The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a fictional book written in the form of a narrative. The book is a compilation of numerous letters written between different prominent men of the first century. Although this book is fiction, “it does not mean these conversations did not take place” (10). The letters that make up the book were found and translated into English after the discovery of scrolls in the city of Pergamum. They were mainly a series of letters written by Luke, a Gentile physician; Antipas, a Roman businessman; and other individuals, both Christians and pagans, of the first century. Bruce Longenecker, who studied and received his doctorate of philosophy at the University of Durham, provides a glimpse of what might have taken place among …show more content…
those in Pergamum and surrounding cities at the turn of the century. The author’s method of placing these writings in a logical order of suspenseful events throughout the book kept the reader captivated as the story unfolded. Longenecker not only displays his ability to take these letters and turn them into a significant piece of literature but in producing this work, he also reveals that he possesses true scholarly talents. He uses those talents as a lecturer of New Testament Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The thesis of this book made clear through the author’s ability for the reader to have a front row seat to observe what is taking place in the story. The author brings his audience in closer to see the fine details within the conversations between the characters, as well as to see what is taking place in their day-to-day lives. The narrative begins in the first century within the cities of Pergamum and Ephesus. Communication between a pagan and a Christian sets the stage. The first letter begins with an invitation to the seasonal gladiatorial contest in the city of Pergamum. Calpurinus, who is not charmed about the events, receives the invitation to the contests and decides that he wants to represent his city, Ephesus. The story transitions as the literature of Homer is presented. Antipas sends a request for literature written by Homer from the library of Theophilus, the father of Calpurnius. Since Antipas has been studying Alexandrian history, Calpurnius graciously sends the copy of Homer by way of a servant. After receiving the copy of Homer, Antipas and Calpurnius meet for the seasonal gladiatorial contest. However, Calpurinus’ brother’s son dies suddenly, so he has to depart from Ephesus and head to Caesarea to be with his family. This misfortune creates space for Luke, a friend of Calpurnius and a close companion with his father Theophilus, to begin corresponding with Antipas through letters. It does not take Luke long to begin speaking with Antipas about Jesus Christ. It is, in fact, this relationship in the narrative that takes precedence. Luke writes to Antipas and introduces him to people who call themselves Christians. These Christians are men and women who worship the God of Israel through this man who is fully God, yet fully man. Luke also describes Jesus as a man from “Galilee, who Antipas spent a lot of time there who he may find interesting to read about” (37). Luke tells Antipas “many of them who call themselves Christians believe this Jesus to be the Jewish messiah, or Christ, and the human incarnation of the most high God” (37). This type of statement would be difficult to accept with the background knowledge of how society viewed Christians in this time; Christians were considered to be social outcasts (41), and no one of any significant social standing wanted to be connected with them. Although Antipas, who is a pagan worshipper of the gods Zeus, Olympios, and Jupiter, is unsure about these Christians, he acknowledges that the monograph of Luke would be interesting to study and agrees for Luke to send it. Through their letters concerning the gladiatorial contest and the wellbeing of Calpurinus, Luke is able to tell Antipas more about Christians and the man named Jesus. Luke also tells of how “Nero clothed some of the Christians in skins of wild animals and set loose dogs on them, which promptly tore them to pieces” (46). This peaked Antipas interest in trying to understand what kind of people would give their lives for such a belief in a God, especially a man from Nazareth. Antipas concludes, “Jesus seems a curious figure” (64). Antipas cannot fully comprehend how Christians could place their allegiance to this one man while the gods of Rome were fervently worshipped. Luke and Antipas continue to grow in their relationship, and Antipas’ inquiries about Jesus and his followers become stronger and stronger. Luke encourages Antipas to seek out Christians and go to their meeting. Antipas, along with another leader and sponsor of the gladiatorial contest, Rufinus, arrive at the house of Kalandion on the Lord’s Day. Antipas, who is asked to read Luke’s monograph, is fascinated by his observations of the Christians. He notes, “the gatherers are very diverse with regard to their social statures, ethnic backgrounds, and civic positions” (90). It was evident something was different about these people. Antipas reported back to Luke, “I have never seen members of association act in that fashion” (90). The impression that the Christians made on him would change his life forever. Although Antipas noted that his first impression of these Christians was positive, Rufinus, on the other hand, was very skeptical and superstitious. Antipas becomes a regular meeting attendee and brings both his servant and Rufinus into the home of Christians where they are encouraged to act on what they heard.
Although Rufinus attends the meetings, he wholeheartedly disagrees with the teachings of Christ. Antipas is overwhelmed by the Christians’ love for one another, their hospitality, and the deep family-like bond they possess. Antipas is asked to serve by helping oversee the new renovations to the temple Asklepion and the library in Pergamum. Antipas becomes closely connected to these Christians, particularly a girl named Nouna, who is being kept by Demetrius and Diotis. Antipas returns to Pergamum and finds the attacks on Christians have worsened since he left. Demetrius, one of Nouna’s caregivers, had been taken into custody by the magistrates and was being held for retribution (164). After receiving the death sentence for not recanting the name of Christ as Lord, Antipas makes a plea on Demetrius’ behalf and claims that he is the true reason for Demetrius’s rebellion against the city magistrates. Antipas reveals to the emperor that he had financially supported Demetruius’ care for Nouna, the orphan girl. The change of Antipas’ heart and his desire to willingly give his life for another speaks volumes about how Luke’s two-volume monographs had changed Antipas’ life. Antipas comes full circle from being a pagan Roman businessman to a lover of Christ, even sacrificing his very own life for Demetruis. The letter concludes with the martyrdom of Antipas at the amphitheater on the day of the Pergamum gladiatorial games. Even as Antipas stands before the emperor of the city to pronounce his confession of Demitruis, Rufinus, who had also heard the same readings about the man from Nazareth in the gatherings with Christians, turns his head as though Antipas had never said a word. Antipas is then placed in the dead carcass of a bull, chained tightly, and mauled to death by the wild animals. Antonious, a Pergamum
nobleman who witnesses Antipas’s death, reported to Luke, “I saw no sorrow for the terrible events that had now befallen his friend Antipas; instead, the look on his [Rufinus] face seemed to say that justice had been done” (178). The author does an excellent job in placing the letters in their logical progression as the story unfolds, from Antipas’s letter of invitation (19-20) to Antionius’ letter to Luke sharing the new of Antipas’s death (173-180). The book is well established in its presentation, as well as the historical information that is provided. The author clearly gets his thesis across by establishing the heart of the book by allowing the reader to go back into history to grasp the life and struggles of those in the first century. The author’s expertise in New Testament studies is evident by the specificity of cultural settings, historical contexts, and the early Christians struggles. More focus on the resurrection would be the only thing that could have strengthened the book even more. As a biblical counseling student, this book is exceptionally insightful and provides me with a new outlook on the New Testament. I believe a professor of the Bible, a seminary student, a pastor, or just a layperson would all greatly benefit from this book.
Rowlands, Mark. The Philosopher and the Wolf . New York : Pegasus Publishing , 2008.
William Clifford was born on the 4th of May 1845 in Exeter England. He was an English mathematician and British philosopher. At the age of 15, William attended Kings College, London where he achieved a minor scholarship to Trinity College. Later after graduation he was invited to join the Apostles. He became concerned of many religious questions after studying the influential philosopher Thomas Aquinas and he decided to turn away from religion. Clifford’s philosophical standpoint was a major influence for his day. One of his greatest written accomplishments was an essay “The Ethics of Belief”.
The Lost Letters of Pergamum, by Bruce W. Longnecker, is a story of letters being exchanged between characters Antipas and Luke. Antipas is a civic leader of Rome and Luke is the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. This book was written to give the modern reader a glimpse into the context of Christianity and the first century church. Longnecker conveys the life of Christ through the letters and the effects of his life on the culture. Throughout the book we see clear differences between the Roman Empire and Christianity and by the end of the letters we witness Antipas go through a dramatic change in heart and character.
The Lost Letters of Pergamum by Bruce W. Longenecker begins with an interesting author’s preface that explains the book. In the preface, Longenecker explains that this book is about Antipas, who is mentioned once in the book of revelations of the bible, and that this work is fictional. He also illustrates that this story is a reconstruction of Antipas’ life in his final years. It is also explained how Antipas got his name from Herod Antipas. The preface goes on to explain that although this work is fiction, it is based upon extensive research of the author about the time period in which he is writing and has historical merit with regards to the Roman Empire and Jesus’ teachings. Longenecker notes in his introduction that the editor’s preface is also fictional. The editor’s preface is constructed in a very compelling manner that makes it seem almost real. It discusses discoveries of ancient cities of Ephesus and Pergamum and their temples and houses. The architects dug up Pergamum and there they discovered the letters of Antipas.
In response to this summarization of Butler’s “Beside Oneself”, I have generated reasoning towards my answers to Butler’s questions within her writing. Though her summary makes many valid identifications, there are still many questions to be rejoined in a more in-depth manner.
In the Antigone, unlike the Oedipus Tyrannus, paradoxically, the hero who is left in agony at the end of the play is not the title role. Instead King Creon, the newly appointed and tyrannical ruler, is left all alone in his empty palace with his wife's corpse in his hands, having just seen the suicide of his son. However, despite this pitiable fate for the character, his actions and behavior earlier in the play leave the final scene evoking more satisfaction than pity at his torment. The way the martyr Antigone went against the King and the city of Thebes was not entirely honorable or without ulterior motives of fulfilling pious concerns but it is difficult to lose sight of the fact that this passionate and pious young woman was condemned to living imprisonment.
For the author, the fact that Perpetua is a woman strengthens her sacrifice for her faith. This is due to the societal norms and customs she disobeys and overcomes to become a martyr. In ancient Rome, they lived in a patriarchal society. This will make her disobedience of her father more noteworthy as it violates the cultural custom. In her writing, Perpetua talks of her father coming to her in the prison. She says “He came up to me to cast down my faith saying: Have pity, daughter, on my grey hairs; have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called father by you” (The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas 5). Multiple times, her father comes to her in prison, begging that she say she is not a Christian so she may live. Through this interaction with her father, we can see his fatherly love as he tries to prevent her death. We also see a sort of disgrace that comes from a daughter’s disobedience, she writes that her father says “give me not over to the reproach of men” (The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas 5). This show of direct disobedience of her father portrays Perpetua as a stronger martyr. She is not only giving her life for her faith, but going against society and customs, saying her beliefs are more important than both. This is a strong example to encourage conversion to Christianity. When Perpetua is in prison, her father tells her to “look upon your son, who will not endure to live after you” (The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas 5). This leads to another point concerning Perpetua as a woman. If she dies for her faith, she will abandon her child and give up being a mother. In ancient times, much of a women’s identity was in her ability to be a good mother. With her martyrdom, Perpetua will choose faith over this key part of her life and legacy. This, yet again, shows why, by being a woman, Perpetua is a strong example in the author’s purpose to convert
In the end, however, Jocasta dies and Oedipus is overthrown and ruined. Like her parents, Antigone defies powerful authority. Unlike her parents though, that authority is not of the gods, but rather of a person who thinks he is a god: Creon, Antigone's uncle, great-uncle, and king. He proclaims that the body of Polyneices, Antigone's brother who fought against Thebes in war, would be left to rot unburied on the field, “He must be left unwept, unsepulchered, a vulture's prize..” (ANTIGONE, Antigone, 192).
Niles, Patricia. “The Enlightenment.” Novaonline. Niles and C.T. Evans, 7 May 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. .
of A Dialogue Between a Philosopher and a Student of the Common Laws of England;Behemoth: Or the Long Parliament (1668); and various essays on free will, optics, geometry, and moral philosophy. 2
Antigone utilizes her moral foundations, her religious roots, and the events of her past to form a sophisticated argument. Despite being unable to convince Creon to reverse her punishment, Antigone is able to convince the people of Thebes that she was right in her actions. After Antigone’s death, and the deaths of several others, Creon reflects on this monologue and realizes the honest truth behind Antigone’s actions and words.
The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.
Melchert, Norman. The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy. 4th ed. Toronto: McGraw Hill Companies, 2002.
Robinson, R. R. (1994). Some methodological approaches to the unexplained points. Philosophy 2B/3B (pp. 27-34). Melbourne: La Trobe University.