Religion and Culture in the Eastern Mediterranean World of Paul's Day, Introduction

Chapter Four
A COCK FOR ASCLEPIUS: ‘RELIGION’ AND ‘CULTURE’ IN PAUL’S WORLD
2. Religion and Culture in the Eastern Mediterranean World of Paul’s Day
(I) Introduction

As with everything else in this Part of the present book, no attempt or claim is made here for complete or exhaustive coverage of the highly complex field of ancient religion.47 I highlight what seem to me the important features for understanding the world of those whom Paul addressed in cities themselves as diverse as Corinth, Ephesus and Antioch – and for understanding what, in these terms, might have been assumed, imagined or understood about the new movement by Christian converts themselves, not to mention their families and neighbours. And indeed what, behind all that, Paul himself might have had in mind in ‘mothering’ such communities and then trying to give shape and focus to their common life.48 In one sense, everything about the classical world is grist to this mill, but all we can offer here is a quick survey of some salient points...