The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul, 2nd ed.

by Wayne A. Meeks

Publisher:

Yale University Press

, 2003

Overview

In this classic work, Wayne A. Meeks analyzes the earliest extant documents of Christianity—the letters of Paul—to describe the tensions and the texture of life of the first urban Christians. In a new introduction, he describes the evolution of the field of New Testament scholarship over the past twenty years, including new developments in fields such as archaeology and social history.

Key Features

• Explores early documents to analyze the lives of the first urban Christians
• Seeks to encourage readers to join in the imaginative labor as they examine the lives led by early Christians
• Provides fresh angles on familiar topics concerning early Christianity

Contents

• Introduction
• The Urban Environment of Pauline Christianity
• The Social Lever ofPauline Christians
• The Formation of the Ekklesia
• Governance
• Ritual
• Patterns of Belief and Patterns of Life

Praise for The First Urban Christians

[An] interesting, important, and excellent book. . . . It is rich in insights, both those that are over-arching and those that deal with details. . . . [A] solid piece of work.

O.C. Edwards, Jr., Anglican Theological Review

Those with any historical bent will be intrigued by the way a story usually overlaid with thick layers of theological speculation is unraveled. . . . And those who simply have an interest in how groups form in any era . . . will be fascinated by this case study of one particular community that has ramifications for understanding all other communities.

Robert McAfee Brown, New York Times Book Review

What makes The First Urban Christians particularly valuable is its comprehensiveness; Meeks has brought together a wealth of data that the reader will not find conveniently assembled elsewhere, and this alone is a great contribution. . . . Clearly this book deserves a wide audience. It would serve well as a textbook or point of departure for various seminary courses on Paul, and could provide the basis for some advanced undergraduate study as well. Meeks' style is very readable, and Yale has done an excellent job of presenting this material in a pleasing and error-free format. . . . This reader has found The First Urban Christians the most profitable book of its kind, and looks forward to further works from this learned scholar.

Ben Witherington, Review of Books and Religion

Product Details

• Title: The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul
• Author: Wayne A. Meeks
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Print Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Resource ID: LLS:FRSTRBNCHPSTLPL
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2021-01-21T21:37:53Z

About Wayne A. Meeks

Wayne A. Meeks is the Woolsey Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Department of Religious Studies at Yale University. He is also the author of The Origins of Christian Morality and In Search of the Early Christians, both published by Yale University Press.