After more than a century of debate about the significance of imperial cults for the interpretation of Revelation, this is the first study to examine both the archaeological evidence and the Biblical text in depth. Friesen argues that a detailed analysis of imperial cults as they were practiced in the first century CE in the region where John was active allows us to understand John's criticism of his society's dominant values. He demonstrates the importance of imperial cults for society at the time when Revelation was written, and shows the ways in which John refuted imperial cosmology through his use of vision, myth, and eschatological expectation.

Drawing evidence from ancient literature, coins, inscriptions and artwork, Kraybill points to the penetration of the Roman imperial cult (emperor worship) into commercial settings as a primary concern of the Apocalypse. By the time John was on Patmos, people in Asia Minor could not 'buy or sell' without giving idolatrous allegiance to Rome. Imperial cult and commerce blended in guild halls, the banking industry and the market place. John calls readers to 'come out from' pagan loyalties of Roman imperial society and give full allegiance to a New Jerusalem of justice and equality under the rule of Christ.

Drawing evidence from ancient literature, coins, inscriptions and artwork, Kraybill points to the penetration of the Roman imperial cult (emperor worship) into commercial settings as a primary concern of the Apocalypse. By the time John was on Patmos, people in Asia Minor could not 'buy or sell' without giving idolatrous allegiance to Rome. Imperial cult and commerce blended in guild halls, the banking industry and the market place. John calls readers to 'come out from' pagan loyalties of Roman imperial society and give full allegiance to a New Jerusalem of justice and equality under the rule of Christ.

The Mandate of the Church in the Apocalypse of John fills a gap in the scholarly literature on the Apocalypse of John by offering a comprehensive discussion of what the Church is called upon to be and do. It delineates various tasks and functions of the Church, showing how they relate to one another and also how they are all unified under the mandate to provide faithful witness to Jesus. With its strong emphasis on the ethical concerns of the Apocalypse, this book challenges the view that John's Apocalypse is sub-Christian in its ethics.

Containing more than 300 articles, covering the alphabetical entries P-Sh, this book also includes articles on significant topics ranging from Paul, political theology and the Qur'an, to religious liberty, salvation history and scholasticism.

Revision of the author's thesis (Ph.D.)--Princeton Theological Seminary, 1998.

"The papers collected in this volume shift the focus away from "heretics" and "heresy" to heresiological discourse, by contextualizing the late antique Jewish and Christian groups that produced our extant literature. The contributors to the volume draw from multiple literary corpora and genres, bringing a variety of late antique perspective to explore the discursive construction of the Other. They unravel ethnic identities, and re-create the multiple voices textured in the dialogue between the "orthodox" and "heretical" writers."--BOOK JACKET.