"If I had to pick one introduction to the sociology of the New Testament, it would be this one". -- Theology Today

In the past twenty-five years, New Testament scholars have drawn on the social sciences, especially anthropology and sociology, to develop a variety of new perspectives on early Christianity. David Horrell here gathers together the classic works in this field, including essays by, for example, John Barclay, Philip Esler, Wayne Meeks, Luise Schottroff and Gerd Theissen. For each selection, David Horrell provides a short introduction and suggestions for further reading. He also provides an introduction outlining the development and future prospects of the discipline.An excellent reference and textbook for scholars and students.

This workbook accompanies The New Testament in Its World by N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird. Following the textbook's structure, it offers assessment questions, exercises, and activities designed to support the students' learning experience. Reinforcing the teaching in the textbook, this workbook will not only help to enhance their understanding of the New Testament books as historical, literary, and social phenomena located in the world of early Christianity, but also guide them to think like a first-century believer while reading the text responsibly for today.

This volume traces the influences of first century Corinthian secular leadership on local church leadership as reflected in 1 Corinthians 1-6. It then shows how Paul modifies the Corinthian understanding of church leadership. By comparing secular leadership in first century Corinthian society with leadership in the Corinthian church, it has been argued that one of Paul's major concerns with the church in Corinth is the extent to which significant members in the church were employing secular categories and perceptions of leadership in the Christian community. This volume has adopted the method of assessing the New Testament evidence in the light of its social and historical background. Both literary and non-literary sources, rather than modern sociological models, were employed in making the comparison.

Introduction to Sociology provides students with a carefully curated selection of readings that demonstrate how everyday human interactions construct our global social world. The collection offers students an array of unique perspectives on foundational sociological concepts and an engaging look into real-world issues and the global impacts of social life. The text is divided into 13 chapters. The opening chapter provides students with a general introduction to sociology and describes three basic types of sociological traditions. Additional chapters introduce readers to sociological research methods, concepts related to culture, the idea of socialization, and perceptions of deviance and crime. They explore readings on social stratification, race as a social construct, contemporary constructions of gender and sexuality, and the role and function of marriage and family in modern times. Education, politics, globalization, population, and urbanization are discussed within the context of sociology. The book closes with a chapter dedicated to social change and social movements. Written to help students understand how sociological theories can support their understanding of our social world, Introduction to Sociology is an ideal resource for foundational courses in discipline. Sebahattin Ziyanak is an assistant professor of sociology in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. His research has been published in European Review of Applied Sociology, International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, and The Qualitative Report, and he has contributed books, book chapters and articles to a variety of publications. Outside of academia, he serves as the president of the Peace Academy of West Texas and a board member for Odessa Links, an organization that provides a continuum of care services to homeless individuals.

The words, phrases, and stories of the New Testament permeate the English language. Indeed, this relatively small group of twenty-seven works, written during the height of the Roman Empire, not only helped create and sustain a vast world religion, but also have been integral to the larger cultural dynamics of the West, above and beyond particular religious expressions. Looking at the New Testament through the lens of literary study, Kyle Keefer offers an engrossing exploration of this revered religious text as a work of literature, but also keeps in focus its theological ramifications. Unique among books that examine the Bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text--a religiously informed literary analysis. The book first explores the major sections of the New Testament--the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation--as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straightforward tale. At the conclusion of the book, Keefer steps back and asks questions about the New Testament as a whole. He reveals that whether read as a single document or as a collection of works, the New Testament presents readers with a wide variety of forms and viewpoints, and a literary exploration helps bring this richness to light. A fascinating investigation of the New Testament as a classic literary work, this Very Short Introduction uses a literary framework--plot, character, narrative arc, genre--to illuminate the language, structure, and the crafting of this venerable text. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.