Fides et Humilitas 4 (2018)

Fides et Humilitas is published annually by the Center for Ancient Christian Studies, and ‘exists to provide an evangelical voice to the academic fields engaging ancient Christian literature’.

The contents of volume 4, and the abstracts where available, are as follows:

Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite

Editorial: Retrieval, Resourcement, and the Reformation: Tradition, Scripture, and the Protestant Reformation

Articles

Chase Sears

Finding Wine in the Water Jar: A History of Interpretation of John 2:1-11

Throughout much of the church’s history, interpreters have understood the sensus literalis of a biblical text to contain or lead to further spiritual senses. This understanding is particularly illustrated in how the church has historically interacted with the Gospel of John. Therefore, in this article I will use John 2:1–11 as a test case for how many throughout history have understood the sensus literalis. In doing so, I contend that the fullest readings neither diminished authorial intent nor a multiplicity of meaning. Rather, they recognized the sensus literalis of the biblical text to lead to further spiritual meanings. As a result of this study, many of the spiritual interpretations advocated throughout the history of the church will be found consistent with the literary and theological intent of John’s Gospel.

Miguel Echevarria

Early Christian Wives as Household Missionaries: An Analysis of 1 Peter 3:1–6

Following the pattern of a Greco-Roman household code, 1 Pet 3:1–6 provides advice to wives who were susceptible to domestic abuse at the hands of their unbelieving husbands. As the paterfamilias, the husband could exercise physical punishment on (who he deemed to be) an insubordinate wife – such as a woman who would not partake in the worship of the emperor or household gods. A Christian woman could therefore suffer abuse for refusing to submit to practices that contradict the Christian faith. In this essay, I engage with some Greco-Roman practices and David Horrell’s concept of a female missionary disposition in mixed marriages. With an eye toward the redemption of their husbands, Peter encourages the wives in his ecclesial communities to take a missionary posture in the home, which will hopefully lead to the salvation of their spouses. Thus, a Christian wife’s presence in the household is intended to serve a redemptive purpose.

Cogitatio: Ignatius of Antioch

Coleman M. Ford

“Attuned to the Bishop as Strings to a Lyre”: Imitation and Virtue Formation in the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch

Edward L. Smither

Ignatius’s Trinitarian Foundation for Church Unity and Obeying Spiritual Leaders

Interview

Peter Sanlon on Scholarship in Service to the Church

Book Reviews

Previous copies of the journal can be found here. Volume 4 can be downloaded as a pdf here.