Description:
Using social identity theory, Esler andPiper set out what social identitytheory actually means, how it works, andhow it applies to John's Gospel. Theythen show how their ecclesiologicalreading of the Lazarus story findsconfirmation in the catacomb art fromRome. The book includes four pagesof full-color illustrations from thecatacombs and concludes by setting outsome of the theological dimensions ofthe investigation, and ultimately provides fresh theologicalinsight into this New Testament text.
Brief description:
Philip F. Esler is Professor of Biblical Criticism at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Among his publications are Conflict and Identity in Romans (Fortress Press, 2003), The Early Christian World (editor, 2000), Galatians (1998), and The Early Christians and Their Social Worlds (1994).