Bruce W. Longenecker - The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World

Using the time-honored form of a collection of lettersone thinks of the collected letters of Pliny the Younger, many from the same area and roughly the same time as these fictive missivesLongenecker provides, by means of an informative and delightful fiction, a remarkably clear and accurate picture of Christian existence in the eastern Mediterranean world of the first century. One comes away from this booka historical novel in the best senseboth charmed and informed. It is a thoroughly delightful read, from which both beginners and experts will profit.

Paul J. Achtemeier , Union Theological Seminary in Virginia

Longeneckers Letters present in a fascinating and compelling way the contexts of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman urban life. And the narrative he weaves is not only believable but also engaging, both academically and personally. This untraditional presentation deserves a wide readership among all concerned more traditionally with the ethos of New Testament backgrounds.

Joel B. Green , Fuller Theological Seminary

Through the device of an extended correspondence between the evangelist Luke and Antipas, a resident of Pergamum, Bruce Longenecker brings early Christianity to life. The characters are vivid and believable, and they introduce the reader to a rich historical and cultural context. Those familiar with early Christianity will admire the imaginative way Longenecker builds on the best of modern scholarship, and those new to the field will learn a good deal as they eavesdrop on this conversation. This book is both a delight to read and a reliable guide to the beginnings of Christianity.

Frederick J. Murphy , College of the Holy Cross

A savvy and creative introduction to the New Testament world, disguised as a collection of lost letters between Luke and several well-positioned members of Roman society. The genius of the book lies in its fusion of current New Testament scholarship with a very plausible, personal narrative: the sobering story of one mans shift in allegiance from Caesar to Jesus. Along the way we overhear pagan reactions to Jesuss message and endearing stories from household churches; we sense the perils of sea travel and witness the horrors of the Roman games; we identify with privileged benefactors and hurt for subsistence farmers. Anyone hunting for a reliable, if not always comfortable, guide to the dangerous world of first-century Roman Christianity should be glad these papers were finally discovered.

Bruce Fisk , Westmont College

This fictional correspondence is not true, but it certainly could have been. Longenecker writes a very engaging account of several characters who, in their different ways, came to experience and respond to the risen Jesus Christ through Lukes narrative. I was especially moved by the character of Antipas as he is ennobled by being transformed from a Roman dignitary into a model of Christian self-sacrifice.

Stanley E. Porter , McMaster Divinity College