The Theology of the Acts of the Apostles [Paperback]

An alternative view of the church and the history of early Christianity in Acts.Who are the people of God? Luke's purposes are to identify the Church, establish the legitimacy of its gospel and demonstrate that God was an active force in history. As narrator rather than a theologian, he writes about the roles of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Church.Who are the people of God? Luke's purposes are to identify the Church, establish the legitimacy of its gospel and demonstrate that God was an active force in history. As narrator rather than a theologian, he writes about the roles of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Church.Who are the people of God? Luke's purposes in Acts are to identify the Church, to establish the legitimacy of its gospel and to demonstrate that God was an active force in history. He shows that the communities of Jewish and Gentile Christians are the true heirs of God's promises to Israel. This is a theological interpretation of the history of the Church within history: Luke is an artist, a narrator rather than a systematic theologian, but he writes about the roles of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit and of the Church.Editor's preface; List of abbreviations; 1. The author and his sources; 2. Purpose and historical setting; 3. The theology of Acts; 4. Acts and the New Testament; 5. Acts in the history of early Christianity; 6. The significance of Acts for today; Select bibliography; Index. Jervell's book presents todays Catholic reader with a twofold challenge....Jervell's argument is cognent and deserves serious consideration. J. Terence Forestell, The Canadian Catholic Review ...it is a perceptive and provocative study, well worth reading and pondering. John T. Carroll, Anglican Theological Review This book is a useful summary of the views of an importnat scholar who has provoked and continues to provoke debate on significant issues in the interpretation of Acts. Robert C. Tannehill, Journal of Biblical Literature Jervell's perslc{