A radically new humanity

Abstract

"While biblical scholars have typically treated the Haustafel in Ephesians as a resource in the debate over the role of women in ministry and in the home, the function of this passage in the argument of Ephesians has received far less attention.1 Most scholars regard the Haustafel to have an apologetic thrust in Ephesians, viewing it as an attempt to shield the new Christian movement from the suspicion that it might undermine contemporary social structures and ultimately threaten the stability of the Roman empire.2 Its appearance, on such a view, reflects Paul’s “sensitivity to wider social expectations,” and his aim is to pacify the fears of those who suspected the Christians of being a subversive movement.3 This would have been especially important in regard to the Roman empire, which valued duty and order and was “suspicious of any potential threats to [its] social order.”4 Craig Keener claims that “[g]roups accused of undermining the moral fabric of Roman society thus sometimes protested that they instead conformed to traditional Roman values, by producing their own lists, or ‘Household Codes’ fitting those normally used in their day"