The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World

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Summary: Why can't all scholars write like this?!
Review: Finally, a New Testament scholar who knows how to write! This book is wonderfully informative about the historical context of the rise of early Christianity, and manages to convey a ton of information in a storyline that is completely enthralling. I'll be giving lots of friends this book for Christmas, both Christians and non-Christians. Enjoy, learn and be moved!

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Summary: Want to know how it was be a Christian in ancient Rome?
Review: Having a strong interest in New Testament history and being a fan of historical fiction, I was immediately interested in this book. I was a bit surprised to find it was not a narrative, but simply a fictional collection of ancient letters between Luke -- the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles -- and a Roman nobleman named Antipas. This format, though, is well used. Indeed, it is compelling.

We follow Antipas' and Luke's correspondence, which begins with a chance introduction. As Antipas reads Luke's Gospel, he discusses it at first from a very Roman point of view. But as he reads more and begins to spend time with Christians of his city, Antipas gradually sees the faults in his Roman upbringing, his pagan worldview. He is drawn to Jesus both through the writings of Luke and through the witness and lives of the Christians with whom he fellowships. Ultimately, he joins them and dies the truly noble death of a martyr. (The reference to the death of Antipas in Rev. 2:13 is the inspiration of the story).

The value of this book is that it places the reader in the early Christian world like nothing else I have ever read. Longenecker has taken all the books about New Testament History, Jewish history, and the larger Roman world of the time, and used them to create an authentic exchange of late first century correspondence between a pagan and a Christian. Beyond the obvious monotheism v. paganism, Longenecker does an excellent job of bringing out the differing attitudes of Roman and Christian charity. Of Christian brotherhood and its foreignness to the Roman world. Of the worship of the emperor. In short, Longenecker does an effective job of placing the reader back into the Roman world and communicating the challenges that Christians faced in it (especially Christians of any social standing).

This book is emotionally moving at times, especially in its depictions of Christian charity in a harsh world. It is also an easy read. It does not get bogged down and you find yourself looking forward to seeing how Luke responds to one of Antipas' questions or comments. Or how Antipas responds to certain passages he reads in Luke's Gospel. Unlike some historical fiction, it does not have moments of preachiness or contrived depictions intended to prove a point.

Very enjoyable. And, very profitable.

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Summary: Enlightening, readable, engaging, and rare.
Review: I could read books like this every week. The era is covered well, as the authors provide observations/details that fill in blanks for readers interested in the period.

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Summary: A Sanctified and informed imagination
Review: Longenecker uses a "sanctified" and informed imagination to recreate a possible correspondence between Luke (of Gospel fame) and Antipas (Rev 2:12-13). Using historical fiction, this work introduces the reader to the way in which Christianity would have been perceived in a 1st century world dominated by Roman culture. Longenecker creates a scenario where ancient letters are discovered in an archeological dig in the city of Pergamum. These letters reveal a correspondence between Antipas, a nobleman originally from Tyre and Cesarea, with first Calpurnius, the son of Theophilus (Luke 1:3), and then Luke himself. The result is the introduction of Antipas to Christianity and a house church that is meeting in Pergamum. The result for the reader is that she will be introduced to not only the way in which Roman noblemen perceived Christianity, but also some possible apologetic reasons that occasioned Luke to write the Gospel that bears his name.
This book would be a good resource for a pastor to recommend to his congregation in order to help them connect the New Testament to its historical setting (Along with "The Shadow of the Galilean" by Theissen). Unlike much Christian fiction that has two dimensional characters involved in predictable plots, Longenecker has created a scenario that accurately immerses the reader into the 1st century Roman world by way of an intriguing plot with believable characters. As Longenecker writes in his introduction, "this account probably did not happen, but it could have."

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Summary: Wonderful read.
Review: This book is just wonderful. It was recommended by a Christian friend who studies with the author at the University of Aberdeen. The fiction drew me in so that I had trouble putting the book down.

This was a marvelous way to be presented a perspective on the life of the early church and with a way of interpreting various parts of the book of Luke. I wish that all exposition could be presented in such a wonderful and enjoyable manner.

Rating:
Summary: worth your time
Review: Thought the style may occasionally be anachronistic, the frame of using correspondence to explore the world of early Christianity covers any problems. Thought provoking, insightful and a good read on top of it all.