My work at the University of Fribourg (interview in French)

In this video I describe how I came to the University of Fribourg, how I contribute to teaching and research here, and which adjectives I use to describe the Faculty of theology. 

My interview and those of my colleagues appear here: https://www.unifr.ch/theo/fr/fac/pers/video.html

Proofs of the Divine in the Acts of the Apostles and Herodotus’ Histories

Around 500 years separate Herodotus, the first great Greek historian, and Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. In my latest journal article, I explore the word tekmêrion 'proof' or 'evidence', which they use to describe their perception of divine activity. Their theological understanding of the world was different but they did believe that there was something greater working behind the scenes and often in the scenes. 

Proofs of the Divine: Luke’s Use of Tekmhpion in Acts 1:3 in Light of Herodotus’ Description of the Battle of Mycale (Hist. 9.100.2): 

Abstract:

In Acts 1:3, the author claims that Jesus had shown himself alive ‘by many proofs’ (ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις). Phrases containing τεκμήριον (a NT hapax) qualified by πολύς have a long textual history. Reference works, however, do not discuss the closest rhetorical and theological parallel to the occurrence of τεκμήριον in Acts, which is found in Herodotus’ description of the battle of Mycale (Histories 9.100.2) in a metaleptic aside about proofs of divine intervention in human history: Δῆλα δὴ πολλοῖσι τεκμηρίοισι ἐστὶ τὰ θεῖα τῶν πρηγμάτων. Given the theologically charged nature of Luke–Acts and the Histories, this rich parallel illustrates well both projects and evinces plausible Herodotean influence on Luke’s historiographical erudition.

Participation in the amazing 'Herodotus Marathon'!

What an amazing experience (and experiment) was the Herodotus Marathon (description)! From May 31 to June 2, an international team of readers gave a non-stop reading of all nine volumes of Herodotus's Histories in various languages and translations online. Despite technical challenges, the team from St. Andrews University pulled it off. A huge thanks to the team there: Prof. Thomas Harrison, Euan Bowman, Edward Armstrong, and Marco Gay! I enjoyed hearing Herodotus in Japanese, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and even Bärndütsch (my wife's language)!

Here's my reading from Book 7, chapters 14–21 on Xerxes and Artabanus's experiences with a phantom appearing in dreams. Their interpretation was that Persia must attack Greek (especially Athens). If they do not take this course of action, Xerxes and Artabanus would be punished severely by the gods. The rest of the Histories depicts the consequences of this decision. 

Donning proudly my Herodotus Helpline T-shirt, I also read from the ending of Book 8, chapters 141–144, which portrays some passionate speeches given by Athenians, Spartans, and a representative of Mardonius, a major commander of the Persian army. The result: Athens and Sparta are not going to give up but fight for their freedom. Book 9 recounts the stunning victory of the Greeks against all odds. Persia is pushed back, away from the traditional lands of the Greeks...but does not disappear, as told by later historians.  

Proofs of the Divine: Luke’s Use of Tekmhpion in Acts 1:3 in Light of Herodotus’ Description of the Battle of Mycale (Hist. 9.100.2)

Happy to share my article that compares uses of tekmêrion (proof or convincing proof) by Herodotus and Luke in relation to their beliefs--which were obviously different--that the divine was at work in the scenes they describe. 

The article can be found here (if you have access): 

Proofs of the Divine: Luke’s Use of Tekmhpion in Acts 1:3 in Light of Herodotus’ Description of the Battle of Mycale (Hist. 9.100.2): 

Here is the abstract:

In Acts 1:3, the author claims that Jesus had shown himself alive ‘by many proofs’ (ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις). Phrases containing τεκμήριον (a NT hapax) qualified by πολύς have a long textual history. Reference works, however, do not discuss the closest rhetorical and theological parallel to the occurrence of τεκμήριον in Acts, which is found in Herodotus’ description of the battle of Mycale (Histories 9.100.2) in a metaleptic aside about proofs of divine intervention in human history: Δῆλα δὴ πολλοῖσι τεκμηρίοισι ἐστὶ τὰ θεῖα τῶν πρηγμάτων. Given the theologically charged nature of Luke–Acts and the Histories, this rich parallel illustrates well both projects and evinces plausible Herodotean influence on Luke’s historiographical erudition.

On Tyranny and Tyrants - Echoes from Ancient Texts

It may seem strange to speak of tyranny and tyrants in the 21^st century. Unfortunately, the year 2022 is displaying a good number of tyrants and the damage is tragically manifest. For this reason, I’d like to dedicate this video to one of my students from Ukraine and to her family. 

 

Concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Krišjānis Kariņš, said this: “This is the new ‘usual’, so to speak, we have an aggressive neighbor who is interested in recreating an empire who believes in the right to subjugate others and has a disregard for national self-determination. This is a threat to all of us.” (Source: BBC World News, 23 Feb. 2022). 

 

When I heard this statement, it sounded like something I had read in a speech in one of the ancient histories or tragedies. As a form of rule, tyranny is ancient and very well documented in various types of literature. In this video, we’ll look at some ancient texts that help us to understand why it was attractive to some and why it was opposed by many. 

Some resources:

For definitions of ‘tyranny’ and ‘tyrant’:

 

τυραννίς in The Online Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon

 

"1. τῠ́ραννος" in: The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek, edited by: Franco Montanari. Consulted online on 05/04/2022 

<https://dictionaries.brillonline.com/search#dictionary=montanari&id=120347> First published online: July 2015.

 

Other resources cited in the text or found elsewhere:

 

Andrewes, A. The Greek Tyrants. London: Hutchinson University Library, 1956.

 

Austin, M., “Greek Tyrants and the Persians, 546–479 B.C.” The Classical Quarterly, 40(2), (1990), 289-306. doi:10.1017/S0009838800042889

 

Berve, H. Die Tyrannis bei den Griechen. München: C.H. Beck’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1967.

 

Ehrenberg, Victor, and P. J. Rhodes. "tyranny." In The Oxford Classical Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2012. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199545568.001.0001/acref-9780199545568-e-6624.

 

Herodotus, Histories, translation by A. D. Godley, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1920.

 

Lewis S. Ancient Tyranny. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.

 

Theognis, elegiac poet, VIBCE, Θέογνις: in IEG 1; ALG 2; PLG 2; ed. D. Young, T 1971; J. Carrière, BL 1948; A. Garzya, Firenze 1958; B. A. van Groningen, b. I, Amsterdam 1966; M. Vetta, b. II, Roma 1980.

Herodotus' hermeneutical dilemma, prophetic voice, and an estranged child named Luke

Here is my presentation for the research network 'Herodotus Helpline'. 

I explain my research project that shows the similarities and differences between Herodotus, known as the father of Greek history, and Luke the evangelist who wrote history in his own way, combining elements of Jewish and Greek historiography. 

Was (is) Luke estranged from Herodotus’ legacy? 

If so, then by whom?

Estranged by time, place, culture, or religion? 

Estranged by scholarship? 

Estranged by Luke himself? 

Or there is some degree of rapprochement?

To see more presentations on Herodotus Helpline

What do you do with your democracy? (Herodotus strikes again!)

Introduction

Democracy: the rule of the people; or the rule that is partially in the hands of the people. Some people are struggling for democracy right now. Some people live in a democracy but don’t fully appreciate it, because they haven’t lived under other forms of government. Others appreciate democracy but don’t know how to live it effectively.

 

This raises a few questions: what is the best form of government? Does it make any difference? Interestingly, these questions are actually quite ancient. 

 

In this video, we are going to consider a brilliant text from antiquity written by Herodotus, a Greek historian from fifth-century BCE. In this text Herodotus describes a group of Persians who are debating about three types of government: monarchy[1], oligarchy, and democracy. 

You can find the text here: Herodotus’s Histories, Book 3, chapters 80-86. 

Which one is the best for Persia? Which one did they choose? Why did it matter to Herodotus? And what does it matter to us? 

 

For more, please watch the video. 

Other important texts mentioned in the video: See especially Plato, Rep. 1.338e; Books 6 and 8, specifically VIII.1–VIII.5. 543a–550c. Timocracy; VIII.6–VIII.9. 550c–555b. Oligarchy; VIII.10–VIII.13. 555b–562a. Democracy; VIII.14–IX.3. 562a–576b. Tyranny.

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[1] Synonyms: autocracy = a system of government by one person with absolute power. Tyranny = cruel and oppressive government or rule.

Co-edited book on Luke-Acts and ancient historiography

We are happy to announce the publication of contributions to our international colloquium on Luke-Acts and ancient historiography, which took place at the University of Fribourg in September 2017 (see program).

Book description:


English: In biblical research, consensus is rare. Formulated by Dibelius at the beginning of the 20th century, the thesis that Luke is “the first Christian historian” is one such. Among the authors of the New Testament, Luke is alone in tracing the future of the Church after Easter, composing a two-volume work (B.W. Bacon ; H.J. Cadbury). If this action is original, it does not escape influences from ancient historiography. It is to explore these links that this volume is dedicated.

French: Dans la recherche biblique, les consensus sont rares. Formulée par Dibelius au début du xxe siècle, la thèse qui fait de Luc « le premier historien chrétien » en est un. Dans le Nouveau Testament en effet, l’auteur à Théophile est le seul à retracer le devenir de l’Eglise au lendemain de Pâques, composant une œuvre en deux tomes : « Luc-Actes » (B.W. Bacon ; H.J. Cadbury). Si ce geste est original, il n’échappe toutefois pas aux influences et dépendances face aux pratiques anciennes d’écriture. C’est à explorer ces liens que se consacre le présent volume, fruit d’un colloque organisé en 2017 à Fribourg. Entre reprises et développements des modèles et pratiques littéraires de l’Antiquité, l’écriture de Luc,
l’historien, est ainsi profilée.

To order this book: go to Amazon or LIT Verlag

Abstract of my contribution:

Daniel Marguerat describes Saint Luke's writings as being at the crossroads of two historiographies, Jewish and Greek. Indeed, Luke helped to clear a new road of historiography, which is both Greek and Jewish and without any apparent complex about it. In fact, the way Luke brings these two roads together is multidimensional. One key aspect is through his representation of the divine in a fresh way that brings the two roads together in order to make sense of the past, for the interest and benefit of an international audience. This manner of writing history may be considered a subgenre, ‘prophetic historiography’, one that includes the divine from the historian’s own worldview as a central part of the narrative’s argumentation. This essay then proposes this subgenre as a research tool for exploring historians with a retrospective prophetic role in their own societies. This conceptual link is a key part of a broader writing project that explores this history-writing sans complexe as manifest in the writings of two fathers of historiography, Herodotus and Luke. In the latter part of the article, it will be suggested that Luke sought not only to imitate the tradition that Herodotus established, but also to culminate effectively Jewish and Greek historiographical traditions.
Morgan, James, "Prophetic historiography: Definition and relevance for Herodotean and Lukan research" in Le corpus lucanien (Luc-Actes) et l’historiographie ancienne : quels rapports ?, S. Butticaz, L. Devillers, J. M. Morgan et S. Walton (sous dir.), Zurich, LIT, 2019, 69–95.

Women and prophecy in Herodotus and Luke: my contribution to the Festschrift for Max Küchler

It was a pleasure to contribute a chapter to honor our colleague Max Küchler on his 75th birthday. Here's a short description of my contribution:

In the Greek historiographical tradition, Herodotus and Saint Luke stand out in a few ways from historians of their times. One way is their inclusion of women in their histories, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Another way is their substantial
inclusion of the divine sphere as a part of their descriptions of human history. Th is essay then explores the link between these two interests: women and the divine. For the limits of this contribution, the comparison will be on the narrative significance of women in relation to divine communication. Additionally, the encounter of the Pythian tradition and the Christian prophetic tradition in the Acts of the Apostles will be examined as well as later developments in early church history.

For more info:

Morgan, James M., "Marvelous Women of Prophecy in the Narrative Strategies of Herodotus’s Histories and Luke-Acts" in Sprachbilder und Bildsprache. Studien zur Kontextualisierung biblischer Texte. Festschrift für Max Küchler zum 75. Geburtstag, NTOA / StUNT 121, M. Lau, K. M. Schmidt et T. Schumacher (sous dir.), Göttingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2019, p. 423–455.

"Dissimilar religious metanarratives, similar techniques: Herodotus and Luke's use of the divine 'plupast' in their histories."

My paper at the annual conference of British New Testament Society (St Mary's University - 2018)

English here (en français en bas)

The annual conference of the British New Testament Society was held this year at St Mary's University (London Twickenham) from September 6 to 8. In this welcoming and stimulating setting, I gave a lecture on my book project which compares the history-writing of Herodotus (the first Greek historian) and that of St. Luke. The title in English was: "Dissimilar religious metanarratives, similar techniques: Herodotus and Luke's use of the divine 'plupast' in their histories."


From the fourth chapter of my project, the lecture showed the manner in which the Greek historian refers to the divine several times and in different ways in the first part of his work (Book 1, chapters 1-25). Essentially, the purpose of this section is to show some events before the reign of Croesus, defined by Herodotus as the cause of Greco-Persian conflicts. We find, for example:

• the genealogy attached to a deity or a hero, in this case the genealogy of the Lydian kings that goes back to the hero Heracles, 
• oracles that confirm or announce an event 
• the vital link between the sacred and the customs 
• the importance given to structures dedicated to the gods 
• the divine retribution for the offense of one of the elements above 

Since these elements are recurrent in the work, the rhetorical effect of the presence of the divine in this section, at the very beginning of his work, directs readers or listeners to follow the rest of the story. A comparison with the first section of Luke-Acts (Luke, chapters 1-3 up to the genealogy of Jesus) suggests some interesting leads to explore. To view the PowerPoint (in English) of the conference, click here.

En français:

La conférence annuelle de la British New Testament Society s’est tenue cette année à la St Mary’s University (Londres Twickenham) du 6 au 8 septembre. Dans ce cadre accueillant et stimulant, j'ai donné une conférence sur son projet de livre qui compare la manière d’écrire l’histoire d’Hérodote (le premier historien grec) et celle de saint Luc. Le titre en anglais était : « Dissimilar religious metanarratives, similar techniques : Herodotus and Luke’s use of the divine ‘plupast’ in their histories ». en français « Métarécits religieux dissemblables, techniques similaires : l’emploi du ‘plupast’ divin dans les histoires d’Hérodote et de Luc »).

Tiré du quatrième chapitre de mon projet, la conférence a montré la manière dont l’historien grec évoque le divin à plusieurs reprises et de différentes manières dans la première partie de son ouvrage (Livre 1, chapitres 1–25). Essentiellement, le but de cette section est de montrer quelques événements avant la prise de pouvoir de Crésus, défini par Hérodote comme la cause des conflits gréco-perses. On y trouve, par exemple : 

• la généalogie rattachée à une divinité ou un héros, en l’occurrence la généalogie des rois lydiens qui remonte au héros Héraclès, 
• des oracles qui confirment ou annoncent un événement 
• le lien vital entre le sacré et les coutumes 
• l’importance accordée aux structures consacrées aux dieux 
• la rétribution divine pour l’offense d’un des éléments ci-dessus 

Puisque ces éléments sont récurrents dans l’ouvrage, l’effet rhétorique de la présence du divin dans cette section, tout au début de son ouvrage, oriente les lecteurs ou les auditeurs à suivre le reste du récit. Une comparaison avec la première section de Luc-Actes (Luc, chapitres 1–3 jusqu’à la généalogie de Jésus) suggère des pistes intéressantes à explorer. Pour voir le PowerPoint (en anglais) de la conférence, cliquez ici.