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Greco-Roman Associations, Deities, and Early Christianity

Greco-Roman Associations, Deities, and Early Christianity

Understanding associations in the Greco-Roman world enhances the study of the rise of early Christianity--whether at the micro-level of interpreting particular texts or at the macro-level of assessing...

Sales Date: 2022-09-15

Paperback
ISBN 9781481315166
484 Pages

$59.99

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Description
Contents
Authors
Praise

1 Greco-Roman Associations and the Origins of Christianity: Taking Stock of Where We Are, by Bruce W. Longenecker
Part One: Angles of Vision
2 House Church or Association? Some Reflections on Models and Usefulness, by Peter Oakes
3 Suspicion, Integration, and Roman Attitudes toward Associations, by Eric J. Brewer
4 Working with the Gods: Occupational Associations and Early Christ Groups, by Richard S. Ascough
5 Stinking Leatherworkers and Noisy Street Criers: Paul, Occupational Stigma, and the Sensory Politics of Associations, by Louise J. Lawrence
6 Dressing for Deities: Functions and Meanings of Dress within Ancient Associations, by Alicia J. Batten
7 The Prestige of the Gods, the Urban Elites, and the Local Associations: Assessing Honorific Rituals among the Early Christians, by James R. Harrison
8 The Meals of Christ Groups in Comparative Perspective, by John S. Kloppenborg
9 F(r)ee Membership of Christ Groups, by Timothy J. Murray
10 Women Benefactors and Early Christ Groups, by Susan E. Benton
11 Aid among Greco-Roman Associations and Christ Groups, by Robert E. Moses
12 Burial Communities: Associations and Christ Groups, by Markus Öhler
13 Retiring Religious Associations, by Éric Rebillard
14 συναγωγή and Semi-public Associations: Greco-Roman, Judean, and Christos Followers, by Ralph J. Korner
15 Christianization and the Decline of Elective Cults Revisited: Competitors or Cohabitants? by Christina Gousopoulos
Part Two: Focal Points
16 From Analogy to Identity: Did an Association of Leatherworkers "Turn" into the Thessalonian Church? by Timothy A. Brookins
17 Configuring Time in Roman Macedonia: Identity and Differentiation in Paul's Thessalonian Christ Group, by Bruce W. Longenecker
18 Conflict and Honor in the Ancient Epistle: Or, How an Egyptian Funerary Association Illuminates Rivalry at Corinth, by Sarah E. Rollens
19 The Significance of Λογεία for the Meaning of Paul's Collection in 1 and 2 Corinthians, by Philip F. Esler
20 The Benefaction-Reward Convention in Greco-Roman Private Associations and Paul's Jerusalem Collection, by Jin Hwan Lee
21 Reading Hebrews in a Roman Vicus with Voluntary Associations, by Jason A. Whitlark
22 Julian Christ Worshippers and Their Connection to a Collegium in First-Century Lyon: Reintroducing the Epitaph of Julia Adepta, by Richard Last
23 "Many Have Sold Themselves into Slavery": Voluntary Imprisonment and Slavery, Survival Strategies among Associations, and the Reception of 1 Corinthians in 1 Clement 55, by David J. Downs
24 Mystery Cults and Christian Associations in Early Alexandrian Theology: The Case of Clement of Alexandria, by T. J. Lang

This book offers a rich illustration of the claim made by its editor that associations must now be viewed as an essential part of the 'toolkit' of those working on early Christianity. Taken together, this fascinating collection of essays by leading experts offers a window into the most innovative scholarship on Christ-groups today. These substantive studies bring new questions to the fore and expand our horizons on topics ranging from the world of work and trade, to the importance of sensory elements, to the significance of identifying wide-ranging factors which contribute to group durability and stability. Readers will discover sometimes-unexpected but illuminating ancient data from literary and material culture, leading them to think afresh about the shape of early Christianity.
~Margaret Y. MacDonald, Professor, Department for the Study of Religion, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax

Here is a state-of-the-art discussion of Greco-Roman associations and their importance for our understanding of early Christianity. Scholars have made great advances in recent years in the study of Greco-Roman associations. In this outstanding book, many of these advances are presented and drawn upon to help us think in new and stimulating ways about early Christ groups. By bringing our knowledge of associations and early Christ groups into conversation, we can better understand both the similarities and the differences between Christ-believers and other groups in their wider context. These cutting-edge essays open up new questions and new perspectives that will set the research agenda for decades to come.
~Paul Trebilco, Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand

In recent decades, our understanding of the earliest Christ-groups, and early Christianity more generally, has been greatly illuminated by studies that examine these groups alongside other ancient associations. Engaging with this body of work, and both developing and challenging it, this rich and diverse collection of essays covers topics ranging from terminology and appropriate models through to meals, dress, fees, benefaction and mutual aid, and includes many studies of specific New Testament and early Christian texts. This volume will greatly help to enrich, challenge, and extend the scholarly conversation in this vibrant and vital area of research.
~David G. Horrell, Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Exeter

There is so much to like about this collection of essays. First and foremost, it represents the maturation of an enterprise; no longer is the utility of associations in the study of Christian origins being defended.
~Zeba Crook, Review of Biblical Literature