Matthew's Shepherd Molif and its Socio-Religious Implications

Abstract

<p>How, when, where and why did the Jewi_sh Jesus movement develop into a largely non-Jewish religion separate from Judaism? An increasing mmlber of scholars have come to recognize that the complexity of the so-called "Parting(s) of the Ways" question is comprised largely of smaller questions revolving around individual communities and their texts. The Gospel of Matthew represents one text {hat has been at or I!ear the centre of this debate for quite some time. Despite being recognized as the most Jewish Gospel, many commentators argue That it was penned by someone who sought to dist~l1ce himself from jews and Judaism. Scholars have used diverse approaches for determining the relationship between Matthew and the variegated Judaism of the first century, but few recognize the important piece that the Evangelist's Christology brings to the puzzle of his socia-religious orientation. Of Matthevv's various Christological stTands, his Shepherd Christology offers significant potential for exploring this issue. The present investigation contends that there are distinctive tendencies in usage in the shepherd metaphor's appropriation by non-Christ-believing Jewish, non-Christ-believing Roman, and Christbelieving authors approximately contemporary with Matthew, tendencies which reflect distinct patterns ofthought. By comparing Matthew's depioyment of the shepherd metaphor with its appropriation by these groups of authors, clues to the Evangelist's socio-religious orientation may be discerned. In examining Matihew's frequently overlooked shepherd motif, this study determines its contribution to the overall theological framework of the Gospel, specifically, its Christology and soterioiogy. Moreover, it employs the motif (i.e., the patterns of thought exhibited by it) to ascertain Matthew's socio-religious orientation, and thus, its implications for the "Partings" debate.</p>