Description
Book SynopsisWei Hsien Wan builds on the work of David Horrell and Travis Williams for his argument that the letter of 1 Peter engages in a subtle, calculated form of resistance to Rome, that has often gone undetected. Whilst previous discussion of the topic has remained largely focused on the letter's stance toward specific Roman institutions, such as the emperor, household structures, and the imperial cults, Wan takes the conversation beyond these confines and examines 1 Peter's critique of the Roman Empire in terms of its ideology or worldview. Using the work of James Scott to conceptualize ideological resistance against domination, Wan considers how the imperial cults of Anatolia and 1 Peter offered distinct constructions of time and spacethat is, how they envisioned reality differently. Insofar as these differences led to divergent ways of conceiving the social order, they acquired political power and generated potential for conflict. Wan thus argues that 1 Peter confronts Rome on a cosmic sca
Trade ReviewCarefully executed and balanced ... a welcome addition to the growing interest in 1 Peter. * Religious Studies Review *
Wan offers an important...study that enables us to discern the identity formation strategy of 1 Peter in fresh, creative, and helpful ways. His analysis of Roman imperial ideology through the axes of time and space is in and of itself valuable and should be considered for generating fresh research in detecting the way other New Testament texts might negotiate Roman imperial claims. * Review of Biblical Literature *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1: Contextualizing the Present Study Chapter 2: The Socio-historical Context Chapter 3: Time in the Imperial Cults Chapter 4: Time in 1 Peter Chapter 5: Space in the Imperial Cults Chapter 6: Space in 1 Peter Conclusion: (Re)Placing the Emperor, (Re)Configuring the Universe
Bibliography Index of Biblical References Index of Modern Authors
