Edward Pillar is minister of Evesham Baptist Church in Evesham, U.K. This is his dissertation completed at the University of Wales, Trinity St. David School of Theology, under Kathy Ehrensperger and William S. Campbell.
Description
"Seldom has the resurrection of Christ been given such a powerful and immediate social and political relevance in a specific first century context. Pillar shows the centrality of the resurrection for the life of Christ-followers in an imperial setting, thus challenging the contemporary reader to obedience to Christ and resistance to dominating powers from whatever source." William S. Campbell University of Wales, Trinity St. David "This well-informed study presents a stimulating analysis of the resurrection in its relevance in the context of imperial domination. Pillar highlights the subversive and liberating power of faith in the one vindicated in the resurrection, not least in its relevance also for contemporary church and society." Kathy Ehrensperger University of Wales, Trinity St. David "From the vantage point of a vista of literary, numismatic, and archeological evidence, Pillar offers us in this study a fresh look at 1 Thessalonians 1:9 - 10, the first literary attestation of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Sharing the lens of Pillar's perspective on what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the earliest of his letters helps us to understand in a new and different way just how much of an impact the announcement of the good news of the resurrection made upon those who first heard Paul's gospel. Resurrection as Anti-Imperial Gospel is a must read." Raymond F. Collins Brown University