Customer Reviews

The Roman Empire and the New Testament: An Essential Guide (Essential Guides)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Carter's Introduction is really at a basic collegiate level, rather than at a graduate-school level. As a result, it can be a bit repetitious. Nevertheless, this is a clear, precise read that opens students' eyes to the role of Rome in the writing and background of the Greek New Testament.

This volume is part of a larger collection of "Essential Guides" and serves as a great example of the rest of the series.

In this short book, Carter offers a very helpful primer and surveys a wide variety of first-century Roman dynamics including Imperial Officials, Demographics (urban and rural), Religious and Political Personnel, and Imperial Theology. Carter even devotes an entire chapter to the "Economics, Food, and Health" of the Empire.

As the series editors make clear, this volume is an introduction to the topic covered, not an in-depth analysis. Yet this book fits well along side other titles in a New Testament Survey course. Indeed, this book is important and helpful for all serious students of the Bible because as Carter notes, "the New Testament texts assume and engages Rome's world in every chapter" (1).

For those interested in biblical studies and ancient history this book comes highly recommended.

I found this to be a good read, very informative, and easy to understand. I'm just looking to learn. I don't need anyone to impress we with their scholarship. The author may be a great scholar (I don't know.) but what matters to me is that he communicated clearly.