The Origins of New Testament Theology

In contrast to studies of New Testament theology that ask or assume what it is, this volume investigates where it comes from. In a dialogue with Hans Dieter Betz, the contributors ask about the origins and preconditions of New Testament theology. How did it begin, both in terms of its historical stimuli and in terms of its earliest literary expressions? To what extent, if at all, did early Christians think of themselves as »doing theology«? How did early Christians come to understand their faith as an object of knowledge, and thus as theology? And, how did early Christians participate in and contribute to wider philosophical conversations about religion and what can be known about the divine in Roman antiquity?Rainer Hirsch-Luipold/Robert Matthew Calhoun: Introduction - Hans Dieter Betz: New Testament Theology: The Origins of a Concept - Gerd Van Riel: Theology and Religiosity in the Greek Pagan Tradition - Johan C. Thom: Theology and Popular Philosophy - Rainer Hirsch-Luipold: Theo-logy in John and in Early Imperial Platonism - Ulrich Luz † Die biblische Tradition als Wurzelgrund neutestamentlicher Theologie: Eine Skizze - Harold W. Attridge: The Beginnings of Christian Theology - Samuel Vollenweider: Paläste und ihre Baupläne: Auf der Suche nach der Theologie des Neuen Testaments - Hans Dieter Betz: The Reasons for Romans: Why Did Paul Write His Letter to the Romans?