Focusing on the social context of Paul's letter to the Galatians, this volume explores the character and purpose behind his moral teachings. It integrates new perspectives on Paul and the Law with a thorough exegesis of Galatians, illuminating the crisis Paul confronted and offering insights into the essence of Pauline ethics. The analysis reveals the complexities of the moral instruction given to the recipients, enhancing the understanding of both the letter and its broader implications.
The 'assemblies' founded by Paul in the cities of the Mediterranean world were in many respects comparable to the synagogues of Diaspora Jews which flourished in the same locations. The comparison illuminates many features in the social formation of the first Christians, a complex and variegated process that continued through many generations of early Christianity. In these seminal essays - some previously published, some newly written - John M. G. Barclay examines aspects of the construction of early Christian identity, especially within the Pauline tradition (during and after Paul's lifetime). Early Christian identity is shown to have been fragile, contentious, often under-defined, socially creative, and multiple in expression: in their practices, their conventions, their social attitudes and their language, the Pauline churches emerge as sometimes conformist and sometimes radically innovative.