CONTENTS

Preface

PART I   Introduction

1    Christian Origins and the New Testament

1.   Introduction

2.   The Task

(i)    What to Do with the Wicked Tenants

(ii)   The Questions

(iii)  The History of Early Christianity

(iv)  ‘New Testament Theology’

(v)    Literary Criticism

(vi)   The Task Restated

PART II   Tools for the Task

2    Knowledge: Problems and Varieties

1.   Introduction

2.   Towards Critical Realism

3.   Stories, Worldviews and Knowledge

4.   Conclusion

3    Literature, Story and the Articulation of Worldviews

1.   Introduction

2.   On Reading

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   ‘Is There Anybody There?’

(iii)  Reading and Critical Realism

3.   On Literature

4.   The Nature of Stories

(i)    The Analysis of Stories: Narrative Structure

(ii)   The Analysis of Stories: The Wicked Tenants

(iii)  Jesus, Paul and the Jewish Stories

4    History and the First Century

1.   Introduction

2.   The Impossibility of ‘Mere History’

3.   This Does Not Mean ‘No Facts’

(i)    Critical Realism and the Threat of the Disappearing Object

(ii)   The Causes of the Misconception

(iii)  Wanted: New Categories

4.   Historical Method: Hypothesis and Verification

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   The Requirements of a Good Hypothesis

(iii)  Problems in Verification

5.   From Event to Meaning

(i)    Event and Intention

(ii)   History and Narrative

(iii)  History and Meaning

(iv)  Conclusion

6.   Historical Study of First-Century Religious Movements

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   Judaism in the First Century

(iii)  Christianity in the First Century

5    Theology, Authority and the New Testament

1.   Introduction: From Literature and History to Theology

2.   Worldview and Theology

(i)    On Worldviews

(ii)   On Theology

(iii)  On Christian Theology

(iv)  Worldviews, Theology and Biblical Studies

3.   Theology, Narrative and Authority

4.   Conclusion

PART III   First-Century Judaism within the Greco-Roman World

6    The Setting and the Story

1.   Introduction

(i)    The Aim

(ii)   The Sources

2.   The Greco-Roman World as the Context of Early Judaism

3.   The Story of Israel, 587 BC–AD 70

(i)    From Babylon to Rome (587–63 BC)

(ii)   Jews under Roman Rule (63 BC–AD 70)

(iii)  Judaism Reconstructed (AD 70–135)

(iv)  Conclusion

7    The Developing Diversity

1.   The Social Setting

2.   Movements of Revolt

3.   The Pharisees

(i)    The Sources

(ii)   The Identity of the Pharisees

(iii)  The Agenda and Influence of the Pharisees

4.   The Essenes: Spotlight on a Sect

5.   Priests, Aristocrats, and Sadducees

6.   ‘Ordinary Jews’: Introduction

8    Story, Symbol, Praxis: Elements of Israel’s Worldview

1.   Introduction

2.   Stories

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   The Basic Story

(iii)  The Smaller Stories

(iv)  Conclusion

3.   Symbols

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   Temple

(iii)  Land

(iv)  Torah

(v)    Racial Identity

(vi)   Conclusion

4.   Praxis

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   Worship and Festivals

(iii)  Study and Learning

(iv)  Torah in Practice

5.   According to the Scriptures; The Anchor of the Worldview

6.   Conclusion: Israel’s Worldview

9    The Beliefs of Israel

1.   Introduction

2.   First-Century Jewish Monotheism

(i)    Creational Monotheism

(ii)   Providential Monotheism

(iii)  Covenantal Monotheism

(iv)  Types of Duality

(v)   Monotheism and its Modifications

3.   Election and Covenant

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   Covenant

(iii)  Israel, Adam and the World

(a)  Pentateuch

(b)  Prophets

(c)  Wisdom Literature

(d)  Qumran

(e)  Other Second-Temple Literature

(f)  Israel and the Nations

4.   Covenant and Eschatology

5.   Covenant, Redemption and Forgiveness

6.   Beliefs: Conclusion

10  The Hope of Israel

1.   ‘Apocalyptic’

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   A Literary Form and a Linguistic Convention

(iii)  The Contexts of Apocalyptic

(iv)  On ‘Representation’

(v)   Daniel 7 and the Son of Man

(vi)   Apocalyptic, History and ‘Dualities’

2.   The End of Exile, the Age to Come and the New Covenant

3.   No King but God

4.   The King that would Come

5.   The Renewal of the World, of Israel, and of Humans

6.   Salvation and Justification

7.   Conclusion: First-Century Judaism

PART IV   The First Christian Century

11  The Quest for the Kerygmatic Church

1.   Introduction

2.   Tasks and Methods

3.   Fixed Points: History and Geography

4.   Filling in the Gaps: Literature in Search of Setting

12  Praxis, Symbol and Questions: Inside Early Christian Worldviews

1.   Introduction

2.   Praxis

3.   Symbols

4.   Questions

13  Stories in Early Christianity (1)

1.   Introduction

2.   Luke and his Stories

(i)    A Strange Comparison?

(ii)   The Form of Luke’s Story

3.   The Scribe and the Plot: Matthew’s Story

4.   ‘Let the Reader Understand’: The Story of Mark

5.   Synoptic Gospels: Conclusion

6.   Paul: From Adam to Christ

7.   The Narrative World of the Letter to the Hebrews

8.   The Story of John

14  Stories in Early Christianity (2)

1.   Introduction: Form Criticism

2.   Towards a Revised Form Criticism

(i)    Introduction

(ii)   Prophetic Acts

(iii)  Controversies

(iv)  Parables

(v)    Longer Units

(vi)   Conclusion

3.   Stories but no Story? Q and Thomas

15  The Early Christians: A Preliminary Sketch

1.   Introduction

2.   Aims

3.   Community and Definition

4.   Development and Variety

5.   Theology

6.   Hope

7.   Conclusion

PART V   Conclusion

16  The New Testament and the Question of God

1.   Introduction

2.   Jesus

3.   The New Testament

4.   The Question of God

Appendix:  Chronological Chart of Second-Temple Jewish History and of Early Christianity

Bibliography

Abbreviations

A   Primary Sources

B   Secondary Sources

Indexes

A   Index of Ancient Sources

1. Old Testament

2. Apocrypha

3. Pseudepigrapha

4. Qumran

5. Josephus

6. Philo

7. Rabbinic Works

8. New Testament

9. Other Early Christian Works

10. Gnostic Sources

11. Pagan Sources

B   Index of Modern Authors

C   Index of Selected Topics