The Lord's Prayer through North African Eyes: A Window into Early Christianity

(Paperback)

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Description

Michael Brown's book helps to explain why Christians throughout the ages have interpreted texts differently, especially cultic texts. Beginning with an imagined Graeco-Roman auditor of the Lord's Prayer, Brown demonstrates how a Graeco-Roman's understanding of the prayer would have been different from that of a Hellenized Jew in Palestine. Brown takes the reader into discussions of early Graeco-Roman Christians regarding prayer in general and the Lord's Prayer in particular. Focusing on cultic didachai of Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian of Carthage, The Lord's Prayer through North African Eyes is a window into the turbulent and sometimes confusing world of second-century Christianity in Africa.

Reviews

Review ~International Review of Biblical Studies, vol 51, 2004/05
'The book is fascinating...It has extensive notes and excellent bibliography which the reader would find very helpful for further research into the topic.' ~ Elsie Maxwell, ANVIL, Vol 32, No 2 -- Elsie Maxwell * ANVIL *
"The Lord's Prayer Through North African Eyes is an original and important contribution to schlaroship on early Christian prayer. Brown's thorough reconstruction of the social context of early Christian teachers like Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian of Carthage, as well as of their distinct appreciations of the Lord's Prayer, is a model of scholarly precision and imagination." - LukeTimothy Johnson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Emory University. -- Luke Timothy Johnson * Blurb from reviewer *
"Michael Brown is one of the most creative scholars of early Christian studies around. His book opens new and profound perspectives on the most famous Christian prayer." -- Adela Yarbro Collins, Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale University Divinity School * Blurb from reviewer *
"Michael Brown is one of the most creative scholars of early Christian studies around. His book The Lord's Prayer through North African Eyes opens new and profound perspectives on the most famous Christian prayer." -Adela Yarbro Colling, Yale University Divinity School * Blurb from reviewer *
"The Lord's Prayer Through North African Eyes is an original an important contribution to scholarship on early Christian prayer. Brown's thorough reconstruction of the social context of early Christian teachers like Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian of Carthage as well as of their distinct appreciation of the Lord's Prayer is a model of scholarly precision and imagination." -Luke Timothy Johnson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Emory University * Blurb from reviewer *
"This laudable effort shows how complicated and difficult some contextualizing can be...Brown provides such extensive background material." -The Catholic Biblical Quarterly * Catholic Biblical Quarterly *
Review (German) -- Sandra Leuenberger-Wenger * Theologische Literaturzeitung *
"Exceptional!" -Today's Books, May 2005 * Today's Books *

Author Bio

Michael Joseph Brown is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Candler School of Theology, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the author of What They Don't Tell You: A Survivor's Guide to Academic Biblical Studies.