An indispensable introduction to Roman society, culture, law,
politics, religion, and daily life as they relate to the study
of the New Testament. The Roman Empire formed the central
context in which the New Testament was written. Anyone who
wishes to understand the New Testament texts must become
familiar with the political, economic, societal, cultural, and
religious aspects of Roman rule. Much of the New Testament deals
with enabling its readers to negotiate, in an array of different
manners, this pervasive imperial context. This book will help
the reader see how social structures and daily practices in the
Roman world illumine so much of the content of the New Testament
message. For example, to grasp what Paul was saying about food
offered to idols one must understand that temples in the Roman
world were not “churches,” and that they functioned as
political, economic, and gastronomic centers, whose religious
dealings were embedded within these other functions.Brief in
presentation yet broad in scope, The