T&T Clark Handbook to Early Christian Meals in the Greco-Roman World

by Soham Al-Suadi (Editor), Peter-Ben Smit (Editor), Michael Labahn (Editor)

Overview

This handbook situates early Christian meals in their broader context, with a focus on the core topics that aid understanding of Greco-Roman meal practice, and how this relates to Christian origins. In addition to looking at the broader Hellenistic context, the contributors explain the unique nature of Christian meals, and what they reveal about early Christian communities and the development of Christian identity.

Beginning with Hellenistic documents and authors before moving on to the New Testament material itself, according to genre - Gospels, Acts, Letters, Apocalyptic Literature - the handbook culminates with a section on the wider resources that describe daily life in the period, such as medical documents and inscriptions. The literary, historical, theological and philosophical aspects of these resources are also considered, including such aspects as the role of gender during meals; issues of monotheism and polytheism that arise from the structure of the meal; how sacrifice is understood in different meal practices; power dynamics during the meal and issues of inclusion and exclusion at meals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780567666406
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/21/2019
Series:	T&T Clark Handbooks
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Soham Al-Suadi is Professor of New Testament at the University of Rostock, Germany.

Peter-Ben Smit is Professor of Contextual Biblical Interpretation (Dom Hélder Câmara Chair) at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction, Soham Al-Suadi, University of Bern, Switzerland and Peter-Ben Smit, VU University, the Netherlands

Part I. Ancient Authors and Texts
1. Philo, Maren Niehoff, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2. Josephus, Volker Siegert and Jan Willem van Henten, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
3. Plutarch, Rainer Hirsch-Luipold, University of Bern, Switzerland
4. Qumran, Jörg Frey, University of Zurich, Switzerland
5. Nag Hammadi, Maia Kotrosits, Westar Institute, USA
6. Apostolic Fathers, Matthias Klinghardt, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany and Andrew McGowan, Yale Divinity School, USA
7. Rabbinic Texts, Eric Ottenheijm, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Susan Marks, New College of Florida, USA

Part II. Gospel Tradition
8. Gospel of Mark, Martin Ebner, University of Würzburg, Germany
9. Gospel of Luke, Peter-Ben Smit, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
10. Gospel of Matthew, Hal Taussig, Westar Institute, USA
11. Gospel of John, Esther Kobel, University of Basel, Switzerland
12. Apocryphal Gospels

Part III. Acts
13. Acts of the Apostles, Dennis Smith, Westar Institute, USA
14. Apocryphal Acts, Annette Merz, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
15. Joseph and Asenath, Angela Standhartinger, University of Marburg, Germany

Part IV. Epistolary Literature
16. Epistolary Literature other than Paul, Hans-Joachim Eckstein, University of Tübingen, Germany
17. Pauline Letters, Soham Al-Suadi, University of Bern, Switzerland and Kathy Ehrensperger, University of Wales Trinity St David, UK
18. Johannine Letters, Jan Schäfer, Princeton University, USA

Part V. Apocalyptic Literature
19. 4 Ezra, Claudia Bergmann, University of Chicago, USA
20. Book of Revelation, Markus Oehler, University of Vienna, Austria
21. 2 Enoch

Part VI. Texts of Daily Life
22. Magical Texts, Fritz Graf, Ohio State University, USA
23. Medical Texts, Teun Tieleman, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
24. Inscriptions, Richard Ascough, Queen's University, Canada

Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Meals and dining, often overlooked by biblical scholars, were as definitive for early Christian groups as they were for both Hellenistic and Roman culture. Offering extensive treatment of the New Testament and key literature contemporary with it, the Handbook surveys how meals are portrayed in texts and demonstrates how deeply dining ritual was tied to ethnic identity, social regulation, gender issues, politics, and religion.” —Richard E. DeMaris, Valparaiso University, USA

“The expert contributors to this volume provide a wealth of data and analysis for situating New Testament meals - so revelatory of early Christ-movement identity - within their crucial Greco-Roman context. Here theoretical perspectives merge with fresh readings of numerous particular texts, making this book the necessary starting-point for understanding meals and related phenomena in the New Testament.” —Philip Esler, University of Gloucestershire, UK

From the Publisher