Luke's Acts of the Apostles is the only documentation available on the birth of Christianity, despite the author's vigorously disputed reliability as a historian. Daniel Marguerat avoids this true/false quagmire by establishing his evaluation of Luke's talent as an historian within the framework of...

Luke's Acts of the Apostles is the only documentation available on the birth of Christianity, despite the author's vigorously disputed reliability as a historian. Daniel Marguerat avoids this true/false quagmire by establishing his evaluation of Luke's talent as an historian within the framework of ancient historiography (the rules of ancient historians and narrative criticism). His study portrays Luke as a skillful and sound theologian, and provides an original approach to the classic themes of Lucan theology.

Alexandru Neagoe examines Luke's writings as an apologetic work, by focusing on the parts of Luke's story where the apologetic overtones seem most prominent--the trial narratives. In analyzing the trials of all major Lukan characters--Jesus, Peter, Stephen, and Paul, Neagoe argues that the...

Alexandru Neagoe examines Luke's writings as an apologetic work, by focusing on the parts of Luke's story where the apologetic overtones seem most prominent--the trial narratives. In analyzing the trials of all major Lukan characters--Jesus, Peter, Stephen, and Paul, Neagoe argues that the narratives are best understood when viewed as part of Luke's apologia pro evangelio, a purpose which is in keeping with the author's declared aim to give his readers "assurance" about the "matters" in which they had been instructed (Luke 1:4).

This book is the first to tackle the origins and purpose of literary religious apologetic in the first centuries of the Christian era by discussing, on their own terms, texts composed by pagan and Jewish authors as well as Christians. Previous studies of apologetic have focused primarily on the...

This book is the first to tackle the origins and purpose of literary religious apologetic in the first centuries of the Christian era by discussing, on their own terms, texts composed by pagan and Jewish authors as well as Christians. Previous studies of apologetic have focused primarily on the Christian apologists of the second century. These, and other Christian authors, are represented also in this volume but, in addition, experts in the religious history of the pagan world, in Judaism, and in late antique philosophy examine very different literary traditions to see to what extent techniques and motifs were shared across the religious divide. Each contributor has investigated the probable audience, the literary milieu, and the specific social, political, and cultural circumstances which elicited each apologetic text. In many cases these questions lead on to the further issue of the relation between the readers addressed by the author and the actual readers, and the extent to which a defined literary genre of apologetic developed. These studies, ranging in time from the New Testament to the early fourth century, and including novel contributions by specialists in ancient history, Jewish history, ancient philosophy, the New Testament, and patristics, will put the study of ancient religious apologetic on to a new footing.

In this highly original study, Veronika Grimm discusses early Christian texts dealing with food, eating and fasting. Modern day eating disorders often equate food with sin and see fasting as an attempt to regain purity, an attitude which can also be observed in early Christian beliefs in the...

In this highly original study, Veronika Grimm discusses early Christian texts dealing with food, eating and fasting. Modern day eating disorders often equate food with sin and see fasting as an attempt to regain purity, an attitude which can also be observed in early Christian beliefs in the mortification of the flesh.Describing first the historical and social context of Judaism and the Graeco-Roman world, the author then proceeds to analyse Christian attitudes towards food. Descriptions of food found in the Pauline Epistles, the Acts of the Apostles, Tertullian or Augustine are compared to contemporary Jewish or Graeco-Roman pagan texts. Thus a particular Christian mode of fasting is elaborated which influences us to the present day; ascetic fasting for the suppression of the sexual urges of the body. From Feasting to Fasting is of interest to all students of Early Christianity, and to those searching for historical roots of modern attitudes. Winner of the 1995 Routledge Ancient History Prize

The apostle Paul-- antifeminist conformist, or social radical? Combining New Testament studies with folkloristic methods to search for the true identity of Paul, the author sheds new light on the apocryphal "Acts of Paul" and the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) of the canonical New...

The apostle Paul-- antifeminist conformist, or social radical? Combining New Testament studies with folkloristic methods to search for the true identity of Paul, the author sheds new light on the apocryphal "Acts of Paul" and the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) of the canonical New Testament.

Dennis Ronald MacDonald focuses particularly on the legend of Thecla, the virgin and martyr who was converted by Paul and who, with his blessing, became a Christian teacher. Such utilization of women and an affirmation of celibacy and hostility toward the state were attitudes of Paul that were expressed in the legends, transmitted orally, then written into the "Acts of Paul". MacDonald argues that the author of the Pastoral Epistles knew about the legends and wrote under Paul's name to counteract them. The result: a complicated Paul, a still unresolved battle over his message.

With this book, the legends surrounding the apostle have been rescued from near oblivion and properly placed in the Pauline tradition. Formulated in the days of early Christianity and handed down through the centuries, they cast new light on Paul's views about the ordination of women, the forms of Christian community, and the meaning of the gospel for politics, society, and sexuality.