Pax Romana and the Peace of Jesus Christ
- ISBN-10
- 033401221X
- ISBN-13
- 9780334012214
- Category
- Religion / Biblical Studies / New Testament / General
- Pages
- 245
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1987
- Publisher
- SCM Press
- Author
- Klaus Wengst
Description
How providential, it is often argued, that Christianity began under the pax Romano, an unprecedented time of peace throughout the world! At what other time could the gospel have spread so quickly? Certainly the pax Romana was a time of peace, prosperity and justice for some - yet for others, the majority, it was a time of oppression, misery and suffering under the tyrant's whim. This latter dimension is not often brought out, so this new book plays an important role in redressing the balance. In it, Professor Wengst brings out what it was really like to live in the Roman empire. He is not so much concerned to offer a 'balanced' account as to show what it felt like from below, its effect on the nameless multitudes of whose immeasurable tears and sufferings, hopes and fears there is only indirect evidence. This serves as a prelude to a discussion of the experiences which Jesus and the early Christians had of Roman rule and the way in which they reacted to it. There is no mistaking the fact that the results of the study are not just a piece of past history, but are extraordinarily relevant to the modern world.
Get the book
Similar books
-
Reading Issues of Wealth and Poverty in Luke-Acts
By Thomas E. PhillipsAs Donahue's summary of scholarship explains : While there is almost universal agreement on the importance of possessions , there is no consensus on major issues of interpretation , nor any consistent perspective within Luke - Acts . .
-
John and Empire: Initial Explorations
By Warren Carter8 Swain argues that this turn to the past was motivated not by escape , nostalgia , or leisurely interest . Rather , it secured the identity and power of elites in Hellenistic cities within the Roman Empire in the present .
-
A Source critical Edition of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in Greek and English: Vol. 1 Matthew - Vol....
By Christopher J. Monaghan... Tome II: Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1972. BLACK, D. A. – BECK, D. R. (eds.), Rethinking the Synoptic Problem. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001. BURKETT, D., Rethinking the Gospel Sources: From Proto-Mark to Mark.
-
The Christology of the New Testament
By Oscar CullmannThis book is invigorating to read, for it is how biblical theology should be written. Professor Cullmann has set a high standard of biblical scholarship in this book, and it will be a great resource for students of sacred Scripture.
-
Mission in the New Testament: An Evangelical Approach
By William J. Larkin, Joel F. WilliamsThis book presents a comprehensive articulation of New Testament teachings on mission from a contemporary American evangelical standpoint. Mission in the New Testament contributes a fresh statement of the biblical...
-
Mad Mary: A Bad Girl from Magdala, Transformed at His Appearing
By Liz Curtis Higgs"Here's the truth, sister: Mary Magdalene has been knocking at the door of my heart for three years. "She got squeezed out of "Bad Girls of the Bible" when I...
-
The Last Days of Jesus
By Francois BovonAcclaimed New Testament scholar Francois Bovon engagingly and concisely explores the last days of Jesus. Detailing the similarities and differences in the passion narratives of the four canonical Gospels and...
-
Paul, Apostle of Liberty
By Richard N. LongeneckerPaul, Apostle of Liberty
-
Thomas, the Other Gospel
By Nicholas PerrinSince its discovery in the mid-1940s, the Gospel of Thomas has aroused the interest of scholars and general readers alike. Thomas, the Other Gospel provides a clear, comprehensive, nontechnical guide...
-
Women, Class, and Society in Early Christianity: Models from Luke-Acts
By James Malcolm ArlandsonEspecially given the burgeoning interest in the social world of the New Testament, it is remarkable that far too often scholars and students of the New Testament continue to view...