contents
!"#$%!&$’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’()!
!&*+,-./01/2/+$#’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’(3!
(+$%,04&$(,+’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’5!
5’62!&(+$7%(!+6&8!../+1/#6$,6$8/62,0/%+6#$4076,96:!4.’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’;!
"#"!$%&’()*+&$(%###################################################################################################################################################,!
"#-!&./!+0122$+10!&’1)$&$(%!(3!&./!4$’&*/2############################################################################################""!
!"#"!$%&’()*)+,"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#!
!"#"#$%-.-()’/,""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!0!
!"#"1$23*45($%6-’/5(""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#7!
!"#"7$859:/);&,<($=;/)3,)’9$%99*-/)$*>$?-45/$%9)’*/""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#@!
"#5!&./!6’/17)(8%!(3!&./!+0122$+10!29%&./2$2!$%!:()/’%$&9########################################################5,!
"#;!.*:1%!1</%+9!$%!+(%&/:=(’1’9!=1*0$%/!2+.(01’2.$=##############################################################>;!
!"7"!$A"B"$=5/C,&($D5&/,C$E("""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""FF!
!"7"#$G54,($H"I"$H-//"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""F@!
!"7"1$J"2"$D&’.3)""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""07!
!"7"7$G"$K*-’($85&);/"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""0L!
!"7"F$8’935,+$G"$I*&45/"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""M@!
"#>!+(%+0*2$(%#####################################################################################################################################################?;!
<’6!61(9$/06,"/0(/+&/=6%/%/!0(+16%,2!+#6>=5<?<5’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’@A!
-#"!$%&’()*+&$(%################################################################################################################################################?@!
vi
-#-!<’1+/!1%)!.*:1%!1</%+9!$%!’(:!>A"-B-"!$%!:()/’%!2+.(01’2.$=#######################################?C!
-#5!&8(!$%&/’=’/&$4/!1%+.(’2#####################################################################################################################,>!
#"1"!$23,$G-()$%9)’*/"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""@F!
#"1"#$23,$I’>)"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!N7!
-#;!’/’/1)$%<!&./!+(:=1’$2(%2!(3!1)1:!1%)!+.’$2&#######################################################################"D@!
-#>!&./!.(’&1&(’9!+(%&/E&#######################################################################################################################""@!
-#@!&./!=’1+&$+/!(3!1)1:!1%)!+.’$2&!$%!&./!/1’09!+1&.(0$+!31&./’2######################################""?!
#"0"!$O&’.,/$*>$%+,P5/C&’5$*/$Q*4$FR!#S#!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!!L!
#"0"#$:&,/5,-($*>$K;*/($*/$Q*4$FR!#S#!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!#F!
-#C!+(%+0*2$(%##################################################################################################################################################"5C!
B’6:%!&$(&(+16:!%$(&(:!$(,+=6$8/6)(%$4/#6,96%,2!+#6A?@’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’5C5!
5#"!$%&’()*+&$(%A!1=(+109=&$+!=(8/’2!(’!.*:1%!.16$&2F###########################################################";"!
5#-!’(:!@A"-B-5!12!/E.(’&1&$(%!&(!4$’&*(*2!=’1+&$+/##################################################################";C!
5#5!’(:!@A"B""!12!)/2+’$=&$(%!(3!4$’&*(*2!=’1+&$+/######################################################################">@!
5#;!’(:!CA!%(!4$’&*/2!8$&.(*&!&./!2=$’$&###########################################################################################"@"!
5#>!’(:!?A"B"?A!7$00$%<!&./!2$%3*0!6()9!69!=’1+&$+$%<!&./!2=$’$&############################################"@5!
5#@!’(:!?A"?B5DA!&./!<()!8.(!+((=/’1&/2########################################################################################"CC!
1"0"!$E/T*&)3;$B5((’*/($5/C$J,T$U*C’,(""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!MM!
1"0"#$V**W,&5)’*/$2*T5&C($)3,$I**C"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!L!!
5#C!.*:1%!1</%+9!$%!’(:!@B?#####################################################################################################################"?;!
C’6%,2!+#65<?5>6!#6$8/6:%!&$(&/6,96$8/6",076,96&8%(#$’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’5;B!
;#"!$%&’()*+&$(%A!1!6()9!(3!<()!$%!&./!+$&9!(3!+1/21’##################################################################",5!
;#-!’(:!"-A5B?A!&./!+.1’$2:1&$+!4$’&*/2!(3!+.’$2&G2!6()9##########################################################",@!
vii
7"#"!$:/)&*C-9)’*/"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!@0!
7"#"#$U*C;X$V’);$5/C$Y’&)-,""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!@M!
7"#"1$23&,,$B/,-45)’9$U*C’,("""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#!N!
7"#"7$H AGAPH ANUPOKRITOS""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""###!
7"#"F"$AP,.,(’($*>$Q*4$!#R1SL"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#1M!
;#5!&./!/&.$+2!(3!&./!1<1=/########################################################################################################################-;C!
7"1"!"$Q*4$!#R!S#R$23,$85&);&$5($)3,$=5.,""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#7M!
7"1"#"$Q*4$!#R@S#!R$23,$B&5P’($*>$?*/*&$5/C$B*+’)’95+$B3’+*(*W3;"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#F#!
7"1"1"$Q*4$!1R!SM$5/C$)3,$%&)($*>$Q,(’()5/9,""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#01!
7"1"7"$Q*4$!1RLS!7$5($:/9+-(’*$)*$Q*4$FSL"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""#MF!
;#;!+(%+0*2$(%A!’(:!"-B">#########################################################################################################################-C?!
>’6#,2/6#7+$8/$(&6!+06:%,#:/&$()/6&,+&.4#(,+#’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’<@<!
"(".(,1%!:87’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’<;D!
"(,1%!:87’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’B5<!
viii
Acknowledgements
This dissertation concludes doctoral work made possible by yearly Kearns Fellowships
and tuition waviers from the Duke University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Deep thanks are due to my dissertation committee, and especially to Douglas Campbell
and Stanley Hauerwas for their generosity, wisdom, time and guidance. I want to thank
Prof. Philip Sellew of the Unviersity of Minnesota for his support in earlier days. For the
support of friendship of various types I am thankful to Hans Arneson, the Thiessens, the
Rigbys, the Van Warts, mom and dad, Concete, Sammie, Bishop William Gregg, the
Rev. Rhonda Lee and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church. My debt of gratitude to my wife
Lisa is beyond words.
ix
Introduction
VEpefa,nh ga.r h` ca,rij tou/ qeou/ swth,rioj pa/sin avnqrw,poij
paideu,ousa h`ma/j( i[na avrnhsa,menoi th.n avse,beian kai. ta.j kosmika.j
evpiqumi,aj swfro,nwj kai. dikai,wj kai. euvsebw/j zh,swmen evn tw/| nu/n aivw/ni)
Titus 2:11-12
This dissertation seeks to forge connections between two movements in today’s
theological disciplines. The first is the so-called “apocalyptic” interpretation of Paul and
the second is often called “virtue ethics.” “Apocalyptic” names the movement of
scholarship that followed on the heels of the work of Ernst Käsemann in the middle of the
last century and was given formation most notably by J. Christiaan Beker, and J. Louis
Martyn.1 Recently Douglas Campbell in his way and Susan Eastman in hers have taken
up and extended this interpretive school.2 Close to the heart of such exegesis is the
concern for the centrality of the revelation of Jesus Christ as the all-determining and
world-making reality. In other words, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly, in
Paul these apocalypticists find Karl Barth’s emphasis on the absolute primacy of
Christology. As such, God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ cannot be secondary or
subordinate to any prior systems of meaning, ideas, ethics, beliefs or principles. Christ
himself is the reality, and everything must be seen in his dominating epistemic light. In
1The major works are J. Louis Martyn, Galatians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary
(TAB 33a; New York: Doubleday, 1997); Theological Issues in the Letters of Paul (Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 1997); J. Christiaan Beker, Paul the Apostle: The Triumph of God in Life and Thought (Philadelphia:
Fortress, 1980); Paul’s Apocalyptic Gospel: The Coming Triumph of God (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982);
The Triumph of God: The Essence of Paul’s Thought (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990).
2 Douglas Campbell, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009); Susan Eastman, Recovering Paul’s Mother Tongue: Language and Theology in
Galatians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007).
1
Description:actor's place in Pauline theology has long been captive to theological The polis is for Aristotle the fundamental context in which the pursuit of virtue.
