The author explores the literature of the first three centuries of the church in terms of group identity and formation as surrogate kinship. Why did this become the organizing model in the earliest churches? How did historical developments intervene to shift the paradigm? How do ancient Mediterranean kinship structures correlate with church formation? Hellerman traces the fascinating story of these developments over three centuries and what brought them about. His focus is the New Testament documents (especially Paul's letters), second-century authors, and concluding with Cyprian in the third century. Kinship terminology in these writings, behaviors of group solidarity, and the symbolic power of kinship language in these groups are examined.
Joseph H. Hellerman is Professor of New Testament at Biola University and a pastor in Redondo Beach, Calif.
List of Figures Preface 1. Christianity in Its Social Environment Introduction Explaining the Expansion of Early Christianity -Ideological Explanations -Sociological Explanations When the Church Was a Family: A Road Map for the Following Chapters 2. Mediterranean Family Systems: Structure and Relationships Introduction Kinship Then and Now: How Family Is Defined The Patrilineal Descent Group: Relational Strategies and Values -Marriage in Ancient Mediterranean Society -Women in the PKG Family System -Patrilocal Residence and the Family as a Producing Unit -Mothers and Sons -Sibling Solidarity: The Central Relational Priority -Ancestors and Inheritance Conclusion 3. Origins of Surrogate Kin Group Idea Origins of the Early Christian Surrogate Family Model -The People of God in the Hebrew Scriptures -The People of God as Understood among Second Temple Judeans -The People of God according to Jesus of Nazareth The Distinctive Nature of Jesus' Perspective -The Dominance of the Kinship Metaphor -The Practice of PKG Solidarity -A Radical Change of Loyalties The Community at Khirbet Qumran: A Comparison -The Dominance of the Kinship Metaphor -The Practice of PKG Solidarity -A Radical Change of Loyalties -God as Sole Father of the Community -Orientation toward Outsiders 4. The Communities of Paul of Tarsus Language and the Social Order 1 Corinthians -Discord in the Corinthian Community -Paul's Rhetorical Strategy -Family Terminology in 1 Corinthians -Generalized Reciprocity -Familial Loyalty 2 Corinthians -Family Language in 2 Corinthians -Paul's Collection for the Jerusalem Community Romans Philemon Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philippians Conclusion 5. Second-Century Christian Writers Clement of Rome -Family Language in 1 Clement -Family Activity in 1 Clement -Innovation in Clement's Use of the Family Metaphor Ignatius of Antioch -Ignatius's Use of Family Language -Family Activity in the Ignatian Epistles -Innovation in the Ignatian Corpus Justin Martyr -Kinship Terminology in Justin's Writings -Justin and Family Behavior -Innovation in Justin's Use of Father and Sibling Language Clement of Alexandria Irenaeus Conclusion 6. North African Christianity Passion of Perpetua Tertullian -Tertullian on Family Loyalty -Harmony among Siblings -Tertullian and Generalized Reciprocity Cyprian -Examination of Specific Epistles -Survey of Cyprian's Other Works -Loyalty to the Family of God -The Sharing of Material Resources Conclusion 7. Summary and Evaluation The Mediterranean Family Model -The Highly Corporate Nature of the Ancient Family -The Priority of the Sibling Bond The Church as a Family -Family as Rhetoric -Family as Praxis Conclusion Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index of Primary Sources
