David L. Balch is professor of New Testament at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, California.
Carolyn A. Osiek is professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas.
Adele Reinhartz
"The ancient family in Judaism, in Christianity, and in the
classical world is one of the most exciting areas of current
research. This book marks an important contribution to the subject
in that it demonstrates the value of an interdisciplinary approach
to the study of family life in these diverse yet integrally related
areas. Those of us who are used to working primarily with texts
will find the work of the archaeologists to be illuminating;
classicists and historians of early Judaism and Christianity will
benefit from the contributions from within and outside their
specific fields of expertise. Yet this volume is not only relevant
to those interested in the ancient family; it also has contemporary
resonances. It shows that diversity in family structures is not
just a recent phenomenon that some bemoan and others celebrate but,
rather, that the family and the household have long been fluid
social structures that adjust, expand, and contract under a variety
of circumstances. The book also challenges long-held assumptions
about the household segregation of women and their activity in the
development of the early church, among other issues. The literary,
historical, and archaeological insights are rounded out by several
studies that address contemporary concerns directly and
productively. A fine collection." Wayne A. Meeks
"Hardly any issue is more central to the social history of early
Christianity than understanding the structure and character of the
ancient household. This fine collection of diverse but richly
complementary studies moves the discussion of that topic
significantly forward. " Peter Richardson
"While tightly focused on 'family, ' these broad-ranging studies
gather their evidence in suggestively creative ways. The essays
move easily and harmoniously between the Roman, Jewish, and
Christian worlds in the same way that they bring together literary,
archaeological, epigraphic, and theoretical concerns. In
considering familial roles of women, men, children, and slaves,
this carefully integrated book sheds fresh light on the contexts of
early Christian families."
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
