Abstract
One of the best-known statements about identity from ancient times is doubtless that made by Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians 3:28 regarding the equality and cooperation among all those who believe in Jesus. Paul says: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."1 This universal declaration is in striking contrast to an opposite Jewish expression. In the Morning Blessings, it states: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has not made me a Gentile⋯ who has not made me a slave⋯ who has not made me a woman." I would like to begin with these two positions regarding the question of identity as a way of introducing the issue of polemics. Is Jewish self-identity, which seems here to be formulated in a manner diametrically opposed to that of Paul, expressed in deliberate polemics with it, or was the Jewish formula already known to Paul, and was it he who turned it topsy-turvy?.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Transforming Relations |
| Subtitle of host publication | Essays on Jews and Christians throughout History in Honor of Michael A. Signer |
| Publisher | University of Notre Dame Press |
| Pages | 50-74 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780268030902 |
| State | Published - 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |