Ritual Negotiation in 1 Corinthians: Pauline Authority and the Corinthian Community

This article intends to bring to bear the utility of ritual negotiation on the interpretation of 1 Corinthians. My interests lie in how Paul attempts to establish his ritual authority over the Corinthians and how, through ritual, they negotiated their own identity in contrast to how Paul would have them develop it. In order to discuss the various moments in the letter where Paul asserts his authority through ritual negotiation over the Corinthians, I proceed in the following way: (1) I present current understandings of ritual negotiation. This will provide a framework for demonstrating the utility of ritual as an important interpretive model, particularly for the Corinthian correspondence. (2) I provide examples from 1 Corinthians 1, 7 and 11, noting Paul’s use of ritual negotiation, his claims to have the authority to dictate ritual action and dictate outcomes, and the possible reaction the Corinthians may have had to Paul’s ideas concerning rituals. (3) I conclude the article by noting Paul’s final heavy-handed rhetorical move at the end of the letter.