Outsider Designations and Boundary Construction in the New Testament - Early Christian Communities and the Formation of Group Identity

The early Christians used a range of designations for outsiders including unbelievers, 'outsiders', sinners, Gentiles, Jews, among many other terms. Investigation of the usage, function and development of these key terms leads to insights about the identity, self-understanding and character of the early Christian movement.

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. Methodology: insights and perspectives from other areas of study; 3. The broad concept of 'the outsiders' and its lexicalisation using a range of different terms; 4. Unbelievers: οΏ Ώπιστοι and other terms; 5. 'The outsiders': οΏ Ώξω, οΏ Ώξωθεν and ΏδιΏται; 6. The sinners: οΏ ΏμαρτωλοΏ; 7. The Gentiles: τΏ Ώθνη; 8. The Jews: οΏ ΏουδαΏοι; 9. The functions of outsider designations in 1 Corinthians, Romans and 1 Thessalonians; 10. The functions of outsider designations in the Pastoral Epistles and 1 Peter; 11. Conclusions.

About the author

Paul Trebilco is Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Otago. He is the author of five books on topics in New Testament and Early Christian studies, most recently Self-Designations and Group Identity in the New Testament (Cambridge, 2014).

Summary

The early Christians used a range of designations for outsiders including unbelievers, 'outsiders', sinners, Gentiles, Jews, among many other terms. Investigation of the usage, function and development of these key terms leads to insights about the identity, self-understanding and character of the early Christian movement.

Product details

• Authors: Paul Raymond Trebilco, Paul Raymond (University of Otago Trebilco
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.11.2021
• EAN: 9781108408141
• ISBN: 978-1-108-40814-1
• No. of pages: 370
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; Christianity, History of Religion, Church history, Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts, RELIGION / Biblical Studies / New Testament / General, New Testaments, Biblical Studies & Exegesis, Biblical Commentaries