In order to interpret historical writings, the reader must not employ their modern understanding of the world, but must strive to grasp the mindset of the original audience. To assist the twentieth-century New Testament reader in understanding the literal meaning of the New Testament is the goal of this collection of essays. The Social World of Jesus and the Gospels provides the reader with a set of possible scenarios for reading the New Testament: How did first-century persons think about themselves and others? Did they think Jesus was a charismatic leader? Why did they call God 'father'? Were they concerned with their gender roles?The eight essays in this collection were previously published in books and journals generally not available to many readers. Carefully selected and edited, this collection will be both an introduction and an invaluable source of reference to Bruce Malina's thought.

The Social World of Jesus and the Gospels

History

Malina, Bruce J.

Ancient Civilizations

Routledge

In order to interpret historical writings, the reader must not employ their modern understanding of the world, but must strive to grasp the mindset of the original audience. To assist the twentieth-century New Testament reader in understanding the literal meaning of the New Testament is the goal of this collection of essays. The Social World of Jesus and the Gospels provides the reader with a set of possible scenarios for reading the New Testament: How did first-century persons think about themselves and others? Did they think Jesus was a charismatic leader? Why did they call God 'father'? Were they concerned with their gender roles? The eight essays in this collection were previously published in books and journals generally not available to many readers. Carefully selected and edited, this collection will be both an introduction and an invaluable source of reference to Bruce Malina's thought.

A classroom standard for two decades, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology has introduced students to both the New Testament and the social-scientific study of the New Testament. This revised and expanded third edition offers new chapters on envy and the Jesus movement, updates chapters from earlier editions, augments the bibliography, and offers student study questions.

The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology 3rd edition

Westminster/John Knox Press

George Smith, a twentieth-century American, moved into a house with a large vineyard in the Eastern Mediterranean during the first century AD, going back in time and space. He needed help on his land and requested that individuals interested in work be at his place at 9 a.m. on August 8. No one showed up. Why not? This is just one of the sixty fun-to-read vignettes Bruce Malina cleverly presents in this book that explains the customs and culture of the world in which Jesus lived and taught. Each adventure depicts a twentieth-century North American encountering puzzling practices while visiting Judea during ancient times. These vignettes offer quick and easy access to the first-century Mediterranean world and relate to segments of the New Testament and other passages from the same cultural area.

Windows on the world of Jesus: Time Travel to Ancient Judea

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

How did ancient persons understand themselves, other people, and the world around them? Is there a marked contrast between their understandings of "self" and "other" and the way modern Westerners define the same? Bruce Malina and Jerome Neyrey focus on the figure of Paul to provide a comprehensive investigation of how one man was perceived in the ancient world. Drawing on primary sources from antiquity, as well a lessons from cultural anthropology, the authors help provide a fuller understanding of the person of Paul and his world. The result is a new, more balanced way to approach the New Testament.

Portraits of Paul: An Archaeology of Ancient Personality

Neyrey, Jerome H.

This work assembles and catalogs the values, conflicts, and mores of ancient Mediterranean culture pertinent to the Fourth Gospel. In many ways, the authors disclose, the Fourth Gospel addresses an alienated antisociety, fundamentally at odds with its predominant culture. With its unique format, charts, and photos, this social-science commentary is the ideal companion for the study of the Fourth Gospel.

Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John

Reference

Rohrbaugh, Richard L.

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

Fortress Press

The author of Revelation presents himself as John, the astral seer, who professes faith in the Resurrected Jesus and who belonged to the house of Israel. John writes of traveling into the sky; but this perspective of sky-visions is completely neglected in the traditional commentaries and studies on Revelation. Malina and Pilch demonstrate the necessity of taking ancient sky-interpretation seriously for reading the book of Revelation in its first-century context. 
Building on their earlier works on Revelation, and using this highly successful commentary model, Malina and Pilch have charted a new direction for Revelation studies. Includes line-drawings and photographs, as well as charts and diagrams on ancient Mediterranean astrology.

Social-Science Commentary on the Book of Revelation

Politics & Social Sciences

Pilch, John J.

Sociology

Scholars are agreed that the central metaphor in Jesus' proclamation was the kingdom of God. But what did that phrase mean in the first-century Palestinian world of Jesus? Since it is a political metaphor, what did Jesus envision as the political import of his message? Since this is tied to the political economy, how was that structured in Jesus' day? How is the violence of Jesus' Mediterranean world addressed in the kingdom? And how does "self-denial" fit into Jesus' agenda?
Malina tackles these questions in a very accessible way, providing a social-scientific analysis, meaning that he brings to bear explicit models and a comparative approach toward an exciting interpretation of what Jesus was up to, and how his first-century audience would have heard him.

The Social Gospel of Jesus: The Kingdom of God in Mediterranean Perspective

Social Sciences

The context of Jesus, his followers, and the early movement What do the social sciences have to contribute to the study of Jesus and the Gospels? This is the fundamental question that these essays all address - from analyses of ancient economics to altered states of consciousness, politics, ritual, kinship, and labeling. Contributors: Bruce J. Malina, Wolfgang Stegemann, Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Ekkehard W. Stegemann, Gerd Theissen, T. Raymond Hobbs, Dennis C. Duling, K.C. Hanson, Philip F. Esler, S. Scott Bartchy, John J. Pilch, Christian Strecker, Richard DeMaris, Stuart L. Love, Jerome H. Neyrey, Douglas E. Oakman, Gary Stansell, Santiago Oporto Guijarro

The Social Setting of Jesus and the Gospels

Theißen, Gerd

Stegemann, Wolfgang

The authors build on their earlier social-scientific works and enhance the highly successful commentary model they developed in their social-scientific commentaries. This volume is a thoroughly revised edition of this popular commentary. They include an introduction that lays the foundation for their interpretation, followed by an examination of each unit in the Synoptics, employing methodologies of cultural anthropology, macro-sociology, and social psychology.

Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels: Second Edition

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Malina, Bruce J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Malina, Bruce J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Malina, Bruce J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Social World of Jesus and the Gospels

The Social World of Jesus and the Gospels

The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology 3rd edition

Windows on the world of Jesus: Time Travel to Ancient Judea

Portraits of Paul: An Archaeology of Ancient Personality

Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John

Social-Science Commentary on the Book of Revelation

The Social Gospel of Jesus: The Kingdom of God in Mediterranean Perspective

The Social Setting of Jesus and the Gospels

Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels: Second Edition