Theologie und Ethos im frühen Christentum: Studien zu Jesus, Paulus und Lukas

Michael Wolter presents studies on central themes of the mission of Jesus, the theology of Paul the apostle, and the theology of history in Luke-Acts. He demonstrates that there is a distinct theological continuity among Jesus, Paul, and Luke. At the same time, the studies show that first Paul and then Luke vary in the subjects they emphasized in order to reformulate the particular character of the Christian faith for the Christian communities in their own times. The author sees Jesus' claim to be the authentic representative of God's salvific care of Israel as the center of Jesus' mission. Paul develops the theological concept of a Christian identity and of a corresponding Christian ethos that are based exclusively on the faith in Jesus Christ, and Luke endeavors to explain the history of the Jewish-Christian parting of the ways as an integral part of the history of Israel. The author concludes the book with comprehensive studies on apocalypticism, the history of the concept of law, and the theology of sin.