After the First Urban Christians

Todd D. Still (Ph.D.University of Glasgow) is Associate Professor of Christian Scriptures at theGeorge W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.Among other publications, he is the author of Conflict at Thessalonica: A Pauline Church and Its Neighbours and the editor of Jesus and Paul Reconnected: Fresh Pathways into an Old Debate.David G. Horrell is Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Exeter, UK. He is the author of several books, including An Introduction to the Study of Paul (T&T Clark, Second Edition 2006) and Solidarity and Difference (T&T Clark, 2005). He was the editor of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament from 2002-2007. He is an active member of the British New Testament Society, having chaired the Social World of the New Testament Seminar from 2001-2006, and is also a member of the Society for Biblical Literature (SBL) and Society for New Testament Studies (SNTS). He completed his PhD at Cambridge on Paul's Corinthian letters and the letter known as 1 Clement.

• Introduction-The editors Chapter One: The use of theories and models from the social sciences-David G. Horrell (University of Exeter, UK) Chapter Two: The urban environment of Pauline Christianity-Peter Oakes (University of Manchester, UK) Chapter Three: The social level of Pauline Christians-Bruce Longenecker (University of St. Andrews, UK) Chapter Four: Formation of the ekklesia-Edward Adams (King's College, London, UK) Chapter Five: Governance-Todd D. Still (Baylor University, Truett Seminary, USA) Chapter Six: Ritual-Louise Lawrence (University of Exeter, UK) Chapter Seven: Patterns of belief and patterns of life-Dale B. Martin (Yale University, USA) Chapter Eight: Epilogue: Retrospect and prospect-Wayne A. Meeks (Yale University, Emeritus, USA) Conclusion- The editors

This is a fine volume, well-researched and more than adequately fulfilling the aim of the contributors to evaluate the contribution of Meek's volume to subsequent social-scientific criticism. Every chapter not only succinctly surveys relevant subsequent scholarship, but offers a substantial contribution to the ongoing debate.