Simon Peter in Scripture and Memory: The New Testament Apostle in the Early Church
Overview
After Jesus, Peter is the most frequently mentioned individual in both the Gospels and the New Testament as a whole, yet we know very little about this formative early-church figure. Markus Bockmuehl introduces the New Testament Peter by asking how first- and second-century sources may be understood through the prism of “living memory” among the disciples of the apostolic generation and the students of those disciples. He argues that early Christian memory of Peter underscores his central role as a bridge-building figure holding together the diversity of first-century Christianity. Drawing on more than a decade of research, Bockmuehl applies cutting-edge scholarship to the question of the history and traditions of Simon Peter. New Testament students and professors will value Bockmuehl’s fresh insight into the biblical witness and early Christian tradition.
The Logos Bible Software edition of this volume is designed to encourage and stimulate your study and understanding of Scripture. Biblical passages link directly to your English translations and original-language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. In addition, you can perform powerful searches by topic and find what other authors, scholars, and theologians have to say about the Word of God.
- Discusses the portrayal of Peter in both the New Testament and nonbiblical sources
- Explores the life of Peter as “the foundation for all churches of all times”
- Includes extensive bibliographies and indexes for further study
- Part 1: Peter in Canon and Memory
- Simon Peter . . . in Living Memory?
- The New Testament Peter: An Overview
- Part 2: Peter in the “Living Memory” of East and West
- The Eastern Peter
- The Western Peter
- Part 3: History and Memory—Two Case Studies
- How Peter Became a Disciple
- From Unlikely Birthplace to a Global Mission
Bockmuehl has long distinguished himself as a careful historian, sensitive to both Jewish and Greco-Roman dimensions of the early Christian movement and a sensitive reader of literary texts. This well-written and ecumenically sensitive volume draws on all of his impressive skills. New insights abound regarding the portrayal of Peter in the New Testament and in nonbiblical sources from the second century.
—Gary Anderson, Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology, University of Notre Dame
Widely esteemed New Testament scholar Markus Bockmuehl here sums up his research into the ‘historical Peter.’ Bockmuehl has a keen sense for the strengths and limitations of historical-critical inquiry. This erudite and accessible book will be welcomed by all who seek to understand not only what historians can surmise about the Galilean peasant Peter but also what such research can contribute to reflection about an ongoing ‘Petrine ministry’ among Christians today.
—Matthew Levering, professor of religious studies, University of Dayton
It is a joy to welcome Markus Bockmuehl’s latest study on Peter the apostle. Not since Cullmann in 1952 has there been such a thorough examination of the biblical information on Peter. This quest is pursued along with the Oxford tradition of patristic scholarship and with contemporary methodological sophistication, especially in regard to memory. Inscriptions and archaeology are also mined for their contributions. The whole work is inspired by a heart that beats for truth, for ecumenical understanding, and for reconciliation.
—Benedict T. Viviano, professor emeritus, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Title: Simon Peter in Scripture and Memory: The New Testament Apostle in the Early Church
- Author: Markus Bockmuehl
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Publication Date: 2012
- Pages: 240