The First Christian Historian: Writing the 'Acts of the Apostles'

Description

As the first historian of Christianity, Luke's reliability is vigorously disputed among scholars. The author of the Acts is often accused of being a biased, imprecise, and anti-Jewish historian who created a distorted portrait of Paul. Daniel Marguerat tries to avoid being caught in this true/false quagmire when examining Luke's interpretation of history. Instead he combines different tools - reflection upon historiography, the rules of ancient historians and narrative criticism - to analyse the Acts and gauge the historiographical aims of their author. Marguerat examines the construction of the narrative, the framing of the plot and the characterization, and places his evaluation firmly in the framework of ancient historiography, where history reflects tradition and not documentation. This is a fresh and original approach to the classic themes of Lucan theology: Christianity between Jerusalem and Rome, the image of God, the work of the Spirit, the unity of Luke and the Acts.

DANIEL MARGUERAT is Professor of New Testament Studies at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

'This is a masterful, carefully written and well organised study, fully equal to the high standards already set by this series.' Contemporary Review 'Marguerat's proposals ... are uniformly convincing, and more instant light is shed on Acts than by some indispensable commentaries.' Expository Times '... penetrating personal observations and encyclopaedic enquiry ...'. Reviews in Religion and Theology '... Marguerat's monograph is a mine of exegetical insights ...'. European Journal of Theology '... his is an important voice and should be heard ... this book is an important contribution to Lukan studies.' Themelios 'Marguerat's monograph is a mine of exegetical insights. It illuminates both the detail and overall impact of Luke's narrative.' Journal for the Study of the New Testament