The covenant in Judaism and Paul : a study of ritual boundaries as identity markers / by Ellen Juhl Christiansen.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [329]-360) and indexes.

Pt. A. The Old Testament Background for Covenant Identity and Its Boundaries. Ch. 1. Some Old Testament Aspects to Covenantal Identity and Boundaries -- Pt. B. Palestinian Judaism: Covenant Identity and Ecclesiological Boundaries. Ch. 2. Covenant Consciousness in the Book of Jubilees. Ch. 3. Covenant Conditions and Ritual Boundaries in the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document. Ch. 4. Ecclesiological Awareness and Covenant Ritual in the Community Rule. Ch. 5. An Invalid Covenant Identity - a Symbolic Boundary -- Pt. C. Pauline Christianity Covenant Identity and Ritual Boundaries. Ch. 6. Covenant and Covenants in Paul's Letters. Ch. 7. Boundaries Redefined - Boundaries Replaced.

The Covenant in Judaism and Paul deals with biblical and intertestamental uses of covenant and related rituals, challenging the view that baptism replaces circumcision, since baptism is entry into the new covenant, and showing that ritual boundaries are replaced or redefined since identity has changed. The investigation uses social categories, 'identity' as a term that offers an explanation for a group's selfunderstanding and 'boundary' as a term for entry rite of affirmation marker.

Part A looks at the Old Testament background to aspects of the covenant. Part B examines covenant identity and rituals in Palestinian Judaism as featured in Jubilees, the Temple Scroll, the Damascus Document, and the Community Rule. It includes a brief analysis of the baptism administered by John the Baptist. Part C analyses Paul's views on covenant, circumcision, and baptism against this background.