Revisiting the God-Fearer Thesis in the Development of Early Christianity

By Thomas A. Robinson

This volume examines in depth the theory, evidence, and trail of scholarly work on god-fearers. Thomas A. Robinson argues for substantial revisions in the depiction of the god-fearer phenomenon, the story of early Christianity and its engagement with both Jews and with the larger Greco-Roman population. Robinson provides a thorough analysis of the god-fearer theory, examining scholarly debate and primary literary and inscriptional materials put forward as evidence for the god-fearer theory.

Robinson begins with an exploration of the god-fearing community, its definition, or lack thereof, and its role as a bridge to Christianity in the Greco-Roman world. He then examines the key features of god-fearers, and the scholarly appeal to circumcision as the primary barrier preventing god-fearer conversion to Judaism. The volume concludes with an exploration of Luke's Acts and its readers and a thorough investigation of inscriptional and literary evidence supporting god-fearer theory.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0567722309
• ISBN13: 9780567722300
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.2"