In Stone and Story

"Toggling between Roman urban culture (as mediated through archaeological evidence) and various forms of the early Jesus-movement (as mediated through New Testament texts), Bruce Longenecker provides a lively introduction to the formative social, material, and moral world of the early Christians."

"Longenecker's work has always provided a model for the thoughtful, careful, and persuasive use of material culture as key evidence to explore issues of religious observance in the Roman world. His current book is no exception. Its masterful treatment of the material culture from Pompeii and Herculaneum and the role of that material in informing us about early Jesus-worship is once again superb. Although this lavishly illustrated book is written for an interested nonprofessional audience, I found new insights and perspectives that will shape my own research and teaching."

"This clearly written and beautifully illustrated work masterfully interweaves the texts from earliest Christianity with the rich archaeological remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Longenecker is careful both to introduce the reader to everything needed to grasp such connections and also to note where they are absent. Simply as an introduction to everyday life in the Roman empire, this book is of great value."

"Longenecker has made an outstanding contribution to understanding the development of early Christianity in the Roman world, taking seriously both stone and story. True to its goal, select texts are examined alongside detailed archaeological evidence from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The book is beautifully enriched with images of frescoes, monuments, inscriptions, and 'newsy' graffiti. Appreciation for student perspectives and questions guides the style and organization of the volume. Interpretative challenges are addressed with great lucidity on topics ranging from ancient deities to spiritual identities to literacy and concepts of housing and space. Longenecker's study is deeply informed by his knowledge of early Christianity and his breadth of understanding of contemporary scholarship. The thematic approach offers innovative opportunities for teaching and learning, with the emergence of new associations and interfaces that can shed light on the rise of early Jesus-devotion. I know of no other book like it, and I am eager to discuss its rich contents with students."

"Longenecker uses the evidence from Pompeii to craft a fascinating account of the rise of early Christianity within its broader Roman context."

"The circumstances of Pompeii's destruction in 79 CE meant that the city and the adjacent towns of Herculaneum and Oplontis were frozen in time, and houses, shops, temples, and industrial complexes were preserved along with their contents and decorations. Pompeii thus provides better and more detailed evidence of ancient urban life than any other site from the ancient world. Longenecker expertly employs the findings from Pompeii not only to produce an engaging picture of the social, religious, economic, and political life of this town but also to show how a detailed understanding of ancient urban life casts light on the activities and beliefs of early Jesus-followers, who in some respects fit comfortably into ancient society and in other respects offered different perspectives on social relationships, piety, politics, and commerce. In Stone and Story normalizes the picture of early Christians by giving due scope to the many ways they were aligned with ancient society, which allows their distinctives to stand out with particular clarity. An excellent teaching resource."