Rhetoric and Reality in Early Christianities

``The collection as a whole is a fine and valuable contribution to the study of early Christianity.... [A]ll of the essays are connected by similar, or at least compatible, interests and questions. [Of] interest ... to specialists in the study of early Christianity and rhetoric generally, as well as those interested in the specific texts used as examples.'' -- Ruben R. Dupertuis, Trinity University -- Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 200708
``Willi Braun does a marvellous job setting the theoretical foundation for the methodological approaches taken by the various authors.'' -- James D. Hester, University of Redlands -- Journal for the Study of Rhetorical Criticism of the New Testament, July 2006, 20060816
``An outstanding understanding of the influences which Christianity induced upon its early development....Very strongly recommended to all students of Christian History and Religious Studies, Rhetoric and Reality in Early Christianities is a seminal work of considerable scholarship.'' -- John Taylor, -- 20060428
``There is not an essay in the volume that is not worth reading, and each in its own way suggests a program for further research. '' -- John S. Kloppenborg, University of Toronto -- Review of Biblical Literature, June 2006, 200911
``Specialists and graduate students will find it a valuable resource for the ways in which contemporary theory has charted new directions in early Christian studies.'' -- David M. Reis, College of Santa Fe -- Religious Studies Review, Vol. 32 # 4, October 2006, 200702
``The essays are well written and consider the social contexts in which persuasive discourse arises. The book as a whole is a welcome addition to the field of rhetorical studies in Christianity.'' -- Steven Muir, Concordia University College of Alberta -- Studies in Religion, Volume 36, Numbers 3-4, 2007, 200803
``The collection impressively balances cohesion with diversity: a reader attracted to any one of these articles will find all to be of interest.... [E]ach article is a case study of a single issue, crucial for all current studies of Christian antiquity--the dynamic of social persuasion in cultural and religious change.... The essays work well together to reveal the ambiguities in the object defined as `rhetoric' by attending to the rhetoricity of a wide range of cultural interactions.... [A] fine collection.'' -- Ian H. Henderson, McGill University -- Toronto Journal of Theology, 22: 2, Fall 2006
``One is rewarded with nine essays that fairly bristle with clear and urgent interest in pushing past the niceties of rhetorical criticism ... to the social settings that bring the arts of persuasion to life.... The essays ... argue well for the study of rhetoric as a social, rather than merely literary practice. The volume is well worth reading, in its parts and as a whole.'' -- Jennifer A. Harris -- University of Toronto Quarterly, Letters in Canada 2005, Volume 76, number 1, Winter 2007, 200801