Oxford University Press Oxford Christ Among the Messiahs - Paul and Ancient Judaism

Explore a fresh perspective on ancient religious language with Christ Among the Messiahs by Matthew V. Novenson. Published by Oxford University Press, this academic work challenges the current scholarly consensus regarding the meaning of messianic terms in antiquity. While many researchers suggest that the word "messiah" lacked a determinate meaning in Hellenistic and Roman-period texts, and that Paul's use of "christos" differs from its conventional sense, Novenson offers a different argument. He contends that all contemporary uses of such language, including those found in Paul's writings, provide essential evidence for understanding the actual range of meaning used during this period. This book is an important resource for students and scholars of religion, theology, and ancient Judaism. It provides a rigorous examination of how messiah language functioned within its historical context, offering a new way to interpret the connection between Paul's theology and the broader Jewish landscape of the time.