In Praise of Christian Origins - (Emory Studies in Early Christianity) by Todd Penner (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Almost all scholars look to Acts 6:1-8:3 as providing the bedrock of early Christian tradition. The incident between the Hebrews and the Hellenists are understood to reflect real historical and theological problems in the early Jerusalem community, demonstrating the Hellenist role as a historical bridge between Jesus and Paul. Penner's study challenges the fundamental assumptions
of this approach. Penner emphasizes the rhetorical and moral dimensions of ancient historiographical theory, especially the centrality of narrative and plot, the use of vivid description, the application of comparison using various type-scenes, and the role of speeches in terms of characterization and the presentation of narrative style.

Todd Penner is the Assistant Professor of Religion at Austin College and the co-editor with Caroline Vander Stichele of Contextualizing Acts: Lukan Narrative and Greco-Roman Discourse.

Review Quotes

"Todd Penner has created a stir among Luke-Acts scholars....Penner has made an important contribution to Acts scholarship. Particularly impressive is his ability to blend together literary, rhetorical, and historical methodologies in a way that models well how these diverse methods can (and should) come together to exegete texts... Scholars will have to engage seriously the contribution that Penner has made here."- William H. Malas Jr., "Society of Biblical Literature, "2005--Sanford Lakoff

'...important, well-researched and effectively argued.'--Sanford Lakoff "Theology "

'The strength and excitement of this book reside in its broader analyses and challenges. ..This book requires no bonus, but i has one: a foreword by David Balch.'

- Richard I. Pervo, Biblica--Sanford Lakoff

"In his study, Penner offers a well-argued rhetorical analysis of the Stephen materials in Acts and significantly advances our understanding of the rhetorical nature of New Testament texts, including the nature of Lukan historiography. But, he also presents Lukan studies with a formidable challenge by drawing attention to the ideological underpinnings of the history of interpretation of Lukan texts in general. It is hard to imagine the future of the conversation in Lukan studies independent of a response to Penner's work, a response he engagingly invites his readers to make." Professor the Rev. L. G. Bloomquist, Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario--Sanford Lakoff

"It is not easy to make a contribution to the discussion of the Hellenists in Acts, but Penner has. He has done so by exploring how ancient historians and rhetoricians understood the writing of narratives and speeches. His application of ancient narrative strategies to the Stephen story is important not only for how we perceive this pivotal episode, but for how we read narratives in Acts." Gregory E. Sterling, Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins--Sanford Lakoff

"Penner's Praise of Christian Origins draws on an extraordinarily wide range of reading in New Testament studies, classical rhetoric, ancient historiography, and Jewish-Hellenistic literature. Penner's grasp of all these fields is admirable and matched by few. Penner brings this rich array of scholarship to bear on a novel interpretation of Acts' narrative on the "Hellenists" and Stephen. Setting this narrative in the context of a historiography guided by the aims of epideictic rhetoric, he has shifted focus away from traditional questions of historicity or theology to the construct of Christian self-identity. The book is controversial, provocative, and stimulating in the best sense." Erich Gruen Gladys Rehard Wood Professor of History and Classics University of California, Berkeley--Sanford Lakoff

"Steeped in the writings of ancient Greek, Roman, Hellenistic, and Jewish historians, Penner employs his impressive skills of interpretation to produce a ground-breaking study of Stephen and the Hellenists in Acts. He shows that Luke, like other ancient historians, was less interested in historicity than in writing a persuasive narrative. Penner's study will almost certainly encourage his peers to consider new approaches to the study of the Acts of the Apostles." Joseph B. Tyson, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas--Sanford Lakoff

"This volume is a revised version of the author's doctoral thesis submitted to Emory University in 2000. In Penner's words the book argues that: "Luke's work is a form of epideictic historiography: His goal is to write in praise of Christian origins' (288). The volume commences with an extended forward by David L. Blach on "Acts as Epideictic History'. Balch commends Penner's attempt to read the narrative of Acts rhetorically as 'progymnastic poetics' where history and theology are flip sides of the same enterprise. The epideictic rhetoric of Acts seek to praise Jesus as a Prophet like Moses and eulogises the early church as bound together by the bonds of fellowship and service...""Penner supposes that for most scholars: ' It is historically impossible to conceive of early Christian history without a thread like the one that more liberal Hellenistic Jewish Christians in Acts provides' (39). The work of Craig Hill emphasizes the unity of the early church, but never really wrestles with the nature of Lukan historia." Penner that outlines the theological approach to Acts typified by Dibelius. Acts 6-8 may have some historical reminiscence but its function is to be primarily a theological voice for the author of Acts. Those who have followed Dibelius have viewed Luke's narrative with grave historical suspicion. However, Penner is on the mark when he comments, ' Yet few scholars have readily identified the way in which theology and history are intricately connected in Luke's narration of history' (50) to the point that history and theology in Acts cannot be neatly cordoned off from one another... "Penner has written a stimulating, provocative and challenging volume. The opening chapter about the history of scholarship on the Hellenists is well worth reading in its own right. Furtermore, if Penner's thesis is correct it has serious implications not only for Lukan scholarship but also for the entire science of ancient history itself."--Sanford Lakoff

In this thoroughly researched study of Acts 6-7 Penner breaks new ground in our understanding of Acts as well as Greek and Roman history writing generally. He situates his work critically within a long and prominent tradition of New Testament scholarship and challenges it to take seriously the rhetorical narrativity of historia and the epideictic force of the Lukan presentation of Stephen and the Hellenists. The way in which Penner argues his case is admirable in regard to both its analytical sharpness and scholarly fairness. It is the kind of book that stimulates reflection and discussion, being provocatively bold and yet sophistically nuanced. It is a significant contribution to the study of Acts within the context of ancient history writing. Samuel Byrskog Professor of New Testament and Hermeneutics, Goteborg University, Sweden, and Adjunct Professor of New Testament, Stockholm School of Theology, Sweden.--Sanford Lakoff

In Penner's skilled analysis, Acts 6-7 becomes a prism that reveals new understandings, as much about modern scholarship as about ancient texts and historiography. Penetrating insights emerge about genre, rhetoric, Christian origins, and our own quest to define those very categories. As a result, both the text of Acts and the modern interpreter are significantly enhanced in the bridge that Penner builds between the two." Daryl Schmidt, John F. Weatherly Professor of New Testament, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas--Sanford Lakoff

"Among the many arguments in this ambitious book, those that should receive most attention from inspectors of Acts concern the nature of history writing in antiquity.Through this compelling elucidation of ancient historical/rhetorical project, Penner has taught us much about the aim of Luke-Acts."- Shelly Matthews, Furman University, "SBL" 2006

"This book demonstrates a scholar with an impressive grasp of scholarly literature on Acts as well as of relevant literature from the contemporary Greco-Roman world...Penner has written a highly well informed work that all who study the book of Acts hereafter cannot afford to ignore."- Torrey Seland, "Society of the Biblical Literature, "2005

'...'--, "Theology "

Review International Review of Biblical Studies, vol 51, 2004/05

About the Author

Todd Penner is the Gould H. and Marie Cloud Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Austin College, Sherman, Texas, USA