Hansen argues against prevalent views that the unity formula employed in Gal 3.28, 1 Cor 12.13 and Col 3.11 reflects either a Hellenistic anthropology of ideal androgyny or a modern liberal conception of social equality.
Rather, Hansen contends, attention to function and context demonstrates each epistle's vision of social unity. Insights from ethnic theory elucidate how epistles characterize this unity in terms of a new social identity, and the practices warranted by that identity. Furthermore, Hansen claims that because identity construction is continual, dynamic and discursive, alternate identities (e.g. ethnic, gender, religious, economic) within the new Christian communities, may be seen as influencing one another and may be termed as the collective Christian identity.
Hansen employs theories from Ethnic study as tools for assessing how such overlapping identities persist and interact with one another. His analysis thereby demonstrates that the social unity promoted by this formula opposes cultural dominance by any particular group and, conversely reinforces the persistence of marginal social identities within new communities. The issue is then not one of gender equality, but of the equality that Paul wishes to develop between competing social groups.
'By applying the conceptual apparatus of 'ethnic theory' to the Pauline letters, he suggests that Paul attempts to supply his churches with a fictive kinship myth that renders them a new ethnos, drawn from Jews as well as Gentiles, rather than either group being subsumed to the other. In this way, Paul fashions for his churches a 'diaspora identity' (for which Hansen follows D Boyrain), but one that, rather than obliterating social differences between individuals, seeks to create a space that prevents any one pre-existing identity marker (such as circumcision) serving as a normative for all (pace Boyarin). This identity functions within a broadly bounded set of boundary-marking 'indices' that concern avoidance of idoltary and sexual immorality, and adherence to communal solidarity and Christ-like sacrificial love. There is much of value in this careful investigation.' David Lincicum, Mansfield College, Oxford
