Trial Narratives: Conflict, Power, and Identity in the New Testament

In this careful analysis, Matthew Skinner explores the trial narratives of Jesus, Paul, Stephen, and others in the Gospels and Acts who found themselves brought before powerful individuals and groups, often with deadly consequences. His close study of these texts is essential for those interested in the early church's relationship to the sociopolitical structures in which Christian belief emerged. He shows how the narratives helped shape early Christian identity as these communities sought to understand both the political implications of the emerging Christian gospel as well as the dangers and opportunities their sociopolitical context presented. He also reflects on the theological resources and paradigms these texts offer to Christians today.

Author: Matthew L. Skinner
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Published: 02/01/2010
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.96h x 6.12w x 0.65d
ISBN: 9780664230326

Review Citation(s):
Christian Century 10/19/2010 pg. 23

About the Author
Skinner, Matthew L.: - Matthew L. Skinner is Associate Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of Locating Paul: Places of Custody as Narrative Settings in Acts 21-28.