Project Details
Projekt
Antikes Christentum: Stratifikation des Heilsgeschehens im antiken Christentum: Der Himmelsaufstieg Christi und der Märtyrer als mythischer Sphärenwechsel
Applicant
Professor Dr. Peter Gemeinhardt
Subject Area
Protestant Theology
Term
from 2015 to 2019
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 235014259
The subproject investigates mythical changes between spheres in ancient Christian texts concerning the ascent to heaven by Christ, on the one hand, and by the martyrs, on the other. Both aspects are intertwined, since martyrdom is conceived of as imitation of Christ which apparently included entering the reign of God immediately after death, thereby differing from all other human beings. Additionally, Christ¿s ascent to heaven is preluded by other changes of spheres: within christological teaching, as it emerged in the first centuries of Christianity, we observe interconnected movements of descent (incarnation as self-humiliation) and ascent (Ascension as exaltation by God himself), which serve as the framework for the suffering, death and descent to the netherworld (as culmination of the descensus) and for the resurrection from death (as the first step of the ascensus). While early Christian theology in general tried to turn the biblical witness into a coherent teaching which was also fitting to contemporary intellectual standards, one should also ask regarding the ascension of Christ in particular whether Jewish, Hellenistic and perhaps Oriental traditions are employed in order to render this theologumenon narratively and intellectually convincing.By focussing on such mythical motifs and by applying the methodological framework of the STRATA group to patristic texts, the subproject goes beyond previous research into ancient Christianity. The respective sources are mostly critical of myths and draw a sharp distinction between them and the biblical and ecclesiastical teaching. Accordingly, hitherto existing research has predominantly investigated such critical stances and its background in traditions of classical Antiquity. On the contrary, the impact of mythical thinking on the emergence and development of early Christian theology ¿ and Christology in particular ¿ has been neglected. The present subproject sets out to tackle this question in the context of the interdisciplinary work of the STRATA group. It aims at identifying common traits and differences between Christianity and the cultural heritage of the Ancient Near East and classical Antiquity with respect to mythical motifs and matters. The subproject will thus explore new methodological perspectives on research into ancient Christianity¿s theological reflection, as well as equip the research group with further opportunities for analysing traditions and transformations of mythical thinking in the perspective of longue durée.
DFG Programme
Research Units
