Dating Acts: Between the Evangelists and the Apologists

by Richard I. Pervo

In Dating Acts, Richard Pervo subjects the scholarly consensus that Acts was written about 80-85 C.E. to a rigorous scholarly examination. Analyzing the author s sources, methods, theology, familiarity with ecclesiastical developments and vocabulary, Pervo discovers that the author of Acts is familiar with the later writings of Josephus (c. 100 C.E.) and that the theological perspectives of Acts have much in common with elements found in the Pastoral Epistles and Polycarp (c. 125-130). He also situates the book of Acts in terms of its place in the development of early Christianity and its social and ideological context, and shows how a second-century date helps to interpret it.

513 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2006

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding piece of scholarship: exhaustive, but never exhausting. Richard Pervo's death in May of this year was a profound loss to scholarship and to all those who revel in a fluid, witty, and precise use of the English language.