The Making of the Self: Ancient and Modern Asceticism

A leading scholar of ascetical studies, Richard Valantasis explores a variety of ascetical traditions ranging from the Greco-Roman philosophy of Musonius Rufus, the asceticism found in the Nag Hammadi Library and in certain Gnostic texts, the Gospel of Thomas, and other early Christian texts. This collection gathers historical and theoretical essays develop a theory of asceticism that informs the analysis of historical texts and opens the way for postmodern ascetical studies. Wideranging in historical scope and in developing theory, these essays address asceticism for scholar and student alike. The theory will be of particular interest to those interested in cultural theory and analysis, while the historical essays provide the researcher with easy access to a significant corpus of academic writing on asceticism.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Larry W. Hurtado; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Chapter 1 Introduction 1;Background to Study; Problem to be Addressed; Review of Scholarly Opinion; Classical Greek - Grammars; Koine Greek; TRADITIONAL GRAMMARS; PARTICULAR PROPOSALS FOR THE USE OF i; ANALYSIS PRESENTED BY GREEK GRAMMARIANS; Corpus; Theoretical Basis for Book; Arrangement of Chapters; Summary; Chapter 2 Theoretical Basis for Study; Introduction; Relevance Theory; General Background; Delineation of Theory; INFERENCES; HOW INFERENCES ARE SAID TO BE DRAWN; CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION; UNDERDETERMINACY; SHARED CONTEXTUAL ASSUMPTIONS; UNDERDETERMINACY IN PARTICIPLES; UNDERDETERMINACY IN PARTICLES; METAREPRESENTATION; PROCEDURAL MARKERS; OSTENSIVE BEHAVIOUR; Purpose or Intention in Koine; Summary; Chapter 3 Independent Clauses Introduced by i(/n(/na 4; Introduction; Use of i(/na to Give an Answer to Question; Question and Answer by the Same Speaker; Examples from Polybius and Epictetus; New Testament Examples; Expressing Desire and Intention; Johannine Examples; Examples from Orators and Rhetoricians; DEMOSTHENES; DIONYSIUS OF HALICARNASSUS; Examples from Septuagint and Non-Literary Papyri; SEPTUAGINT; EXAMPLES FROM PAPYRI; Examples from the Epistles; Introducing a Quotation from the Old Testament; Indicating Speaker's Interpretation; Reporting the Thoughts or Speech of Others; Summary; Chapter 4 Requests, Commands, Prayers Introduced by i(/(n/na 75; Introduction; Authorial Choice; Table 1; Synoptic Examples in Indirect Commands; Healing of Jairus' Daughter; MATTHEW 9:18; MARK 5:23; LUKE 8:41, 42; CONCLUSION; The Healing of a Boy with a Demon; MATTHEW 17:15, 16; MARK 9:17, 18; LUKE 9:38, 40; CONCLUSION; The Healing of the Demon Possessed Man; MATTHEW 8:34; MARK 5:17; LUKE 8:37; CONCLUSION; Authorial Choice in Same Context; Examples from Literary Koine; Examples from Dionysius of Halicarnassus; Examples from Polybius; Examples from Epictetus; Summary; Chapter 5 Noun Clauses Introduced by i(/n(/na 99; Introduction; Review of Metarepresentation; Explication of a Noun, Adjective or Demonstrative; Adjectives in Stative Clauses; NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES; EXAMPLES FROM THE DISCOURSES OF EPICTETUS; Nouns and Demonstratives in Stative Clauses; Nouns in Non-Stative Clauses Complemented by i(/na Clauses; NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES; EXAMPLES FROM DIONYSIUS OF HALICARNASSUS; Noun Clauses with Impersonal Verbs; Noun Clauses which Function as Object of Main Verb; Examples from the New Testament; Examples from Epictetus; Prophetic Utterance Introduced by i(/na 121; Summary; Chapter 6 Purpose Clauses Introduced by i(/n(/na 126; Introduction; Purpose as Indicating Intention, and Beyond; Contents; The Role of Context in Interpreting i(/na 129; Purpose Attributed; AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGED ATTRIBUTION OF INTENT; REPRESENTATION OF INTENTION OF SUBJECT; PURPOSE FROM OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOUR; INTERPRETATION OF BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS; ATTRIBUTION OF INTENTION WITHOUT EVIDENCE; Other Ways of Expressing Purpose; Disputed purpose Clauses; Summary; Chapter 7 Investigating o(/t(/ti 150; Introduction; Classical Greek; Direct Speech; Indirect Speech; Causal Clau