Household Conversion Narratives in Acts: Pattern and Interpretation

by David Lertis Matson

Using features of the narrative-critical method, this book offers an innovative approach to a notable phenomenon in the book of the conversion of entire households to the Christian faith. When viewed against the household mission of the seventy(-two) messengers in Luke, the stories of Cornelius, Lydia, the Roman jailer and Crispus comprise a pattern of evangelistic activity that provides a common framework for their interpretation. Repetition and variation of the pattern offer important clues for the way each story functions within the wider context of Acts, opening up new lines of interpretation as well as new levels of unity/disunity between the Lukan writings.

226 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1996

Reviews

[Zack Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid textual work. Yearns for doctrinal application.