Conflict at Thessalonica: A Pauline Church and its Neighbours (The Library of New Testament Studies #183)

By: Todd D. Still

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Synopsis: This book addresses an important issue in Thessalonian research that has hitherto received inadequate scholarly attention: the conflict relations between Christians and non-Christians in Thessalonica. By engaging in careful exegesis of pertinent texts and by drawing upon ancient literary parallels and the social-scientific study of deviance and conflict, Still is able to spell out in some detail the specifics and the dynamics of Paul's and his Thessalonian converts' clash with outsiders. In this study, he shows that the conflict (thlipsis) in Thessalonica was rather complex-having varied origins, multiple causes, and mixed effects. As a result, this work not only provides a nuanced analysis of the conflict in Thessalonica, but also demonstrates that the Thessalonian correspondence can be best read when insider and outsider interaction is kept clearly in view.