Does the apostle Paul think those with "desire" always try to obtain negative objects? Are there instances where "desire" is seen positively? Does Paul use this concept differently than other Roman imperial authors? Is "desire" always for objects related to sex? In this study, Andrew Bowden illustrates Paul's use of "desire" in light of its use in Roman imperial texts and sheds fresh light on this often misunderstood, misconstrued concept.

In this study, Andrew Bowden analyzes Paul's use of "desire" (, , and ) in his undisputed epistles. After introducing critical research on these lexemes, the author applies John Lyons's theory of semantic analysis to the use of in Roman imperial texts. Based on these observations, he makes a hypothesis concerning the common co-occurrences of "desire" in Roman imperial texts, its antonyms, the objects it longs for, and its use within metaphorical discourse. This hypothesis is then tested by looking at the use of "desire" in Dio Chrysostom, Epictetus, Lucian of Samosata, the Cynic epistles, and Second Temple Jewish texts. Andrew Bowden illustrates how, contrary to the view of many scholars, these Roman imperial authors consistently mention positive objects of "desire." He then applies these findings concerning "desire" to Paul, yielding important and sometimes unexpected discoveries.

Autorentext
Born 1984; 2006 BA; 2010 MDiv; 2011 MTh; since 2018 Research and Teaching Fellow (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter) at the Faculty of Protestant Theology, New Testament, of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany; 2020 PhD.