A groundbreaking investigation of early Christ groups in the ancient Mediterranean As an urban movement, the early groups of Christ followers came into contact with the many small groups in Greek and Roman antiquity. Organized around the workplace, a deity, a diasporic identity, or a neighborhood, these associations gathered in small face-to-face meetings and provided the principal context for cultic and social interactions for their members. Unlike most other groups, however, about which we have data on their rules of membership, financial management, and organizational hierarchy, we have very little information about early Christ groups. Drawing on data about associative practices throughout the ancient world, this innovative study offers new insight into the structure and mission of the early Christ groups. John S. Kloppenborg situates the Christ associations within the broader historical context of the ancient Mediterranean and reveals that they were probably smaller than previously believed and did not have a uniform system of governance, and that the attraction of Christ groups was based more on practice than theological belief.

Christ’s Associations: Connecting and Belonging in the Ancient City

History

Kloppenborg, John S.

Ancient Civilizations

Yale University Press

THE HISTORY AND SETTING OF THE SAYINGS GOSPEL

Excavating Q: The History and Setting of the Sayings Gospel

T & T Clark 2000

James offers a concise and accessible introduction to a New Testament text, in this case aimed specifically at undergraduate-level students. John S. Kloppenborg introduces the reader to a series of critical issues bearing on the reading of James and provides a balanced presentation and assessment of the range of scholarly views, with guidance for further reading and research.

James (New Testament Guides)

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

T&T Clark

Estimated to date back to the very early Jesus movement, the lost Gospel known as Q offers a distinct and remarkable picture of Jesus and his significance--and one that differs markedly from that offered by its contemporary, the apostle Paul.
Q presents Jesus as a prophetic critic of unbelief and a sage with the wisdom that can transform. In Q, the true meaning of the "kingdom of God" is the fulfillment of a just society through the transformation of the human relationships within it.
Though this document has never been found, John Kloppenborg offers a succinct account of why scholars maintain it existed in the first place and demonstrates how they have been able to reconstruct its contents and wording from the two later Gospels that used it as a source: Matthew and Luke. Presented here in its entirety, as developed by the International Q Project, this Gospel reveals a very different portrait of Jesus than in much of the later canonical writings, challenging the way we think of Christian origins and the very nature and mission of Jesus Christ.

Q, the Earliest Gospel: An Introduction to the Original Stories and Sayings of Jesus

Westminster/John Knox Press

In this groundbreaking study, Kloppenborg uses genre criticism and redaction criticism to examine the composition and development of the sayings source Q. He argues that Q is composed of three compositional layers, or strata, each of which reflects certain stages of development in the Q community. The first, and formative, layer reflects the influence of collections of ancient sapiential sayings and contains six wisdom speeches. The second layer reflects the influence of the prophetic literature of judgment and contains prophetic oracles and many Son-of-Man sayings. A third layer adds a temptation story, which moves the document from a chriae collection in the direction of a biography. James Robinson at Claremont University notes: âJohn Kloppenborgâs impressively wide-ranging survey of the various genres of collection sayings in antiquity and his placing of Q within that context have elevated this dimension of the study of Q to a new niveau of sophistication. With its publication, all previous studies of the genre of Q are rendered inadequate.â âThis fine, well-written book is an outstanding contribution to synoptic studiesâ¦.It is undoubtedly the best book on Q available in English.ââArland D. Jacobsen, Journal of Biblical Literature John S. Kloppenborg teaches at the University of St. Michaelâs College and the University of Toronto (both in Toronto). His previous books include Conflict and Invention: Literary, Rhetorical, and Social Studies on the Sayings Gospel Q (Trinity) and The Shape of Q: Signal Essays on the Sayings Gospel. For: New Testament scholars interested in the Synoptic Gospels; seminarians and graduate students.

The Formation of Q: Trajectories in Ancient Wisdom Collections (Studies in Antiquity and Christianity)

Fortress Press

The existence of Q (simply defined as the non-Markan material common to Matthew and Luke) as a document in the earliest churches was first hypothesized by C. H. Weisse in 1838. The existence, character, and significance of Q as a document from the earliest churches has further been developed since then by numerous scholars, including the two groundbreaking Fortress Press books by John S. Kloppenborg Verbin: The Formation of Q (1987) and Excavating Q (2000). 
Q remains a subject of heated debate. The Q material consists mainly of sayings of Jesus, but begins with some sayings of John the Baptist. For the most part narratives are missing; most conspicuously of all is the Passion Narrative. 
The critical text edition will include an introduction; the running text of Q; new translations of Q in English, German, and French; the fully formatted Greek text of Q with parallels in Matthew, Luke, Mark, Gospel of Thomas, and other gospels wherever relevant; a concordance; and a bibliography. 
Reflecting the work of more than forty scholars in the International Q Project, this book is a cooperative venture between Fortress Press and Peeters Publishers (Leuven, Belgium). This also is the first volume of Hermeneia Supplements.

The Critical Edition of Q (Hermeneia)

Robinson, James M.

Hoffmann, Paul

In this groundbreaking study, Kloppenborg uses genre criticism and redaction criticism to examine the composition and development of the sayings source Q. He argues that Q is composed of three compositional layers, or strata, each of which reflects certain stages of development in the Q community. The first, and formative, layer reflects the influence of collections of ancient sapiential sayings and contains six wisdom speeches. The second layer reflects the influence of the prophetic literature of judgment and contains prophetic oracles and many Son-of-Man sayings. A third layer adds a temptation story, which moves the document from a chriae collection in the direction of a biography. James Robinson at Claremont University notes: €œJohn Kloppenborg€™s impressively wide-ranging survey of the various genres of collection sayings in antiquity and his placing of Q within that context have elevated this dimension of the study of Q to a new niveau of sophistication. With its publica

The Formation of Q: Trajectories in Ancient Wisdom Collections

The writing of gospels lies at the heart of early Christian reflective activity. During the last decade, scholars have witnessed an explosion of intense study of gospel literature, necessitating a reorientation of our perspectives about Jesus and the origins of Christianity. This explosion is nowhere more evident than in the study of the earliest extensive collection of Jesus' sayings known as Q. Q Parallels is a foundational tool designed to aid in the reconstruction and investigation ofQ. Students and scholars have long been in need of a reliable synopsis of Q that presents, in the original Greek with a facing English translation, a reconstruction of both the minimal text and the probable extent of Q together with text-critical notes, parallels from other Jewish and Christian literature, and a concordance of the vocabulary of the text. Kloppenborg does not promote a particular thesis on the extent or precise phrasing of Q. Rather, he incorporates even the most recent Q advances in his comprehensive workbook. Q Parallels is an essential tool for anyone interested in the earliest stages of the Jesus tradition.

Q Parallels: Synopsis, Critical Notes, and Concordance

Polebridge Pr Westar Inst

The best and most readable one-volume introduction available to the Sayings Gospel Q and the Gospel of Thomas-the very earliest collections of the sayings and parables of Jesus. The Q-Thomas Reader includes new translations, lucid commentary by leading scholars, suggested readings and a comprehensive glossary. This is essential reading for anyone wanting to learn more about "the gospels before the gospels."

Q Thomas Reader (English, Coptic and Coptic Edition)

Stephen J. Patterson

Associations in the Greco-Roman World provides students and scholars with a clear and readable resource for greater understanding of the social, cultural, and religious life across the ancient Mediterranean. The authors provide new translations of inscriptions and papyri from hundreds of associations, alongside descriptions of more than two dozen archaeological remains of building sites. Complemented by a substantial annotated bibliography and accompanying images, this sourcebook fills many gaps and allows for future exploration in studies of the Greco-Roman religious world, particularly the nature of Judean and Christian groups at that time.

Associations in the Greco-Roman World: A Sourcebook

Ascough, Richard S.

Harland, Philip A.

Baylor University Press

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