An article published in Biblical Research 68 (2023): 74–93.
Abstract: The theme of unity has been highlighted extensively in Ephesians scholarship. However, this theme is often treated in an overly totalizing way. This often results in notions of plurality and diversity being downplayed or problematized, which ironically can counteract the concerns of Ephesians to promote reconciliation among hostile groups. This article offers a corrective to this tendency by examining possibilities for plurality in the corporate metaphors in Ephesians 2: body, human, and temple. Notions of plurality inherent in the Greek grammatical constructions pertaining to these metaphors are often quickly rejected by interpreters on the assumption of an overarching, totalizing unity that excludes plurality. This article brings some of these plural possibilities into sharper focus and offers alternative translations of key grammatical constructions. The study is offered in the hope that it will provide resources for more pluralistic models of reconciliation in church and society.
Key Terms: Ephesians 2, ethnic tension, humanity, pluralism, post-supersessionism, racial hostility, reconciliation, temple, ἐκκλησία
The article is available for reading and download here:
This article was published in the journal Biblical Research as: Lionel J. Windsor, “Corporate Metaphors in Ephesians 2 as Models for Pluralistic Reconciliation”, Biblical Research 68 (2023): 74–93. The original article is available at the website of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research.
I have been granted permission by the American Theological Library Association (ATLA), which holds exclusive rights as a source for electronic copy, to post this PDF on my personal website (permission granted on October 12, 2023).