Books in the Readings: A New Biblical Commentary series

This reading offers a traveller's guide through the book of Acts, charting both narrative features (plot development, character building and shifting points of view) and cultural scenarios informing the story (honor-shame contests, patron-client relations and purity-pollution boundaries). Within this 'literary-cultural' framework, Spencer undertakes to map the temporal, spatial and social settings of each segment of the Acts journey. While often detecting internal repetitive patterns along the way as well as comparative links with the preceding Lukan gospel and Jewish scriptures, this reading also exposes certain dramatic tensions within Acts (such as a 'double message' regarding women's prophetic ministry) and distinctive moves beyond prior narratives. The element of surprise is maximized, so that the commentary reads somewhat like a first-time exploration of the text.