Ancient Letters and the Purpose of Romans

ISBN: 9780567693983 出版年：2020 页码：201 Aaron Ricker Bloomsbury Publishing

Aaron Ricker locates the purpose of Romans in its function as a tool of community identity definition. Ricker employs a comparative analysis of the ways in which community identity definition is performed in first-century association culture, including several ancient network letters comparable to Romans.Ricker's examination of the community advice found in Rom 12-15 reveals in this new context an ancient example of the ways in which an inscribed addressee community can be invitto see and comport itself as a “proper” association network community. The ideal community addressed in the letter to the Romans is defined as properly unified and orderly. It is also defined as properly accommodating to – and properly distinct from – cultures “outside.” Finally, it is defined as linknetwoleadership (i.e., the inscribletter and his network). Paul's letter to the Romans is baffling and extraordinary document. In terms of its community-defining functions and strategies, however, Ricker shows its purpose to be perfectly clear and understandable.