“Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given”: Lukan Table Practices in the Faith Formation of Christian Communities

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The concept of this paper is interesting and valuable. It would benefit by having more references to those who are working in the field that the author is writing about. For example, Luke-Acts studies have scholars such as D. Bock, L. T. Johnson, J. B. Green, D. Seccombe, W. Gasque, B. W. Witherington, and I. H. Marshall. While not all of these scholars need to be present in the bibliography, it is surprising that none are present. 

Others have written about meals in early Christianity. P. B. Smit has written Food and Fellowship in the Kingdom. He has also edited the volume, Handbook to Early Christian Meals (T & T Clark, 2019). The article by Matthias Klinghardt or Dennis Smith about meals as a literary motif in Luke and Acts would be a likely reference.  

Please add some more of these references to the paper so that this article has more scholarly support.

Note a stylistic corrections: See line 27 as the sentence does not read correctly.

 

Author Response

Comment: The concept of this paper is interesting and valuable. It would benefit by having more references to those who are working in the field that the author is writing about. For example, Luke-Acts studies have scholars such as D. Bock, L. T. Johnson, J. B. Green, D. Seccombe, W. Gasque, B. W. Witherington, and I. H. Marshall. While not all of these scholars need to be present in the bibliography, it is surprising that none are present. 

Others have written about meals in early Christianity. P. B. Smit has written Food and Fellowship in the Kingdom. He has also edited the volume, Handbook to Early Christian Meals (T & T Clark, 2019). The article by Matthias Klinghardt or Dennis Smith about meals as a literary motif in Luke and Acts would be a likely reference.  

Response: I have added four references from the list of suggestions, which are all very good.

Comment: Note a stylistic corrections: See line 27 as the sentence does not read correctly.

Response: I have corrected this.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript seeks to address the question of what beliefs, attitudes, 

and practices help challenging and overcoming the hostile responses to 

outsiders. The author finds an example in the “table fellowship” 

practiced by Christian communities as introduced in Luke-Acts. The 

author makes an original contribution to the existing scholarship when 

showing how the inclusive and welcoming Lukan table fellowship has the 

potential to dismantle the disgust one often feels when encountering 

customs, practices, or persons belonging to unknown socio-cultural 

systems.

Methodologically, the manuscript is innovative as it brings together 

biblical (New Testament) scholarship and psychology. Findings from 

psychological research are used to shed light on how disgust impacts 

personality formation within communities.

In the concluding part of the manuscript, the author not only weaves the 

threads of their argument together (i.e., to show how table fellowship 

can overcome psychological disgust toward outsiders) but also shows the 

significance for human existence of the “healthy” borderlines between 

individuals and communities.

There are occasional typos - light language editing is recommended.

This is a well-written academic article that combines biblical 

scholarship with findings from psychological research in a stimulating 

way. 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

There are occasional typos throughout the text. I recommend proof reading.

Author Response

Comment: There are occasional typos throughout the text. I recommend proof reading.

Response: I have read over the article and corrected typos. Thank you.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

On the whole, I am appreciative of the general argument you make in this paper. I am not convinced, however, by your singular use of the concept of disgust to make your point nor have you provided a clear warrant for its emphasis here. The fact that you do not engage any of the current literature about early Christian meal practices is a significant weakness in your overall argument, even if your conclusion is appropriate. 

Some specific comments and questions, with a few editorial corrections:

21 What do you mean by “transgressive culture-making”?

22 Is it the gospel that is “transgressing the boundaries” or Jesus' enactment of gospel that is doing so?

27 “practices in opening table fellowship”

30 Your long phrase “christologically informed re-enactment of the boundary-transgressing gospel” implies that there is such a gospel that is not “christologically informed”. What exactly does this mean?

31 From the beginning, it is not clear where the notion of “disgust” comes from and what makes it warranted for this discussion. As the overarching claim of your argument, it needs stronger support. Also, please clarify how eating with the “reviled” is an occasion for disgust? You seem to regularly collapse categories of ritual impurity and affective disgust/revulsion.

64 The Greek text in Lk means “amazed” or “marveled” or “surprised”, not disgust; where does this substituion come from and what warrant is there for it?

71 Where is supporting evidence for your claim of Lk’s concern for contamination/disgust? How are you linking transgression and disgust?

91 “reassuring Peter of both the purity"

137 Here some acknowledgement of recent literature and arguments about the place of meal practices, especially of ‘mealtime ethics,” in the early church could provide support for this argument. For example, see Alistair Stewart's Eucharist and Agape and Rita Halteman Finger's Of Widows and Meals

162/165 Seems a sudden shift from the “despised” to “disgust”; how do you get from one to the other?

168 Here, again, what is the warrant for your attention to “disgust”? It doesn't seem supported in commentaries on Lk/Acts.

174 likely cause harm

202 I found your connection between questions of social ethics and disgust rather puzzling. What support do you have for such a claim?

337ff Please clarify the relationship between ritual impurity and disgust as boundaries to hospitality.

374ff Here engagement with literature about early Christian table practices becomes even more essential; the literature demonstrates that they did not practice completely open tables. The question of ritual impurity is also addressed very early on in the way in which baptism becomes the rite of entry to the table of the Christian community.

 

Author Response

21 What do you mean by “transgressive culture-making”?

Added clarifying remarks.

22 Is it the gospel that is “transgressing the boundaries” or Jesus' enactment of gospel that is doing so?

Added clarifying remarks.

27 “practices in opening table fellowship”

Issue resolved.

30 Your long phrase “christologically informed re-enactment of the boundary-transgressing gospel” implies that there is such a gospel that is not “christologically informed”. What exactly does this mean?

Added clarifying remarks.

31 From the beginning, it is not clear where the notion of “disgust” comes from and what makes it warranted for this discussion. As the overarching claim of your argument, it needs stronger support. Also, please clarify how eating with the “reviled” is an occasion for disgust? You seem to regularly collapse categories of ritual impurity and affective disgust/revulsion.

I've edited in a few places to clarify the case that Lukan table practices invite faith communities to be formed away from disgust responses.

64 The Greek text in Lk means “amazed” or “marveled” or “surprised”, not disgust; where does this substituion come from and what warrant is there for it?

I've looked and am unsure what the reference is here.

71 Where is supporting evidence for your claim of Lk’s concern for contamination/disgust? How are you linking transgression and disgust?

I've added a few lines throughout, but moreover, attempted to clarify that these texts are good help to contemporary communities of faith who may be operating from disgust morality.

91 “reassuring Peter of both the purity"

Resolved.

137 Here some acknowledgement of recent literature and arguments about the place of meal practices, especially of ‘mealtime ethics,” in the early church could provide support for this argument. For example, see Alistair Stewart's Eucharist and Agape and Rita Halteman Finger's Of Widows and Meals

Excellent suggestions. I have added more references to scholarship. I've added primary source material (Hippolytus).

162/165 Seems a sudden shift from the “despised” to “disgust”; how do you get from one to the other?

See above. The hope is to strengthen communities in faith formation who are making this shift.

168 Here, again, what is the warrant for your attention to “disgust”? It doesn't seem supported in commentaries on Lk/Acts.

Added material on Peter in Acts 10 and 11.

174 likely cause harm

Resolved.

202 I found your connection between questions of social ethics and disgust rather puzzling. What support do you have for such a claim?

337ff Please clarify the relationship between ritual impurity and disgust as boundaries to hospitality.

374ff Here engagement with literature about early Christian table practices becomes even more essential; the literature demonstrates that they did not practice completely open tables. The question of ritual impurity is also addressed very early on in the way in which baptism becomes the rite of entry to the table of the Christian community.

Taking the three comments above, I've added content to clarify. Early Christian primary source materials were added. I've edited a bit to acknowledge that early Christianity wasn't practicing entirely open tables. I've drawn upon Hippolytus to further demonstrate that while the baptized turned away from certain moral practices, that person was not rendered disgusting.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper has several more secondary source references. The use of Green and Witherington add to understanding. Also, the study by Peter-Ben Smit on meals helps substantially. A reference to Bock would add to this paper.