Becoming Christian Essays On 1 Peter And The Making Of Christian Identity
Book Description
The first letter of Peter offers profound insights into one of Christianity's most fundamental questions: how does spiritual identity take shape amid challenge and opposition? David G. Horrell's scholarly exploration reveals how this often-overlooked New Testament text illuminates the complex process of becoming Christian in the earliest centuries of the faith.
Through careful examination of 1 Peter's social and historical context, Horrell demonstrates how early believers forged their spiritual identity by drawing from Jewish traditions while navigating the hostilities of Roman society. The letter emerges as a crucial witness to the ways Christian communities responded to persecution and suffering, transforming adversity into opportunities for deeper faith formation.
Using innovative social-scientific and postcolonial approaches, this collection of essays examines how 1 Peter contributed to constructing Christian identity when believers faced societal rejection and opposition. Horrell pays particular attention to the significance of the very name "Christian" and explores how the letter's authors helped communities understand their place in a world that often viewed them with suspicion or outright hostility.
For contemporary readers seeking to understand how spiritual identity develops through trials, this scholarly work offers valuable perspectives on resilience, community formation, and the transformation of suffering into spiritual growth. Horrell's research provides fresh insights into a biblical text that speaks directly to the experience of becoming and remaining faithful amid life's challenges.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~9 hours)
📄 Length: 312 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Exegese
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
- ✓ Reconnect with nature spiritually
- ✓ Explore Identification (Religion)
- ✓ Explore Christian life
- ✓ Explore Bible
- ✓ Explore Bible, criticism, interpretation, etc., n. t. epistles
