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The world in which early Christianity developed consisted of a complex of distinct communities and cultural 'layers', which interacted with one another, sometimes co-operatively, and sometimes in confrontation.
The Three Worlds of Paul of Tarsus explores this world through the life of the apostle Paul, examining the three fundamental cultural 'layers':
* the native cultures
* the common Hellenistic culture which had been spread in the east as a result of the conquests of Alexander
* the culture of the political overlord, Rome.
It shows how Paul, as a Jew, a Greek-speaker and a Roman citizen, participates in all of these 'layers'. The authors give an account of the places Paul visited, showing their historical, cultural and political differences and discuss the varied categories, such as religion, philosophy and language, which constituted identity.
List of contents
List of Illustrations Preface List of Abbreviations Part One: The World of Paul 1. Introduction: The Three Worlds 2. The Geography of Paul's World 3. Travelling the World Part Two: Peoples, Cultures and Languages 4. The Native Cultures 5. Hellenisation in the Near East 6. Roman Rule in the Near East Part Three: The City, the State and the Individual in Paul's World 7. The Life of the Polis 8. The Individual's Self-Identification Part Four: Paul's Cities 9. Palestine, Syria and Arabia 10. Cyprus and Southern Asia Minor 11. Western Asia Minor 12. Greece and Macedonia 13. Rome and the West Bibliography Index.
About the author
Richard Wallace is a lecturer in the Department of Classics at Keele University and the treasurer of the Classical Association.
Wynne Williams retired from teaching ancient history at Keele University in 1991. He is co-author, with Richard Wallace, of The Acts of the Apostles: A Companion (1993).
Summary
The Three Worlds of Paul of Tarsus presents a colourful and lucid insight into the complexities of the early Christian world, arguing that the journeys of Paul are an example of the social, political and cultural heterogeneity of that world
