The stories and contributions of the apostles provide an important entrée into church history. However, the legends of the apostles after the New Testament are confusing and steeped in myth. This historical and literary introduction uncovers the apostles’ lives and legacies, underscoring their impact on the growth of the early church.
Shelton combines a historian’s knowledge of the sources, a scholar’s respect for learning, a journalist’s eye for detail, and a believer’s awe before the transcendent. Here is a full accounting of the few brave men Jesus of Nazareth used to rock the world in ways still unfolding. It will inform and inspire all who seek to understand and connect with the early Christian legacy as preserved in historical sources, ancient literature and legends, art and artifacts, and critical reconstruction. This recovery of the apostles’ full humanity in history enhances their testimony to the Savior who sent them forth.
Just as there have been quests for the historical Jesus, so now Brian Shelton leads us on a quest for the historical core within the many apostolic legends. More than just a work of scholarship, this book takes readers by the hand and guides us through the minefield of ancient mythmaking to help us meet the actual disciples of Christ, the real men who walked with the Savior and sat at his feet. Never gullible or credulous, yet never unconcerned about the edification of the church, Shelton gives us the bottom line when it comes to the apostles: their actual historical biographies and their enduring significance for today.
This book is a treasure trove for those who wonder what happened to the twelve apostles of Jesus. Brian Shelton provides a sympathetic but critical reading of the evidence for the missionary activity of the apostles by patiently sifting through biblical texts, early church witnesses, and later legends. I am especially grateful that the Quest for the Historical Apostles narrates how each apostle has been received in the life and faith of the church.
W. Brian Shelton (PhD, Saint Louis University), an expert on early Christianity and patristics, is chief academic officer of Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. He is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities’ Leadership Development Institute and the Georgia Governor Teaching Fellowship Symposium.