A Short History of the New Testament IB Tauris Short Histories

## I.B.Tauris Short Histories is an authoritative and elegantly written new series which puts a fresh perspective on the way history is taught and understood in the twenty-first century. Designed to have strong appeal to university students and their teachers, as well as to general readers and history enthusiasts, I.B.Tauris Short Histories comprises a novel attempt to bring informed interpretation, as well as factual reportage, to historical debate. Addressing key subjects and topics in the fields of history, the history of ideas, religion, classical studies, politics, philosophy and Middle East studies, the series seeks intentionally to move beyond the bland, neutral 'introduction' that so often serves as the primary undergraduate teaching tool. While always providing students and generalists with the core facts that they need to get to grips with the essentials of any particular subject, I.B.Tauris Short Histories goes further. It offers new insights into how a topic has been understood in the past, and what different social and cultural factors might have been at work. It brings original perspectives to bear on manner of its current interpretation. It raises questions and -in its extensive further reading lists -points to further study, even as it suggests answers. Addressing a variety of subjects in a greater degree of depth than is often found in comparable series, yet at the same time in concise and compact handbook form, I.B.Tauris Short Histories aims to be 'introductions with an edge'. In combining questioning and searching analysis with informed history writing, it brings history up-to-date for an increasingly complex and globalised digital age. www.short-histories.com ix List of Maps and Illustrations Maps Map 1. The Mediterranean World at the time of Jesus p. xiii-xiv Map 2. Palestine at the time of Jesus p. 5 Map 3. The Eastern Mediterranean at the time of Jesus p. 66 Map 4. Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt p. 77 Few Documents In World History Can Match The Inspirational Impact Of The New Testament. For All Its Variety -- Gospels, Letters And Visions -- This First-century Collection Of Texts Keeps Always At Its Centre The Enigmatic Figure Of Joshua/jesus: The Jewish Prophet Who Gathered A Group Around Him, Proclaimed The Imminent End Of The World, But Was Made Captive By The Authorities Of Rome Only To Suffer A Shameful Criminal's Death On A Cross. When His Followers (including Former Persecutor Saul/paul) Became Convinced That Jesus Had Defeated Extinction, And Had Risen Again To Fresh Life, The Movement Crossed Over From Palestine To Ignite The Entire Graeco-roman Mediterranean World. The Author Shows How The Writings Of This Vibrant New Faith Came Into Being From Oral Transmission And Then Became The Pillar Of A Great World Religion. He Explores Their Many Varied Usages In Music, Liturgy, Art, Language And Literature. In Discussing Its Textual Origins, As Well As Its Later Reception, Moxnes Shows Above All How The New Testament Has Been Employed Both As A Tool For Liberation And As A Means Of Power And Control. Becoming Christians : Letter Writing As Community Formation -- Memory And Identity : The Gospels As Jesus-biographies -- Acts And Apocalypse : Ambivalent Living Under The Roman Empire -- Included Or Excluded : When Was The New Testament Created? -- 'christianity Goes To Press' : The Communication History Of The New Testament -- '... Their Eyes Were Opened And They Recognised Him.' Glimpses And Receptions Of The Jesus Story -- Race, Class And Gender 'in Christ'? The Ambiguous Reception History Of Galatians 3:28 -- Historical Readings : How Modernity Shaped New Testament Scholarship -- 'reading From This Place' : Paul In Recent Interpretation -- Where Is The Future Of The New Testament? Halvor Moxnes. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front cover 1 Title page 6 Copyright page 7 Table of contents 8 Preface 11 Introduction 16 Part 1: Brginnings 20 From Jesus to the Gospels 22 Chapter 1: Becoming Christians: Letter Writing as Community Formation 27 Chapter 2: Memory and Identity: The Gospels as Jesus-biographies 56 Chapter 3: Acts and Apocalypse: Ambivalent Living under the Roman Empire 83 Chapter 4: Included or Excluded: When was the New Testament Created? 93 Part 2: Shaping History 112 The Reception of the New Testament 114 Chapter 5: ‘Christianity goes to Press’: The Communication History of the New Testament 116 Chapter 6: ‘. . . Their eyes were opened and they recognised him.’ Glimpses of Receptions of the Jesus Story 135 Chapter 7: Race, Class and Gender ‘in Christ’? The Ambiguous Reception History of Galatians 3:28 152 Part 3: Reading and Meaning-Making 176 The History of How to Read the New Testament 178 Chapter 8: Historical Readings: How Modernity Shaped New Testament Scholarship 180 Chapter 9: ‘Reading from this place’: Paul in Recent Interpretations 204 Conclusion: Where is the Future of the New Testament? 224 Further reading 226 Notes 237 Index 253 Introduction : What is a history of the New Testament? -- Part 1. Beginnings : From Jesus to the gospels -- 1. Becoming Christians : letter writing as community formation -- 2. Memory and identity : the gospels as Jesus-biographies -- 3. Acts and apocalypse : ambivalent living under the Roman Empire -- 4. Included or excluded : when was the New Testament created? -- Part 2. Shaping history : The reception of the New Testament : -- 5. 'Christianity goes to press' : the communication history of the New Testament -- 6. ' ... Their eyes were opened and they recognised him.' : glimpses and receptions of the Jesus story -- 7. Race, class and gender 'in Christ'? : the ambiguous reception history of Galatians 3:28 -- Part 3. Reading and meaning-making : The history of how to read the New Testament : -- 8. Historical readings : how modernity shaped New Testament scholarship -- 9. 'Reading from this place' : Paul in recent interpretations -- 10. Where is the future of the New Testament? Contemporary art is incresingly concerned with swaying the opinions of its viewier. To do so, the art employs various strategies to convey a political message. This book provides readers with the tools to decode and appreciate political art, a crucial and understudied direction in post-war art.