Reading Romans in Pompeii: Paul's Letter at Ground Level [Hardcover]

Peter Oakes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

Peter Oakes relies on demographic information and data from excavations in nearby Pompeii to paint a compelling portrait of daily life in a typical insula, or apartment complex, like the ones in which Paul s audience in Rome likely lived. Imaginatively fleshing out profiles of the circumstances of actual residents of Pompeii, Oakes then uses these profiles to invite the reader into a new way to hear Paul's letter to the Romans as the apostle s contemporaries might have heard it. The result of this ground-breaking study is a fuller, richer appreciation of Paul's most important letter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Oakes is Greenwood Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Manchester. He is the editor of Rome in the Bible and the Early Church and author of Philippians: From People to Letter.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800663594
• ISBN-13: 978-0800663599
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, January 28, 2011

By 

D. Anderson (Kentucky USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reading Romans in Pompeii: Paul's Letter at Ground Level (Hardcover)

I picked this up at a conference and thought it looked interesting. It certainly delivers! Oakes, as stated, uses the archaeological evidence from Pompeii to construct a model of the house church in Rome to which Paul originally wrote his letter. He then looks at the text through the eyes of those first readers. I've been working through Romans using several commentaries and, while many of them are excellent, this book provides a fresh perspective and a wealth of insight I haven't found in any of them. Well written, readable, and very helpful!