Backgrounds of Early Christianity / Edition 3

by Everett Ferguson

Overview

Having long served as a standard introduction to the world of the early church, Everett Ferguson's Backgrounds of Early Christianity has been expanded and updated in this third edition. The book explores and unpacks the Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds necessary for a good historical understanding of the New Testament and the early church. New to this edition are revisions of Ferguson's original material, updated bibliographies, and fresh discussions of first-century social life, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802822215
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	08/19/2003
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.38(d)

About the Author

Everett Ferguson is professor emeritus of Bible anddistinguished scholar-in-residence at Abilene ChristianUniversity, Abilene, Texas. Among his books areBackgrounds of Early Christianity, now in itsthird edition, and The Church of Christ: A BiblicalEcclesiology for Today (both Eerdmans).

Table of Contents

	Preface	xvi
	Acknowledgments	xviii
	Abbreviations	xix
	General Bibliography	xx
	Introduction: Perspectives on Parallels	1
	Political History	5
	Introduction	5
	Near East Before Alexander	6
	Persian Empire	6
	Greece	7
	Alexander the Great	10
	Macedonia	10
	Life of Alexander III (356-323)	12
	Alexander's Influence	13
	The Hellenistic Kingdoms	15
	The Diadochi	15
	Ptolemies--Egypt	16
	Seleucids--Syria	18
	Rome	20
	The Roman Genius	20
	Rome and the West	22
	Rome and the East	23
	The Later Republic: Civil Wars	24
	Augustus (31 B.C.-A.D. 14)	26
	The Early Empire	31
	The Later Empire	40
	Administration of the Empire	40
	Cities	40
	Provinces	43
	Client Kingdoms	45
	Political Connections of the New Testament	46
	Society and Culture	48
	Introduction	49
	The Roman Military	49
	The Legions	49
	Emblems, Weapons, and Dress	51
	Auxiliaries	52
	Praetorian Guard	52
	Other Units	55
	Social Classes	55
	The Senatorial Order	56
	The Equestrian Order	57
	Municipal Aristocracies	57
	Plebeians and Other Free Persons	58
	Freedmen	58
	Slavery	59
	Roman Citizenship	62
	Roman Law	65
	Social Relationships	66
	Patron-Client Relationship	67
	Friendship	67
	Social Networks	68
	Honor and Shame	69
	Social Morality	69
	Marriage and Family	70
	Place of Women	77
	Children	80
	Economic Life	82
	Trade and Travel	86
	Coinage	90
	Taxation	95
	Clothing and Appearance	96
	Entertainment	97
	Theatres	97
	Athletics	100
	Arenas	102
	Circuses	103
	Gymnasia and Baths	104
	Banquets	106
	Music	107
	Education	109
	Literature and Language	113
	Authors	113
	Rhetoric	119
	Literary Forms and Genres	120
	Making of Books	128
	Reading and Studying of Books	132
	Inscriptions and Papyri	133
	Language	135
	Art and Architecture	137
	Clubs and Associations	142
	Greek Clubs	142
	Roman Colleges	143
	Egyptian Associations	145
	The Statutes of an Association	145
	Conclusion	147
	Hellenistic-Roman Religions	148
	Ancient Greek Religion	149
	The Epic Age: Homer	150
	Hesiod	157
	The Archaic Period	160
	Signs of Dissolution in the Classical Age	164
	Ancient Roman Religion	165
	Deities	167
	Religious Personnel	167
	Religious Observances	169
	Soul and the Dead	171
	Characteristics of Roman Religion	171
	Religion in Hellenistic-Roman Times: General Characteristics	173
	Domestic and Rural Religion	177
	Greek	178
	Roman	180
	Civic Cults	182
	Priesthood	184
	Ritual Prescriptions	186
	Sacrifice	188
	Votive Offerings	192
	Prayers and Hymns	193
	Festivals	195
	Other Features	197
	A Sample of a Civic Cult: Ephesus and Artemis	198
	Ruler Cult	199
	Antecedents and Presuppositions	200
	Historical Developments	204
	Forms of the Imperial Cult	211
	Personal Religion	213
	Oracles	213
	Dreams and Divination	220
	Healing Cults	221
	Magic and Maledictions	227
	Imprecations and Oaths	235
	Demons and Superstition	236
	Astrology, Astral Religion, and Fate	238
	Death and the Afterlife	243
	Greek Mysteries and Eastern Religions	251
	Local Mysteries	253
	Eleusinian Mysteries	254
	Dionysiac Mysteries	259
	Egyptian Deities: Isis, Osiris, and Sarapis	266
	Phoenician Deities: Astarte and Adonis	277
	Syrian Deities: Atargatis and Others	278
	Phrygian Deities: Cybele and Attis	281
	A Persian Deity: Mithras	287
	Mystery Religions and Christianity	297
	Gnosticism, Hermetic Literature, Chaldaean Oracles	300
	The Term Gnosticism	300
	Sources for Study	301
	Origins of Gnosticism	307
	Characteristic Features	309
	Gnosticism in the New Testament	312
	The Hermetica	313
	Chaldaean Oracles	315
	Later Developments: Monotheism and Sun Worship	316
	Hellenistic-Roman Philosophies	319
	Introduction	320
	Philosophy as Religion	320
	Philosophy as Ethics	321
	Popular Philosophy	323
	Philosophy and Individualism	325
	Philosophy in Its Social Setting	325
	Sophists and Socrates	326
	The Sophists	326
	Socrates (469-399 B.C.)	327
	Plato and the Academy to the First Century	330
	Life of Plato (429-347 B.C.)	330
	The Dialogues	332
	Plato's Thought	333
	Plato's Influence	335
	The Old Academy	336
	The Skeptical Academy	336
	The Eclectic Academy	337
	Aristotle and the Peripatetics	338
	Life of Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)	338
	Aristotle's Thought	339
	Aristotle's Influence	342
	Theophrastus (370-285 B.C.)	342
	Strato	343
	Later History and General Character	344
	Aspects of the Peripatetic Legacy	344
	Skepticism	346
	Pyrrho (C. 360-C. 270 B.C.)	346
	Aenesidemus	347
	Sextus Empiricus (C. A.D. 200)	347
	Influence of Skepticism	347
	Cynicism	348
	Beginnings of Cynicism	348
	Cynic Characteristics	349
	Dio of Prusa (A.D. 40 to after 112)	352
	Lucian of Samosata (C. A.D. 120 to after 180)	352
	Stoicism	354
	Early Stoa	354
	Stoic Physics	356
	Stoic Logic and Epistemology	358
	Stoic Ethics	359
	Middle Stoa	360
	Later Stoa: Roman Stoicism	363
	Stoicism and Christianity	368
	Epicureanism	370
	Epicurus and His School	370
	Lucretius (94-55 B.C.)	372
	Epicurean Physics	372
	Epicurean Epistemology	374
	Epicurean Ethics	375
	Estimate and Comparisons	377
	Eclecticism	379
	Characteristics	379
	Cicero (106-43 B.C.)	380
	Neopythagoreanism	382
	Pythagoras	382
	The Pythagorean Revival	383
	Apollonius of Tyana and Philostratus	384
	Numenius	386
	Middle Platonism	387
	Characteristics	387
	Plutarch (C. A.D. 50-after 120)	389
	Plotinus and Neoplatonism	391
	Life of Plotinus (A.D. 205-270)	391
	Plotinus's System	391
	Later Neoplatonists	393
	Judaism	396
	Jewish History, 538 B.C. To A.D. 200	399
	The Persian Period (538-332 B.C.)	399
	The Greek Period (332-167 B.C.)	403
	The Maccabean or Hasmonean Period (167-63 B.C.)	407
	The Roman Period (from 63 B.C.)	411
	Jews in the Early Roman Empire	427
	Jewish Literature and Other Sources in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods	431
	The Old Testament in Greek	432
	Jewish Literature in Greek: Fragments	439
	Apocrypha	440
	Pseudepigrapha	448
	Dead Sea Scrolls	463
	Apocalyptic Writings	475
	Philo	478
	Josephus	485
	Rabbinic Literature	490
	Jewish Mysticism	501
	Archaeological Sources	503
	Pagan References to Jews	512
	Parties and Sects	513
	Pharisees	514
	Sadducees	519
	Qumran Community, Essenes, and Therapeutae	521
	Zealots	532
	Herodians	533
	Samaritans	534
	Beliefs and Practices	537
	One God	538
	Israel, the Chosen People	538
	Torah, Tradition, and Scripture	539
	Proselytes and Godfearers	546
	Messianism and the Glorious Destiny	551
	Afterlife	554
	Festivals and Holy Days	555
	Daily Devotions	561
	Organization and Institutions	562
	Temple and Priesthood	562
	Sanhedrin	567
	Community Organization	570
	Rabbis	572
	Synagogue	573
	Christianity in the Ancient World	583
	Literary References to Christianity in Non-Christian Sources	584
	Latin Authors	584
	Greek Authors	584
	Jewish Sources in Greek	584
	Jewish Sources in Hebrew and Aramaic	584
	Archaeological Remains Bearing on Early Christian History	585
	Inscriptions	585
	Papyri	587
	Coins	588
	Some Claimed Archaeological Remains of Early Christianity	589
	Rotas-Sator Word Square	589
	The "Cross" at Herculaneum	590
	Ossuaries	591
	The Tomb of Peter	592
	Attitudes of Pagans toward Christians	592
	The Legal Status of Christianity	601
	Hindrances to the Acceptance of Christianity	608
	Religious Rivals	609
	Judaism	609
	Pagan Religion and Philosophy	610
	Gnosticism and Other Rival Versions of Christianity	612
	Jewish Christianity	613
	Factors Favorable to Christianity	616
	External Circumstances	616
	Hellenistic Judaism	617
	Religious Quest	618
	What Was Unique in Christianity?	619
	Index of Subjects	621
	Index of Scripture References	643
	Map of the Ancient World	650

Editorial Reviews

Currents in Theology and Mission
"The text is excellent — rich and amazingly detailed. A standard textbook, it would also be a good addition to a parish library."

Bryn Mawr Classical Review
“This book provides a good introduction for students to the historical, cultural and religious environment of the New Testament.”
 

From the Publisher

This is a book rich in appetizers which tantalize the palate for more substantial fare. The vast scope of the book and the labor involved reflect the author's commendable erudition.This work is imaginatively and painstakingly executed.

Church History