Honour and conflict in the ancient world
Book Description
In the bustling ancient city of Corinth, honor served as both the foundation of social identity and the spark that ignited fierce conflicts within the early Christian community. Mark T. Finney unveils a compelling examination of how the ancient Greek concept of filotimia—the passionate pursuit of honor and recognition—shaped the turbulent dynamics that Paul addressed in his first letter to the Corinthians.
Drawing from contemporary social anthropology, Finney reveals how the relentless quest for honor created an atmosphere thick with competition, rivalry, and division among the early believers. This drive for social standing, while providing community identity, simultaneously generated the very antagonisms and factionalism that threatened to tear the nascent Christ-movement apart.
Through this fresh lens, the familiar passages of 1 Corinthians emerge with new clarity, offering modern readers profound insights into the social forces that influenced spiritual community life in the first-century Greco-Roman world. Finney demonstrates how understanding these honor-based conflicts provides a previously overlooked framework for comprehending the diverse challenges Paul confronted.
For contemporary spiritual seekers grappling with community dynamics, leadership tensions, and the balance between personal recognition and collective harmony, this scholarly exploration offers valuable perspectives on how ancient wisdom can illuminate modern spiritual challenges. The book presents a unique window into how social pressures and spiritual aspirations intersected in one of history's most influential religious communities.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 288 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Social conflict
- ✓ Explore Schande
- ✓ Explore Bibel
- ✓ Explore Korintherbrief (I.)
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Criticism, interpretation
- ✓ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
- ✓ Explore Zeithintergrund
