T&T Clark Handbook to Social Identity in the New Testament

Combining the insights of many leading New Testament scholars writing on the use of social identity theory this new reference work provides a comprehensive handbook to the construction of social identity in the New Testament. Part one examines key methodological issues and the ways in which scholars have viewed and studied social identity, including different theoretical approaches, and core areas or topics which may be used in the study of social identity, such as food, social memory, and ancient media culture.

Part two presents worked examples and in-depth textual studies covering core passages from each of the New Testament books, as they relate to the construction of social identity. Adopting a case-study approach, in line with sociological methods the volume builds a picture of how identity was structured in the earliest Christ-movement. Contributors include; Philip Esler, Warren Carter, Paul Middleton, Rafael Rodriquez, and Robert Brawley.

J. Brian Tucker is Associate Professor of New Testament at Moody Theological Seminary, USA, and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, UK.

Coleman A. Baker is Program Manager at the Soul Repair Center, Brite Divinity School, USA, and Adjunct Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University, USA.

Abbreviations
Contributors
Editors’ Preface
1. Introduction - J. Brian Tucker and Coleman A. Baker
Part 1: Methodological Studies:
2. An Outline of Social Identity Theory – Philip F. Esler
3. Social History and Social Theory in the Study of Social Identity – Andrew D. Clarke and J. Brian Tucker
4. Ethnicity and Social Identity – Aaron Kuecker
5. Ritual and Social Identity: The Deutero-Pauline Shaping of Early Christianity – Minna Shkul
6. Letter Writing and Social Identity – Matthew J. Marohl
7. A Narrative-Identity Model for Biblical Interpretation: The Role of Memory and Narrative in Social Identity Formation – Coleman A. Baker
8. Nodes of Objective Socialization and Subjective Reflection in Identity: Galatian Identity in an Imperial Context – Robert L. Brawley
Part 2: Textual Studies:
9. Group Norms and Prototypes in Matthew 5.3-12: A Social Identity Interpretation of the Matthean Beatitudes – Philip F. Esler
10. Suffering and the Creation of Christian identity in the Gospel of Mark – Paul Middleton
11. Textual Orientations: Jesus, Written Texts, and the Social Construction of Identity in the Gospel of Luke – Rafael Rodríguez
12. Filial Piety and Violence in Luke-Acts and the Aeneid: A Comparative Analysis of Two Trans-ethnic Identities – Aaron Kuecker
13. Social Identities, Subgroups, and John’s Gospel: Jesus the Prototype and Pontius Pilate (John 18.28–19.16) – Warren Carter
14. Children of Abraham, the Restoration of Israel and the Eschatological Pilgrimage of the Nations: What Does It Mean For ‘In Christ’ Identity? – Christopher Zoccali
15. Social Identity and Conflict in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 11.17-34 in Context – Mark Finney
16. ‘If Anyone is in Christ, New Creation: The Old has Gone, the New has Come’ (2 Cor. 5.17): New Creation and Temporal Comparison in Social Identity Formation in 2 Corinthians – Kar Yong LIM
17. Galatians 2.1-14 as Depiction of the Church’s Early Struggle for Community-Identity Construction – Atsuhiro Asano
18. Adopted Siblings in the Household of God: Kinship Lexemes in the Social Identity Construction of Ephesians – Daniel K. Darko
19. Echoes of Paul’s Philippians in Polycarp: Texts that Create Identity – Sergio Rosell Nebreda
20. New Identity and Cultural Baggage: Identity and Otherness in Colossians – Minna Shkul
21. Stereotyping and Institutionalization as indications of Leadership Maintenance in the Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy as a Test Case – Jack Barentsen
22. Paul’s Particular Problem – The Continuation of Existing Identities in Philemon – J. Brian Tucker
23. Social Identity in the Epistle to the Hebrews – Steven Muir
24. Calling on the Diaspora: Nativism and Diaspora Identity in the Letter of James – K. Jason Coker
25. ‘Aliens’ among ‘Pagans’, ‘Exiles’ among ‘Gentiles’: Authorial Strategy and (Social) Identity in 1 Peter – Todd D. Still and Natalie R. Webb
26. The Agapé Feast in 2 Peter, Imperial Ideology, and Social Identity – R. Alan Streett
27. Identity in First John: Sinless Sinners who Remain in Him – Rikard Roitto
28. Constructing Identity in the Epistle of Jude – Ritva Williams
29. Israelite Ethnic Identity Responding to the Roman Imperium in Revelation – Markus Cromhout
Bibliography