New Book of mine: Crossing Borders

The English version of my Norwegian biography of prof. Peder Borgen has just recently been published by Wipf & Stock. It is a somewhat revised version of the Norwegian edition, somewhat more aimed at an international reader:

Torrey Seland, Crossing Borders. The Life and Work of Peder Borgen in Context. Foreword by Paul Anderson. Eugene, Or.: Wipf and Stock, Sept 2022. $42 paperback; $62 hardback. 330 pages.

The volume is now also available at Amazon.com and other Amazon sites.

Abstract (as written on the back leaf): “The intention of this biography is–on the one hand–to describe what happened as Peder Borgen (b. 1928) grew up and tried to establish himself as a theologian and a New Testament scholar in his Norwegian and Lutheran state-church context. On the other hand, it also describes how his development and life as a student of the New Testament and Philo of Alexandria were influenced by his minority background and the borders he had to cross to achieve his goals. Crossing Borders is thus a description of the life and work of a Norwegian Methodist, scholar, church politician, ecumenist, and an internationally acclaimed writer on the Gospel of John and Philo of Alexandria. Students of both the New Testament and Philo of Alexandria should feel enlightened by this volume of how context may influence both a person and his scholarly achievements.”

Three Philo relevant articles

A volume still (Oct. 2022) to be published, contains three studies relevant to students of Philo of Alexandria: Radka Fialová, Jirí Hoblík, and Petr Kitzler, eds., Hellenism, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity. Transmission and Transformation of Ideas (Arbeiten Zur Kirchengeschichte). Berlin/Boston; Walter de Gruyter, 2023.

Jiri Hoblík, ‘God’s Power and Powers in Philo of Alexandria, (no page numbers given yet).

Ana Carolina Delgado, ‘The Presence of the Myth in the Pentateuch: A Platonic Argument in Philo of Alexandria.’ (no page numbers have been given yet).

Damian Mrugalski OP, ‘The Notion of Divine Infinity and Unknowability: Philo, Clement, and Origen of Alexandria in a Polemic with Greek Philosophy.’ (no page numbers have been given yet).

Philo as a ‘hermeneut.’

Georgi Shavulev, “The Place of Philo of Alexandria in the History of Philosophy,” in Center for Open Access in Science ▪ Belgrade – SERBIA
7th International e-Conference on Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences
http://centerprode.com/conferences/7IeCSHSS.html
ISBN (Online) 978-86-81294-08-6 ▪ 2021: pp. 205-214. Published online 28 June 2021. https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.e-conf.07.21205s

Abstract: “Philo of Alexandria (ca. 20 B.C.E. -50 C.E.), or Philo Judaeus as he is also called, was a Jewish scholar, philosopher, politician, and author who lived in Alexandria and who has had a tremendous influence through his works (mostly on the Christian exegesis and theology). Today hardly any scholar of Second Temple Judaism, early Christianity, or Hellenistic philosophy sees any great imperative in arguing for his relevance. After the research (contribution) of V. Nikiprowetzky in the field of philonic studies, it seems that the prevailing view is that Philo should be regarded above all as an “exegete “. Such an opinion in one way or another seems to neglect to some extent Philo’s
place in the History of philosophy. This article defends the position that Philo should be considered primarily as a “hermeneut”. Emphasizing that the concept of hermeneutics has a broader meaning (especially in the context of antiquity) than the narrower and more specialized concept of exegesis.”

Georgi Shavulev is a Ph.D. student at South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, Faculty of Philosophy, Blagoevgrad, BULGARIA Department of Philosophical and Political Sciences.

New book on The Figure of Hagar

Ryan Heinsch, The Figure of Hagar in Ancient Judaism and Galatians. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 579. Mohr Siebeck, 2022. XIII, 262 Seiten. 89,00 €.

Contents:

Part One: Introductory Matters
Chapter 1: Echoes of Supersessionism and the Figure of Hagar in Galatians 4:21–31
Chapter 2: Comparative Methodology and Reading Paul

Part Two: The Portrayal of Hagar in Ancient Judaism
Chapter 3: The Portrayal of Hagar in the LXX of Genesis
Chapter 4: The Portrayal of Hagar in the Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period

Part Three: The Portrayal of Hagar in Galatians
Chapter 5: Again, and Again, and Again: Framing the Portrayal of Hagar in Galatians
Chapter 6: »One Bears Children Away from Mount Sinai”: Examining the Portrayal of Hagar in Galatians
Chapter 7: »To Be Sure, Sinai is a Mountain in Arabia”: The Text of Galatians 4:25a

Philo on divine forgiveness

Timmers, F. J. (2022). Philo of Alexandria on divine forgiveness (Doctoral dissertation). Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS), Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University.

Abstract: “This study investigates the meaning of divine forgiveness in the thought of Philo of Alexandria. Did Philo share in the common philosophical disregard for seeking divine pardon? Could he still encourage his readers to seek God’s pardon when they have done evil, while he at the same time explained to them that God cannot be hurt nor angered by human evil or made to change his mind? Can divine pardon have a meaningful place within the well-considered thought of a Hellenistic intellectual at all? This study shows that in the case of Philo of Alexandria the answer to this question is affirmative. Yes, divine amnesty has a meaningful place within Philo’s thought, while he managed to avoid implications he and other contemporary intellectuals considered inappropriate. He saw divine pardon as a vital manifestation of God’s goodness, allowing humans to purge their minds from the evil thoughts that have overwhelmed them and caused them to commit evil, to re-establish the control of good reason and welcome God’s wisdom to form their thoughts, words and acts, so that they think, speak and act rationally, as their Creator intended them when he created humans in his own image.”

Open Access is available here: https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/handle/1887/3308364

Elemente des Universums in Philos De Vita Mosis

Steyn, G. J. “Elemente des Universums in Philos De Vita Mosis: Kosmologische Theologie oder theologische Kosmologie?”. In  Steyn, G. J. (ed.), Neutestamentliche Kosmologien. Herkunft, Gestalt, Rezeption. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill | Schöningh, 2022, 23–45.

Abstract

Abstract: “This contribution investigates how Philo’s understanding of the universe, and particularly its four basic elements as taught by the Greek philosophers, influenced his description of the God of Israel’s world in which the Moses-narrative unfolds. Given the fact that Philo was a theologian par excellence, the question can be asked whether Philo’s approach is closer to what one might call „theological cosmology“ or rather closer to „cosmological theology“? After a brief survey of Philo’s inclination to interpret Jewish history in the light of Greek cosmology, the study proceeds with his universe as symbolised by the high priest’s vestments. The τετρακτύς with its ten points of harmony is a key to Philo’s symbolism and numerology. It is concluded that Philo is not writing cosmology per se in his De Vita Mosis, but he is writing a theology that sketches the cosmic superiority and involvement of Israel’s God against the backdrop of Greek cosmology as it was influenced by Pythagoras’ geometry and numerology as well as by Plato’s philosophy. In this sense his account in the De Vita Mosis is closer to a cosmological theology. He utilises the cosmological picture of the Graeco-Hellenistic world in order to introduce and present the powerful nature and qualities of Israel’s God.”

A Prophet Like Moses

David N. DeJong, A Prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15, 18): The Origin, History, and Influence of the Mosaic Prophetic Succession. Supplements to the Study of Judaism 205. Leiden: Brill 2022.

Abstract: “In this book, DeJong explores Deuteronomy’s redefinition of prophecy in Mosaic terms. He traces the history of Deuteronomy’s concept of the prophet like Moses from the seventh century BCE to the first century CE, and demonstrates the ways in which Jewish and Christian texts were influenced by and responded to Deuteronomy’s creation of a Mosaic norm for prophetic claims. This wide-ranging discussion illuminates the development of normative discourses in Judaism and Christianity, and illustrates the far-reaching impact of Deuteronomy’s thought.”

On Philo: DeJong, D. N. “Chapter 11 Moses, the Prophetic Nature: The Incomparability of Moses in the Writings of Philo”. In: A Prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15, 18): The Origin, History, and Influence of the Mosaic Prophetic Succession. Leiden: Brill, 2022, 277-290.