A Historical and Literary Study on the Early Christian Pseudonymous Writings

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02536
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: European literature
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Manabu 広島大学, 総合科学研究科, 教授 (50299046)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 新約聖書 / 偽名文書 / 初期キリスト教史 / パウロ / ヤコブ / ペトロ / ユダ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project first treats four pseudonymous epistles in the New Testament which bear the names of James, Peter, and Jude. Then, it surveys pseudonymous writings in the post-New Testament time (2nd Century C.E.). It aims at clarifying the historical and literary background of these early Christian pseudonymous writings.
After the four-year-survey, the project led to a conclusion that the New Testament pseudonymous epistles which bear the names of James, Peter, and Jude were produced by non-Pauline Christian communities in the post-Pauline time. They used the names of earliest Christian leaders in order to give their writings the equal authority to that of Pauline epistles. These pseudonymous writings reflect the understanding of Christianity which differs from that of Paul and his churches.

Free Research Field

新約聖書学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、新約聖書および初期キリスト教文献の中に、偽名を用いた文書が擬似パウロ書簡の他にも数々見られるという事実を、個々の文書の分析を通して示すと共に、なぜそのような偽名文書が初期キリスト教の歴史の中で生み出されたのかという問題を、キリスト教の歴史および西洋古典の文学史という背景を考慮することによって明らかにしている。