In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World

by Bruce W. Longenecker

This beautifully designed, full-color textbook introduces the Roman background of the New Testament by immersing students in the life and culture of the thriving first-century towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which act as showpieces of the world into which the early Christian movement was spreading. Bruce Longenecker, a leading scholar of the ancient world of the New Testament, discusses first-century artifacts in relation to the life stories of people from the Roman world. The book includes discussion questions, maps, and 175 color photographs. Additional resources are available through Textbook eSources.

Genres: History, Church History, Theology, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies, Christianity

304 pages, Hardcover

Published February 18, 2020

About the author

Dr. Longenecker specializes in the origins of Christianity, including the following emphases: Early Christianity in its Greco-Roman context; Jesus-devotion in the Vesuvian towns (Pompeii and Herculaneum); the life and theology of Paul; care for the needy among Christian communities of the Greco-Roman world.

Dr. Longenecker joined the Baylor faculty in August 2009, having taught previously at St Andrews University (Scotland, 1999-2009), Cambridge University (England, 1995-1999) and Durham University (England, 1991-1995).

- Ph.D. in Theology; University of Durham, England (1986-90).
- M.Rel. in New Testament Studies;Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (1983-86)
- B.A. in Biblical and Religious Studies; Wheaton College, Illinois, U.S.A. (1979-83)

Reviews

[Daniel Supimpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longenecker produced an excellent and enthralling work. Aiming to connect the social world of earliest Christianity with the evidence of the Vesuvian towns (primarily Pompeii, and secondarily Herculaneum), the author explores the rich symbolic world that surrounded the first Christians. The hardcover edition presents nice pictures and high-quality (though heavy) pages.

In each chapter, Longnecker travels through specific areas of the ancient social imaginary (e.g. the role of success and reputation, the relations inside households, the struggle with invisible spiritual forces through protective objects and practices, etc.), bringing several photos, frescos and archeological findings together with historical reconstructions of the daily life in the Vesuvian towns. At the end of each of these chapters, Longenecker see how New Testament texts would potentially echo within the 'chambers' of the social world of first believers.

I was particularly struck by the portions on the use of apotropaic (protective) objects and rituals in one's household or workplace, and how the belief of spiritual warfare worked differently from current 'charismatic' views in Evangelical Christianity. Moreover, the idea that Galatians or Mark would be powerfully appealing to roman citizens looking for spiritual protection was mindblowing. Definitely worth the time and money spent in this beautiful book.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, easy to read book on the intersection between faith and culture in the ancient world. Heavily focussed on the findings in Pompeii, there is much that can be extrapolated to other Greco-Roman contexts, and Longenecker makes these connections easily and clearly.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although designed as a textbook, In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World is a wonderful mix of Roman archaeology from Pompeii and Herculaneum and New Testament contrasts and comparisons. As a textbook, it points to further study and access to resources (particularly some valuable sites where one can find photographic references of sites and artifacts), but as a history book, it offers marvelous cross-sections of religion, social structures, and household economies. Each section begins with possible interpretations of physical artifacts (including literary passages from elsewhere in the Empire, as well as the graffiti with their 48 occurrences of citations from Homer, Ovid, Seneca, Lucretius, and Virgil—p. 149, and frescoes and mosaics within the buildings) and then, compares and contrasts the expectations of Jesus-followers to these typical Roman ideals.

Bruce W. Longenecker does a solid job of showing the importance of both actual deities from the Roman pantheon (as well as influence of Egypt’s Isis and Osiris mythology) and how citizens often accumulated deities like a diversified stock portfolio (p. 43). He emphasized the “transactional” expectations of Roman worshippers and even cited Cicero’s comment on worship as a self-aggrandizing transaction (p. 53). He cites the philosophical views of Stoics and Epicureans, demonstrating how even a mosaic represented the Epicurean idea of inevitable death (p. 62). He deals with genius and juno as spiritual projections of institutions and places (p. 79) as well as household lares or guardian spirits before demonstrating the importance of genius to imperial worship and Roman stability. I particularly liked his emphasis on the higher level of intimacy (as opposed to pure “transaction”) of the so-called mystery religions (p. 92).

The author also did a marvelous job of picturing Roman society as a constant influence game using wealth and status as points. He demonstrates through tomb inscriptions and dedicatory inscriptions how people leveled up in the ancient world. I loved his translation of Paul’s critique of this in Ephesians 6:12 as “cosmos-grabbers.” (p. 117) He even demonstrated advancement through “incestuous” philanthropy in his account of one Ampliatus who was a freed slave. He became wealthy, but could never become a civic officer, so he used his wealth to build the Temple of Isis in order to get his six-year-old son elected as councilor. Undoubtedly, Ampliatus acted as “trustee” in determining how his son Celsinus would vote (pp. 135-136).

After delineating the types of public officials: aediles (pp. 121-122), duovirii (p. 122), and quinquennial (p. 122), he contrasts the ideal of the Jesus-following community. He notes the distinction of showing honor for all and cooperation as opposed to competition in contrast to the Roman honor/influence/status game (pp. 130-131). The ubiquitous graffiti were used to advertise, to warn, to brag (in one house, presumably belonging to gladiators, there are numerous graffiti listing won-loss records and bragging rights—p. 156), and, of course, to defame. I did not realize that the famous rhetorician, Quintilian, advocated the use of defamation as a legal defense (p. 160); it sounds like modern politicians.

Longenecker offers insightful interpretations of frescoes, carefully hedging when he recognizes that there are other interpretations which could fit. I appreciate this very much. He uses the frescoes to indicate the role of slaves (pp. 184, 193) and social distinctions (p. 189) where the placement of ash covered bodies indicates social class much like the decks on the Titanic. And, for someone who has read a lot of Roman history, I was embarrassed to realize the proliferation of phallic statuary and frescoes in Pompeii and Herculaneum did not always indicate a brothel. They were often placed to represent strength against evil spirits (pp. 231-232). Maybe I blocked that out in other references, but there were too many evidences of this in the Vesuvian cities to block out.

In fact, I was particularly appreciative of Longenecker’s application of Romans 12:14 in the view of the Roman perspective on a curse-laden society (p. 237). New Testament interpreters will also appreciate his take on Galatians 4:14 and Paul’s denial of spitting as explained by the curse-laden view of Roman society (p. 235). The final chapter dealt with tombs, visiting the dead, and meals with the dead and deities. The contrast between tomb monuments and Jesus’ Lord’s Supper is significant and well-interpreted by Longenecker on p. 245.

To be honest, I’ve read Michael Grant’s work on Pompeii and Herculaneum, but I find In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World to be more attractive (its color plates surpass the black-and-white plates in the Grant classic) and, for the New Testament reader, more useful. But even if one is not a New Testament interpreter, this lavish book is an incredible journey through some of the most fascinating finds from 1st century AD (CE).

[Matthijs]

In het jaar 79 barstte de vulkaan Vesuvius uit. Twee steden werden onder de lava bedolven: Pompeji en Herculaneum. Enkele eeuwen geleden zijn deze twee steden herontdekt en uitgegraven. Door middel van archeologisch onderzoek is men veel over de Romeinse cultuur te weten gekomen. Wat men via deze twee steden te weten is gekomen, kan helpen om te begrijpen wat er gebeurde toen het christendom zich in deze cultuur begon te verspreiden, stelt Bruce W. Longenecker. Longenecker is zowel nieuwtestamenticus als specialist op het gebied van Pompeji en Herculaneum. In zijn boek In Stone and Story stelt hij dat de kennis van Pompeji en Herculaneum hem helpt in zijn onderzoek naar de verering van Jezus.

Het boek bevat ook veel foto´s van wat er in Pompeji en Herculaneum is gevonden: Gebouwen en monumenten die uitgegraven zijn. Inscripties, graffiti en fresco’s die op de gebouwen zijn aangebracht.
Longenecker laat aan de hand van de archeologische vonden verschillende aspecten van hoe de mensen leefden en dachten in deze oude samenleving. Aan de hand van deze aspecten laat Longenecker zien hoe de beweging die Jezus vereerde overeenstemde of juist in botsing kwam. In het boek komen niet naar voren of er in Pompeji en Herculaneum al christenen waren. De gegevens over de eerste christenen haalt Longenecker uit het Nieuwe Testament: vooral de brieven van Paulus, maar ook bijvoorbeeld Openbaring.

Het eerste thema dat Longenecker uitwerkt is status. Status was een belangrijk thema in de Romeinse cultuur. Romeinen deden alles om hun maatschappelijke status op te krikken. De Romeinen kenden twee soorten mensen: mensen die vrij geboren waren en mensen die slaaf geboren waren. De vrije mensen hadden een hogere status dan degenen die als slaaf geboren waren. Het was wel mogelijk voor degene die als slaaf geboren was, een hogere status te krijgen: je kon jezelf vrijkopen, een vermogen opbouwen en investeren in de stad. Veel bouwwerken in de stad, zoals theaters, tempels en grafmonumenten, werden gebouwd om de status van de persoon te verhogen. Status kon ook verkregen te worden door mee te gaan in de opkomende cultus van de verering van de Romeinse keizers. De eerste christenen hadden een tegenovergestelde opvatting van status. Voor hen was het goede nieuws ook niet verbonden met de opkomende verering van de keizer als god. Zij konden niet mee doen met deze cultus. Omdat zij niet met die verering van de keizer konden instemmen en ook omdat ze niet meer in de Romeinse goden wilden geloven, werden ze gezien als een bedreiging voor de stabiliteit van de Romeinse samenleving. Ook al geloofde niet elke Romein persé in de Romeinse goden, de hele samenleving was wel gebouwd op de verering van deze goden.
Volgens Longenecker was de auteur Openbaring veel kritischer dan Paulus: die schrijver had niet alleen meer moeite met de dominantie van de afgoden in de Romeinse samenleving, maar vond ook dat de economische druk die deze samenleving uitoefende niet paste bij het christelijk geloof. Paulus nam een gematigder standpunt in en liet de christenen meer ruimte om te participeren in de Romeinse cultuur. Niet elke koppeling die Longenecker vanuit de vondsten van Pompeji en Herculaneum legt, vind ik overtuigend. Zo verbindt hij het denken en spreken van de eerste christenen over de Heilige Geest met de Romeinse gedachte van genius: de Romeinen gingen ervan uit dat personen en geesten geestelijke representaties hadden, waarop hun innerlijke essentie en identiteit werd geprojecteerd. De Romeinen noemden dat genius. De Romeinen vereerden bijvoorbeeld Augustus’ genius. Volgens Longenecker was de werkzaamheid van de Heilige Geest vergelijkbaar met Augustus’ genius. Hoewel de koppeling tussen de wereld van Pompeji en Herculanuem niet altijd even sterk is, biedt het boek van Longenecker wel een mooi inzicht van de Romeinse samenleving. Longenecker helpt wel om te zien voor welke uitdagingen de eerste christenen stonden en met welke spanningen ze te maken kregen in Romeinse cultuur.

[Martijn Vsho · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Stone and Story, Longenecker looks at the archeological remains of Heracleum and Pompeii, cities which were covered by a volcanic eruption and thus were preserved, and uses these to discuss the first century Greco-Roman world and how it helps us understand and interpret the New Testament. Each chapter covers a different topic such as peace, deities, death and life, money, status, business, and households. The chapters are nicely laid out and contain photos of the various archeological pieces he talks about.

I enjoyed reading this book. Since my biblical education mainly covered the Jewish background of the New Testament and only brief discussions of the Greco-Roman background, I wanted to dive deeper into the Greco-Roman side. This book provided a perfect introduction. It is easy-to-read and is specifically aimed towards those who do not have any previous biblical, historical, or archeological training. He includes a Further Reading section at the end of the book for those who want to learn more about the topics he covers.

One of the biggest strengths of this book is that it makes extensive use of the graffiti found throughout the two cities. This means that even the non-elite get a voice and that one can see there was a variety of views on things such as love, deities, politics, and money. Some of the graffiti is surprisingly mundane and reminiscent of modern graffiti, such as “X was here,” proclamations of love, and statements that speak ill of people. The graffiti makes the Greco-Roman world come alive in a unique and relatable way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the Greco-Roman world and its significance for understanding the New Testament.

4/5 stars ( = great)

[Sanjuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book comparing various archaeological findings from Pompeii with the lives of Christians in the Roman Empire. The book's scope is extremely limited, but as Longenecker says in the conclusion, although more could be said, enough has been said for this particular book. I found the limited scope helpful to maintain a strong focus on the evidence from Pompeii specifically, and Longenecker draws out the significance of that evidence for understanding the early Jesus movement in insightful ways. The book also draws on Graeco-Roman literature of the period, but only when it informs the topic at hand. In other words, this book does not compare the New Testament with any and all literature of the period; the goal is to compare the New Testament texts with what we know about Roman life in Pompeii, and other literature of the period is drawn into the discussion when it serves that end. Topics covered include economics, slavery, home life, religion, and more. This is an extremely helpful book that I will revisit.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. While the eruption destroyed the cities and their inhabitants, it also preserved a lot of the material evidence. Longenecker uses these two cities and the archaeological finds there to illuminate what life must have been like in first-century Roman cities. He then makes connections with the New Testament in a vary helpful fashion, giving a fuller picture of life in first-century Rome than we ordinarily see. There are some peculiarities to the book. Most of these he discusses in ch 3. It's not clear why he uses such terms as "Jesus devotee" and "Jesus follower" instead of "Christian" and I found the practice annoying. He certainly didn't indicate any distinction between the two terms. But aside from the usual liberal shibboleths (CE instead of AD; late dates for most of the New Testament books [see p 35]; Pastoral epistles not by Paul) there is a great deal of useful information in this book. I recommend it for the discerning reader.

[John Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting overview or introduction to the interaction of first century Roman culture and early Christianity, using archeological evidence from ancient Pompeii. The author has some great insights explaining the cultural context behind much of the New Testament writings. Along the way he illuminates some of the controversial passages in the epistles of Paul, Peter and others. Although somewhat technical (it is actually a college-level textbook), it is an easy, flowing read and sometimes a real page-turner.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about learning historical background about the New Testament that never gets old. That rush of seeing a familiar text with new eyes is an absolute joy. Longenecker's book facilitates this rush in a way that few others do. With great skill he smoothly weaves together concrete historical data from Pompeii with writings from the Greco-Roman World, culminating in engaging discussions of the early Christian communities and NT texts.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Draws together evidence from Pompeii and Herculaneum (in addition to some other sources) to develop an understanding of some aspects of ancient life. I liked how it considered this context in comparison to the perspectives of new testament authors.

Very interesting even though quite a few of the conclusions drawn felt like a big stretch.

[Lori Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good insight into the 1st century greco-roman world. And an interesting way to go about it. Yet, I still don’t full understand how the excavations of Pompeii completely relate to the Jesus movement. Overall, good and informed and sometimes funny.

[Alex Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic look at the first century Roman world, specifically focusing in on Pompeii and Herculaneum. It offers a great insight into the world of the earliest Christians and shows how some parts of the New Testament would have fit into the world in which they were written.

[Lori Neff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Pretty fascinating insights about the past through archeology.

[Dane Radigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book as it brought a historical perspective to the first century as a means to compare the tradition of Jesus following that was being built. Read for class

[Jadon Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banger intro to material evidence and the first century Roman world. Particularly helpful for NT interpretation.