Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World

by David E. Aune

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 1991

Overview

Comparable in scope to Johannes Lindblom’s Prophecy in Ancient Israel, this book offers the first comprehensive treatment in English of the place of prophecy in the New Testament period. Because early Christianity was the product of Western as well as Eastern religious and cultural traditions, David Aune begins by examining the antecedents of early Christian prophecy. He describes Greco-Roman prophecy—the types of oracles, the people who prophesied, the procedures, and the purpose of prophecy. In examining Israelite-Jewish prophecy, Aune discusses the Old Testament prophets, first-century apocalyptic literature, eschatological prophecy, John the Baptist, and Qumran. Having thus set the background in detail, Aune examines the character of early Christian prophecy, discussing the early Christian and modern conceptions of Jesus as prophet, and analyzing every known Christian prophetic speech from Paul to the middle of the second century AD. Aune attributes the eventual decline of prophecy to the institutionalization of Christianity, in which the functions of teachers, pastors, elders, and deacons replaced the essentially similar functions of prophets.

Contents

Top Highlights

“the view that prophecy had ceased was a means of legitimating their role as successors of Moses and the prophets” (Page 104)

“speak in tongues, a phenomenon which the author closely associates with prophecy (Acts 19:6).” (Page 191)

“the Holy Spirit and prophesying have an intimate, cause-and-effect relationship” (Page 191)

“primarily because of the social changes which had taken place” (Page 204)

“Frequently the so-called ‘ecstatic Greek model’ of prophecy is opposed to the Israelite-Jewish model which is thought to be characterized, if not by complete rationality, at least by a greater degree of restraint and decorum.” (Page 21)

Product Details

• Title: Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World
• Author: David E. Aune
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 1991
• Logos Release Date: 2016
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Prophecy (Christianity) › History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600; Prophecy › History
• ISBNs: 9780802806352, 080280635, 9781592443024, 080280635X, 1592443028
• Resource ID: LLS:PRPHCYRLYMDWRLD
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:25:37Z

About David E. Aune

David E. Aune is Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at the University of Notre Dame. In 2012 he was named the honorary president for life of the Chicago Society of Biblical research. He is the author of The New Testament in Its Literary Environment, Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World, and Apocalypticism, Prophecy, and Magic in Early Christianity: Collected Essays.