The Acts of the Apostles - by Osvaldo Padilla (Paperback)

About the Book

Osvaldo Padilla explores fresh avenues of understanding the book of Acts by examining the text in light of the most recent research on the book itself, philosophical hermeneutics, genre theory and historiography. This advanced introduction to the study of Acts covers important questions about authorship, genre, history, theology, and interpretation.

Book Synopsis

The book of Acts is a remarkable fusion of the historical and theological, and its account of the early church has fascinated theologians and biblical scholars for centuries. Just who was the author of this work? And what kind of book did he write? How do we classify its genre?The Acts of the Apostles provides an advanced introduction to the study of Acts, covering important questions about authorship, genre, history and theology. Osvaldo Padilla explores fresh avenues of understanding by examining the text in light of the most recent research on the book of Acts itself, philosophical hermeneutics, genre theory and historiography. In addition, Padilla opens a conversation between the text of Acts and postliberal theology, seeking a fully-orbed engagement with Acts that is equally attuned to questions of interpretation, history and theology.

Review Quotes

"Padilla successfully bridges two worlds, past and present. Relying upon in-depth Greco-Roman knowledge, he recreates the historical setting of Acts. Fluent in recent scholarly trends, he offers a fresh reading of Acts. The insights that result benefit both scholar and practitioner. Overviews of narrative criticism, genre theory, ancient history-writing, and postliberalism, for example, can inspire further study and therefore affect a lecture already delivered or yet-to-be-prepared. An abundance of hermeneutical helps can aid sermon-building. Padilla's 'high view of Scripture' undergirds this book."

"The book proves to be well-researched and engaging."

About the Author

Osvaldo Padilla (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is associate professor of New Testament at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He is the author of The Speeches of Outsiders in Acts: Poetics, Theology, and Historiography.