The theme of sight plays a central role throughout the book of Acts. While some scholars have identified this theme, especially with respect to visions, they typically overlook the intersection of sight and audition. This article argues that Luke pairs seeing with hearing and emphasizes the sense of hearing to an even greater degree. The article first addresses sight and visions in Acts and then focuses on Stephen’s vision in Acts 7. This is the one vision in Acts that does not involve divinely bestowed words, yet it still betrays Luke’s preference for hearing – and speaking – God’s word. The article then explores key themes that emerge from Stephen’s vision regarding the visual and verbal modes of perception in Acts as a whole. Overall, Luke’s emphasis on the spoken ‘word’ reflects his reliance on Jewish scriptural traditions that likewise highlight listening as a key epistemological posture.
Neuroeconomics has the potential to fundamentally change the way economics is done. This article identifies the ways in which this will occur, pitfalls of this approach, and areas where progress has already been made. The value of neuroeconomics studies for social policy lies in the quality, replicability, and relevance of the research produced. While most economists will not contribute to the neuroeconomics literature, we contend that most economists should be reading these studies.
This article problematises the widespread assumption that the God of early Christianity is an invisible God. This assumption is found in both popular and academic discourse and often appeals to biblical critiques of divine images to make its case. Yet while Hebrew Bible scholars have recently questioned this axiomatic belief, New Testament scholars have yet to do the same. To address this oversight, this article first looks at divine images and idol polemic in the ancient world and then turns to Luke's depiction of divine images in the book of Acts as a test case. Here I demonstrate how Acts depicts God as a visible – and even embodied – being, while at the same time critiquing visual representations of the divine. With Acts, we find that not all Christians ‘imaged’ God as invisible.
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