Law in Religious Communities in the Roman Period

The Debate over Torah and Nomos in Post-Biblical Judaism and Early Christianity

Peter Richardson, Stephen Westerholm, Albert I. Baumgarten, Michael Pettem, Cecilia Wassén

• Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
• Year: 2006
• ISBN:
  9780889206328
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Comparative Religion

The role and function of law in religious communities in the Roman period—especially in Judaism—has been a key issue among scholars in recent years. This thought-provoking work is the first full-scale attempt to write a historical assessment of the scholarly debate concerning this question, focussing on two closely related religious communities, Judaism and Christianity. By juxtaposing the two religions, a clearer understanding of the developments with respect to torah and nomos in Judaism and early Christianity emerges.

This insightful work, placing emphasis on the major figures and both the scholarly lines of development and the appropriate lines for future research, will set the debate in a clearer and more and succinct manner. It will serve as a critical point of reference for further discussion.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Contributors
• Introduction
• 1. Law and Religion: Origins and Present State
• 2. Whence "The Torah" of Second Temple Judaism
• 3. Torah, Nomos and Law
• 4. Law, Grace and the "Soteriology" of Judaism
• 5. Law and Christian Ethics
• 6. Torah and Early Christian Groups
• 7. Rivkin and Neusner on the Pharisees
• 8. Sadducees and Halakah
• 9. Torah and Nomos in Post-Biblical Judaism and Early Christianity
• Index of Authors
• Index of References