Abstract:
Syncrisis as literary motif in the story about the grown-up child Jesus in the temple (Lk 2:41–52
and the Thomas tradition): The article explores hermeneutical solutions for the negative
response from the child Jesus towards his biological parents in the Lukan temple story
(Lk 2:41–52). The ‘wisdom’ of the child who acts in an ‘adult-like’ way is interpreted as a
syncrisis. This literary motif is explained by an analysis of the contrasting positive and negative
acts of the child Jesus towards teachers of the Torah in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
Description:
This research is part
of the research project,
‘Biblical Theology and
Hermeneutics’, directed by
Prof. Dr Andries van Aarde,
Post Retirement Professor
and Senior Research Fellow
in the Dean’s Office, Faculty
of Theology and Religion,
University of Pretoria.
