Conceptions of 'Gospel' and Legitimacy in Early Christianity [Hardcover]

Whether he is asking about the role of New Testament exegesis among other academic disciplines, the suppression of anger in Pauline writings, or at what point came to designate a writtenGospel,James A. Kelhoffer's patient and careful exegesis provides an intriguing lens through which to view early Christianity. Many struggles of early Christ believers, he finds, reflect intra-ecclesial struggles to establish the legitimacy of a view or a religious leader vis-a-vis competing ideologies or leaders. Those already familiar with Kelhoffer's Miracle and Mission (2000), The Diet of John the Baptist (2005) and Persecution, Persuasion and Power (2010) will find in this volume refreshing insights suggested but not developed in his other books. ...the collection further advances the field in several ways. Ranging from Hasmonean propaganda to handicapped bishops at Nicaea, Kelhoffer's comments on several issues pertinent to the study of early Christianity will serve well as the basis of future research. --Albert Lukaszewski, Review of Biblical Literature, 7.30.2015