A Light to the Centurions: Reading Luke-Acts in the Empire

In this book, Robert Beck proposes to read Luke-Acts from the perspective of its implied reader. In making this reader a gentile sympathetic to Judaism, like the "God-fearing" centurions inscribed in his text, Luke reverses the empire-critical narrative perspectives of Mark and Matthew. And yet he profoundly challenges imperial cultural values. Luke launches his double narrative with Jesus' proclamation in the Nazareth synagogue. In lieu of the tradition of Ezra with its safeguarding custom...