“Was Paul an Apocalyptic Jew? A Case in Jewish Diversity in the Second Temple Period”

Conference Chairs: Gabriele Boccaccini; Lisa Bowens; Emma Wasserman; Loren Stuckenbruck

Secretary: Joshua Scott

Paul of Tarsus was born, lived and died a Jew. Raised as a Pharisee, he then joined the early Jesus movement, a first-century Jewish apocalyptic and messianic group. Paul became one of the most vocal leaders of the new movement and promoted its expansion among the gentiles. The conference, organized by the Enoch Seminar and the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies, aims to move Pauline research to a further stage, beyond reclaiming Paul to Second Temple Judaism and proving that “he was not Lutheran.” By taking Paul’s Jewishness as a shared starting point, the conference explores the figure of Paul within Second Temple Judaism in a line of continuity with the Jewish apocalyptic tradition (and the Enochic tradition in particular), not as an apostate of Judaism but as part of the vibrant Jewish diversity of the time.

The conference will not be aimed at a general audience, but will instead bring together a group of selected specialists. It will be a workshop with discussion sessions introduced by oral presentations by specialists, more than a series of papers. The goal is to gather all major specialists working in the field and have plenty of time for discussion.

For more information, contact the conference secretary, Joshua Scott (scottjos@umich.edu).

Register for this virtual event here: https://tinyurl.com/p6kr29j5

Participation is limited to members of academia. As this meeting is closed to the general public, the registration process is not automatic; please be patient if there is a delay in the receipt of your registration.

Schedule

MONDAY Oct 25, 2021:

9am-11am — Opening session: Paul & Apocalypticism

John J. Collins & Emma Wasserman (panelists), Gabriele Boccaccini (respondent)

11:30am-1:30pm — Session One: “The Origin of Evil, the Devil, and the Triumph of God on Evil Forces”

Lisa Bowens, Matthew Goff, Kelly J. Murphy, Jamie Davies (1), Maston (2)

2:30pm-4:30pm — Session Two: ” Paul’s Apocalyptic Messianism “

Loren Stuckenbruck, L. Ann Jervis, Alexandra Brown, James Waddell, J. Thomas Hewitt (1), Joshua Garroway (2)

TUESDAY, Oct 26, 2021:

9:30am-11:00am — Session Three: Paul and the Torah in an Apocalyptic Perspective

Matthew Novenson, Mark Kinzer (1), Joshua Garroway (1), Maston (3)

11:30am-1:30pm — Session Four: “Justification, Forgiveness, Judgment, and Salvation”

Magnus Zetterholm, Matthias Henze, Davies (2), Maston (4)

2:30pm-4:30pm — Session Five: “No longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female: Gender, ethnicity and social status in apocalyptic perspective”

Joseph Angel, Laura Dingeldein, Ishay Rosen-Zvi (respondent). J. Thomas Hewitt (2), Mark Kinzer (2)

WEDNESDAY, Oct 27, 2021:

9:30am-11:00am — Session Six: “Paul’s ‘Conversion’ within Judaism: an Apocalyptic Jew and a (Former?) Pharisee”

Gerbern Oegema, Mark Nanos, James Maston, Joshua Garroway (3)

11:30am-1:00pm — Session Seven: “Paul within Paganism (Paula Fredriksen, chair)”

Jennifer Eyl, Stephen Young, Matthew Sharp, Matthew Thiessen

Respondents: Stanley Stowers, Paula Fredriksen

2:30pm-4:30pm — Wrap-up session: what’s next?