Magic and Paganism in Early Christianity
The World of the Acts of the Apostles
Magic and Paganism in Early Christianity
The World of the Acts of the Apostles
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Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9780567089625
Number of Pages: 144
Published: 01/04/2003
Many forms of magic and paganism were practiced at the time of Jesus. What were these practices, and how did the first Christians react to them? Hans-Josef Klauck, an expert in the cultic practices of the region, describes this world into which Christianity was born and relates to it the many experiences of the first Christians recorded in Acts. Peter, for example, encounters the Samaritan magician Simon; Paul meets the Jewish magician Bar-Jesus; the people in Lystra want to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas; a soothsaying slave girl is the occasion of conflict in Philippi; in Athens, Paul finds the city full of idols but also discovers an altar to an unknown god; in Ephesus, some burn their books of magic formulae, while other provoke a riot in the name of Artemis. Professor Klauck provides an account of these phenomena and their significance for Christianity historically and today
Part 1 Establishing the foundations (Acts 1-2): Prologue and missionary programme (Acts 1:1-14); The Pentecost event and its consequences (Acts 2: 1-47). Part 2 The Evangelist Philip (Acts 8): In Samaria (Acts 8:4-25); On the road to Gaza (Acts 8: 26-40). Part Three In Caesarea (Acts 10-12): The Baptism of Cornelius (Acts 10: 1-11, 18); Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12: 20-23). Part Four: The First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14): In Paphos on Cyprus (Acts 13: 4-12); In Lystra: a miracle and its consequences (Acts 14:8-20). Part 5 Paul in Greece (Acts 16-18): An 'exorcism' in Philippi (Acts 16: 16-24); Visiting Athens (Acts 17: 16-21, 32-24); The Unknown God: the Address on the Areopagus (Acts 17: 22-31). Part 6 Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19): Miracle and Magic - a Difficult Demarcation (Acts 19: 11-20); The Revolt of the Silversmiths (Acts 19: 23-40). Part 7 The Journey to Rome (Acts 27-28): Sea Voyage, Shipwreck, Rescue (Acts 27:1-44); The Hospitable Island (Acts 28: 1-10); Freedom to Preach in Rome (Acts 28:16-31). Part 8 Retrospect and Prospect.
"This book is a brilliant showcase of contemporary exegetical scholarship... This scholar has the rare ability of bringing past events to life and demonstrating their relevancy to modern readers. This is thought-provoking and exciting reading. Professor Jurgen Roloff, University of Erlangen-Numberg, Germany a lucid and informed account of the universal expansion of the Christian Churches, written in a way that it accessible without compromising intellectual integrity. The second volume is awaited in confident expectation of a comparable achievement. Church Times, 5/04/2002
