Self-designations and Group Identity in the New Testament
Self-designations and Group Identity in the New Testament
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What terms would early Christians have used to address one another? In the first book-length study on this topic, Paul Trebilco investigates the origin, use and function of seven key self-designations: 'brothers and sisters', 'believers', 'saints', 'the assembly', 'disciples', 'the Way', and 'Christian'. In doing so, he discovers what they reveal about the identity, self-understanding and character of the early Christian movement. This study sheds light on the theology of particular New Testament authors and on the relationship of early Christian authors and communities to the Old Testament and to the wider context of the Greco-Roman world. Trebilco's writing is informed by other work in the area of sociolinguistics on the development of self-designations and labels and provides a fascinating insight into this often neglected topic.
- The first book-length study of self-designations in the New Testament
- Gives a detailed account of how self-designations are used and the functions they fulfil for particular New Testament authors
- An interdisciplinary study, informed by recent scholarship in sociolinguistics on the development of self-designations and labels
Reviews & endorsements
"… Trebilco's study is well justified. Self-designations and Group Identity in the New Testament offer[s] concrete, accessible evidence into the social world of early Christians … Trebilco has provided a lucid, thorough, and informed examination of the key terms used across the writings of the NT. As such, I expect this will serve as the standard examination of the subject for some time to come."
James C. Miller, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
"Trebilco has written a splendid book, with a clear structured and sustained argument … This study will be widely cited, and has added valuable insights about early Christian self-understanding."
The Expository Times
Product details
June 2014Paperback
9781107436749
388 pages
229 × 152 × 20 mm
0.52kg
1 table
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Brothers and sisters - adelphoi
- 3. The believers
- 4. The saints - hoi hagioi
- 5. The assembly - hē ekklēsia
- 6. Disciples - mathētai
- 7. The way - hē hodos
- 8. 'Christian' - Christianos
- 9. Conclusions.
