A creative introduction to the world of the New Testament
Background becomes foreground in Moyer Hubbard’s creative introduction to the social and historical setting for the letters of the Apostle Paul to churches in Asia Minor and Europe.
Hubbard begins each major section with a brief narrative featuring a fictional character in one of the great cities of that era. Then he elaborates on various aspects of the cultural setting related to each particular vignette, discussing the implications of those venues for understanding Paul’s letters and applying their message to our lives today. Addressing a wide array of cultural and traditional issues, Hubbard discusses:
- Religion and superstition
- Education, philosophy, and oratory
- Urban society
- Households and family life in the Greco-Roman world
This work is based on the premise that the better one understands the historical and social context in which the New Testament (and Paul’s letters) was written, the better one will understand the writings of the New Testament themselves. Passages become clearer, metaphors deciphered, and images sharpened. Teachers, students, and laypeople alike will appreciate Hubbard’s unique, illuminating, and well-researched approach to the world of the early church.
Editorial Reviews
This is, quite simply, the most accessible, engaging and helpful introduction to the wider world of the earliest Christians that is available. It is achieved through a mixture of imaginative narrative evocations, thoughtful socio-cultural descriptions and careful, nuanced interpretations of relevant biblical texts. The result is not just an excellent introduction to, but an immersion in, the life and times of the earliest believers, one that brings the NT to life for our times as well.
Robert Banks, Centre for the Study of Christian History and Experience
Hubbard has woven intriguing narratives with cultural and NT contexts to give readers a vivid picture of what the primitive “Jesus movement” meant to the ancient world. The depth of his cultural research and the thoroughness of his scholarship on the topic of NT Christianity offer readers not just a glimpse, but a total immersion in Greco-Roman life. I commend this work of historical and intellectual importance.
Barry H. Corey, President of Biola University
With his fine work illuminating the social and historical background of the writings of Paul, Hubbard has created an excellent tool that should be welcomed by those looking for a college or university textbook to teach the Greco-Roman cultural context behind the NT. Students will find the book very readable and informative. Hubbard has truly harnessed ‘both the power of narrative and the efficiency of prose’ to make the story of the spread of Christianity much more ‘engaging, interesting, and educational.’
Roger Gehring, author of House Church and Mission
