Identity, Ethics, and Ethos in the New Testament

Jan van der Watt, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

The book deals with the relation between identity, ethics, and ethos in the New Testament. The focus falls on the way in which the commandments or guidelines presented in the New Testament writings inform the behaviour of the intended recipients. The habitual behaviour (ethos) of the different Christian communities in the New Testament are plotted and linked to their identity. Apart from analytical categories like ethos, ethics, and identity that are clearly defined in the book, efforts are also made to broaden the specific analytical categories related to ethical material. The way in which, for instance, narratives, proverbial expressions, imagery, etc. inform the reader about the ethical demands or ethos is also explored.

Jan van der Watt: Introduction; Chapter 1: Richard B. Hays: "Mapping the Field: Approaches to New Testament Ethics"; Chapter 2: HJB Combrink: The challenge of overflowing righteousness: to learn to live the story of the Gospel of Matthew; Chapter 3: Cilliers Breytenbach; Following Jesus: Ethics and ethos in the Gospel according to Mark; Chapter 4: Hermie van Zyl: Behaviour and identity redefined in Luke's Gospel; Chapter 5: Jan van der Watt: Love one another as I have loved you. The behaviour of the disciples of Jesus in the Gospel according to John; Chapter 6: Gert Steyn: Driven by conviction and attitude! Ethics in the Acts of the Apostles; Chapter 7: Andrie du Toit: Shaping a Christian lifestyle in the Roman capital; Chapter 8: Michael Wolter: 'Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's (1 Cor 10,24)'. Paul's ethics according to 1 Corinthians; Chapter 9: Bobby Loubser: Paul's perspective on behaviour and identity in 2 Corinthians; Chapter 10: F Tolmie: Liberty - love - the Spirit. Ethics and ethos according to the Letter to the Galatians; Chapter 11: Pieter Gräbe: "Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ..." Reflections on the ethics of Philippians; Chapter 12: Francois Malan: Unity of love in the body of Christ. Identity, ethics and ethos in Ephesians; Chapter 13 : Ben Witherington: Do everything in the name of the Lord: ethics in Colossians; Chapter 14: Pieter de Villiers: Identity, ethics and ethos in 1 and 2 Thessalonians; Chapter 15: Pieter de Villiers: Quiet heroism in family and society. The ethics of 1 Timothy; Chapter 16: Izak du Plessis: How Christians can survive in a hostile social-economic environment - Paul's mind concerning difficult social conditions in the Letter to Philemon; Chapter 17: H.-J. Klauck, Moving in and moving out: Ethics and ethos in Hebrews; Chapter 18: Patrick J. Hartin: The letter of James: its vision, ethics and ethos; Chapter 19: Fika J. van Rensburg: A code of conduct for children of God who suffer unjustly. Identity, ethics, and ethos in 1 Peter; Chapter 20: Francois Viljoen: 2 Ethics and ethos in 2 Peter and Jude; Chapter 21: Dirk van der Merwe: Ethics in the Johnnine Epistles. 'A matter of having fellowship'; Chapter 22: Jan du Rand: The ethical response of an alternative community in a critical situation: Marturia and martyrdom in the Apocalypse of John; Chapter 23: Wilhelm Pratcher: Addendum: Ethos and salvation. The motivation of ethos in 2 Clement; Jan van der Watt: Conclusion; Index of authors.