Biblia.com

Backgrounds of Early Christianity

Third Edition

EVERETT FERGUSON

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan

First edition 1987

Second edition 1993

Third edition 2003

Published by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ferguson, Everett, 1933–

Backgrounds of early Christianity / Everett Ferguson.—Third ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-2221-5 (paper)

1. Christianity—Origin. 2. Rome—History—Republic, 510–30 b.c. 3. Philosophy, Ancient. 4. Judaism—History—Post-exilic period, 586 b.c.–210 a.d. I. Title.

BR129.F47 1993

270.1—dc20

93-1584

CIP

www.eerdmans.com

To My Wife Nancy,

with whom I have shared all things,

including the studies and travel

that have entered into the writing of this book

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

General Bibliography

INTRODUCTION: PERSPECTIVES ON PARALLELS

POLITICAL HISTORY

Introduction

Near East before Alexander

Life of Alexander III (356–323)

Alexander’s Influence

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

The Later Republic: Civil Wars

Augustus (31 b.c.–a.d. 14)

The Early Empire

The Later Empire

Administration of the Empire

Cities

Provinces

Client Kingdoms

Political Connections of the New Testament

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Introduction

The Roman Military

The Legions

Emblems, Weapons, and Dress

Municipal Aristocracies

Plebeians and Other Free Persons

Patron-Client Relationship

Clothing and Appearance

Literature and Language

Authors

Rhetoric

Literary Forms and Genres

Making of Books

Reading and Studying of Books

Inscriptions and Papyri

Language

Art and Architecture

Clubs and Associations

Greek Clubs

Roman Colleges

Egyptian Associations

The Statutes of an Association

Conclusion

HELLENISTIC-ROMAN RELIGIONS

Ancient Greek Religion

The Epic Age: Homer

Hesiod

The Archaic Period

Signs of Dissolution in the Classical Age

Ancient Roman Religion

Deities

Religious Personnel

Religious Observances

Soul and the Dead

Characteristics of Roman Religion

Religion in Hellenistic-Roman Times: General Characteristics

Domestic and Rural Religion

A Sample of a Civic Cult: Ephesus and Artemis

Ruler Cult

Antecedents ...

Content not shown in limited preview…

About Backgrounds of Early Christianity

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.

Support Info

bckgrndschrstnt

Table of Contents