Ancient Education and Early Christianity

What was the relationship of ancient education to early Christianity? This volume provides an in-depth look at different approaches currently employed by scholars who draw upon educational settings in the ancient world to inform their historical research in Christian origins. The book is divided into two sections: one consisting of essays on education in the ancient world, and one consisting of exegetical studies dealing with various passages where motifs emerging from ancient educational culture provide illumination. The chapters summarize the state of the discussion on ancient education in classical and biblical studies, examine obstacles to arriving at a comprehensive theory of early Christianity's relationship to ancient education, compare different approaches, and compile the diverse methodologies into one comparative study. Several educational motifs are integrated in order to demonstrate the exegetical insights that they may yield when utilized in New Testament historical investigation and interpretation.

Andrew W. Pitts is an Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Arizona Christian University, USA. Matthew Ryan Hauge is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Azusa Pacific University in California, USA.

Preface Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Matthew Ryan Hauge & Andrew W. Pitts Part I: Educational Contexts and Settings 2. The Torah versus Homer: Jewish and Graeco-Roman Catherine Hezser, SOAS, University of London, UK 3. Exodus from the Cave: Moses as Platonic Educator Craig Evan Anderson, Claremont School of Theology in California, USA 4. Observing a Teacher of Progymnasmata Ronald F. Hock, University of Southern California, USA 5. The Seven Sages, The Delphic Canon and Ethical Education in Antiquity James R. Harrison, Sydney College of Divinity, Australia Part II: Early Christian Appropriations 6. Fabulous Parables: The Storytelling Tradition in the Synoptic Gospels Matthew Ryan Hauge, Azusa Pacific University, USA 7. The Origins of Greek Mimesis, Ancient Education, and Gospel of Mark: Genre as a Potential Constraint in Assessing Markan Imitation Andrew W. Pitts, Arizona Christian University, USA 8. Luke and Progymnasmata: Rhetorical Handbooks, Rhetorical Sophistication and Genre Selection Sean A. Adams, University of Glasgow, UK 9. Luke's Antetextuality in Light of Ancient Rhetorical Education Dennis R. MacDonald, Claremont School of Theology in California, USA 10. A School pf Paul? The Use of Pauline Texts in Early Christian Schooltext Papyri Jennifer R. Strawbridge, University of Oxford, UK 11. How Did the 'Teaching' Teach? The Didache as Catechesis William Varner, The Master's College, USA