Carl Querbach

Date of Award

6-1-1956

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Exegetical Theology

First Advisor

Martin Scharlemann

Scripture References in this Resource

Acts 17:16-21

Abstract

The fundamental purpose of this thesis is twofold. In The first place, it intends to gauge as accurately as possible the extent and precise context of Paul’s employment of the philosophical and religious thought of Athens in his Areopagus address. Secondly, it intends to determine precisely what his goal was and how his method of approach was determined both by that aim and by the nature of his audience’s thought. In other words, this study will attempt to Show both which facets of Stoic, Epicurean and religious thought are reflected in the speech, and how Paul makes use of those contacts in reaching the goal which he intends. Other questions will be involved. It will be necessary to determine what, if any, validity Paul finds in Athenian religious aspirations and in the particular tenets of Stoic and Epicurean philosophy of which he makes use. Akin to this, it will be necessary to determine how his opinion on the question of validity affects his actual use of this material and the character of his approach. And in the light of the degree of error inherent in Athenian religious thought, the question must be taken up as to how it was possible for· Paul to accommodate himself to that thought at all. Furthermore, though the study is primarily concerned with the Athenian elements as reflected in the speech, the Old Testament and apostolic background will also come under consideration, both as to its extent as the foundation of Paul’s presentation and.as to the particular form which it takes here.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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