The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology

By Bruce J. Malina

Book Overview

A classroom standard for two decades, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology has introduced students to both the New Testament and the social-scientific study of the New Testament. This revised and expanded third edition offers new chapters on envy and the Jesus movement, updates chapters from earlier editions, augments the bibliography, and offers student study questions. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 066425456X
• ISBN13: 9780664254568
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Insights into the 1st Centruy World

If you ever wanted to read the Bible and truly understand the text behind the text, then this is the book you want to read. Malina does a wonderful job of giving us insight in to the world that is 1st Century Judea. He brings out the cultural scene of the times to aid us in the understanding of what it was like to be someone in this time period. Malina breaks down the culture based on the 4 levels of understand. They include...

Great, but Dry

All in all, I've been very pleased with this purchase. The book came to me highly recommended and I wasn't disappointed. I would caution the reader though when I say that the book is more than a little dry. Also, Malina tends to rely on abstract models to make his point, which is fine, but may not work well for some. On the whole, though, the book is indispensable and will serve anyone well.

Great resource!

I really enjoyed this book and its insights into the norms and mores of the time when Jesus walked the earth. Being American, most of the material regarding everyday life in the Middle East at that time is somewhat foreign to me, my way of thinking and my upbringing. This book will help clear up difficulties encountered in the Gospels in the areas of: honor and shame, individual versus group, social status, kinship and marriage...

Really opens new horizons for the reading of the N T

Malina looks into the culture, presuppositions and values of the first century Mediterranean peoples. The understanding of the way of life and values open up new understanding of many passages principally of the Gospels which are difficult to understand. The value of honor & shame illumine many of the controversies surrounding the person of the hisorical Jesus. This really is great reading for anyone who wants to understand...

Must Read

Malina's volume is a must for anyone who intends to exegete the New Testament. Students of the Bible will benefit greatly from the material because it introduces one to a world unlike our own.