1 Enoch as Christian Scripture: A Study in the Reception and Appropriation of 1 Enoch in Jude and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahǝdo Canon

by Bruk Ayele Asale, Loren T. Stuckenbruck (Foreword)

Since its publication in English translation in 1821, the book of Enoch has enjoyed immense popularity in Western culture as a variety of religious groups, interested historians, and academics have sought to illuminate the Jewish context of Christian beginnings two thousand years ago. Taking the quotation of 1 Enoch in Jude 14 as its point of departure, the present study explores the significance of Enochic tradition within the context of Christian tradition in the Horn of Africa, where it continues to play a vital role in shaping the diverse yet interrelated self-understanding of Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. As discussions on the importance of 1 Enoch from antiquity to the present take on new dimensions among increasingly global and diverse voices, 1 Enoch as Christian Scripture offers a rare orientation into a rich culture in which the reception of the book is "at home" as a living tradition more than anywhere else in the world today. The present work argues that serious attention to 1 Enoch holds forth an opportunity for church traditions in Ethiopia--and, indeed, around the world--to embrace some of their indigenous roots and has the capacity to breathe life into time-worn expressions of faith.

Genres: Christianity, Religion, Theology

141 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2020

Reviews

[Jared Willett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful primer on the subject of the Christian reception of 1 Enoch. This work focuses on the EOTC and their reception and it’s influence on their worship and beliefs. This is a great book to familiarize yourself with the reception of 1 Enoch but stays at the surface with 1 Enoch itself. Very enjoyable.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book generally understood as pseudepigraphic known as 1 Enoch represents quite a challenge for us as Christians. It purports to be the testimony and visions of Enoch, the seventh from Adam; at least Jude and Peter, and likely Jesus and Paul also, have been influenced by its understanding of fallen angels; it is hard to uphold a full canonical argument for 1 Enoch, but the witness of the earliest Christians about it make it hard to fully dismiss it, either.

So there is great benefit in considering 1 Enoch from the eyes of those who have preserved it for us, and who did make space for it in their canon. To this end Bruk Ayele Asale has provided us with a great resource with 1 Enoch as Christian Scripture: A Study in the Reception and Appropriation of 1 Enoch in Jude and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahǝdo Canon.

The author provides what he advertised: he explored what we know about the origins of 1 Enoch; he discussed how it came down to us and in what forms; he discussed its interpretive history in its own right and in terms of Jude and Peter; he considered how it was received and understood in Judaism and early Christianity; he described how it ultimately lost complete favor in the majority of the world of Christendom. He then featured its presence in the life and faith of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahǝdo Church (EOTC): he provided a basic introduction to the EOTC for the rest of us, its origins, heritage, and history; and he considered how 1 Enoch influenced its faith, as well as potential forms of influence on the Evangelical churches of Ethiopia.

In the end he perceived more of an indirect influence: less about the substance of 1 Enoch and much more about its angelology would make itself felt in the theology and life of the EOTC. And, of course, we can only speak of 1 Enoch as a whole text thanks to the fact the Ethiopians valued it and maintained a text of it to this day.

This is a highly recommended resource regarding 1 Enoch.

[John Coatney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book introduces the influence of the Ethiopian book of Enoch (1 Enoch) on early Jewish and Christian thought, and its subsequent influence on the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (and all of Ethiopian Christianity as a result). The author discusses and demonstrates potential connections between Enochic thought and wider Jewish and Christian thought in a systematic and understandable way. My only critique is that the book is too brief, raising suggestions alongside potential evidence but generally without the detail necessary to confirm the suggestions with anything near certainty. However, that the questions are raised and a way forward is suggested are no small benefits, and this book is well worth reading for anyone interested in Enoch and the EOTC.