Ancient World Seminar: Rianne Voogd (PThU), 'Is a Kiss just a Kiss? The Pauline Kiss among other Kisses'

Rianne Voogd studied Theology at the Protestant Theological University (location Kampen). She is currently working at the same university, now located in Groningen, on a PhD project on the significance of the 'holy kiss' in early Christian communities. In four of his undisputed letters the apostle Paul orders his audience to greet each other with a 'holy kiss'. He does not refer to kisses in other passages in his letters, and in the rest of the New Testament references to kisses are equally sparse. This makes the Pauline passages that do contain kisses all the more enigmatic. What is the meaning of Paul's instruction to greet with a kiss? Do similar passages exist in contemporary Christian or non-Christian writings? And, finally what makes a kiss holy?