Creating sacred space in First Century Corinth

Paddock, Alisha N. (2024). Creating sacred space in First Century Corinth. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

A long-held belief among New Testament scholarship is that first century followers of the Jesus movement met in domestic spaces to worship. Yet, demographic studies demonstrate many of the early believers were low on the socio-economic scale, so it was plausible they did not have access to a domestic space which could accommodate a believing community. This thesis examines the archaeological remains of Ancient Corinth to determine the potential worship places which could have been frequented by the first century believers. Using spatial theories from human and cultural geography, consideration is given to how space becomes place: a process by which significance is assigned to the space through three elements of place: history, identity, and behaviour. The original contribution of this thesis is applying these three elements to the Corinthian believers and their worship spaces. This thesis will answer the question, “what are the emerging senses of sacred space within the first century Corinthian ἐκκλησία which can be investigated by considering their spiritual history, identity, and behaviour?” In his correspondence, Paul declares the ἐκκλησία as God’s temple; they themselves are a sacred space in which they can interact with the divine. To retain their sacrality, it is necessary for the believers to remember their spiritual history, comprised of Jewish, Greco-Roman as well as early Jesus Movement beliefs. Paul also calls for the believers to remember their spiritual identity as being in Christ and Christ in them, and to enact the proper behaviours as the ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ, whether they are assembled for worship or living their daily lives. Recognizing these three elements of place demonstrates how the ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ can be the sacred space of God’s temple as well as creating sacred space in first century Corinth when they assembled for worship in mundane spaces.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):