Empire and Scripture: The Political History of the New Testament

In this groundbreaking work, Empire and Scripture: The Political History of the New Testament offers the first comprehensive political history of Christianity's founding texts. Moving beyond traditional theological readings, this revelatory study exposes the New Testament as a collection of profoundly political documents shaped by the turbulent realities of Roman imperial rule. Drawing on the latest archaeological discoveries, newly translated inscriptions, and cutting-edge historical research, the book reconstructs the volatile political landscape that formed both the background and subject matter of these revolutionary writings.
Readers will discover how Jesus, Paul, and other early Christian figures navigated the dangerous waters of imperial power while developing a radical alternative to Rome's vision of society, justice, and human worth. Each chapter illuminates different aspects of this political drama: How Jesus' proclamation of God's "kingdom" directly challenged imperial claims and offered an alternative vision of power and community Why Roman authorities viewed early Christianity as politically subversive enough to warrant crucifixion, imprisonment, and execution How Paul's seemingly simple confession "Jesus is Lord" functioned as a treasonous challenge to Caesar's authority The sophisticated "hidden transcripts" of resistance encoded in Revelation's apocalyptic imagery How early Christian communities developed revolutionary social practices regarding gender, class, and ethnicity that undermined imperial hierarchies The traumatic impact of the Jewish-Roman War on both Christianity and Judaism as they reconstructed their identities in the aftermath of catastrophic imperial violence Perfect for readers of Reza Aslan's Zealot, Bart Ehrman's How Jesus Became God, and Diana Butler Bass's A People's History of Christianity, this landmark work will change how you read the New Testament.
Whether you approach these texts as sacred scripture or historical documents, Empire and Scripture reveals their powerful political dimensions that have too often been overlooked or deliberately obscured. Discover the revolutionary political history hidden within the Bible's most influential texts-a story of resistance, hope, and the radical claim that true power comes not through domination but through love, justice, and human dignity in the face of empire.