Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations

Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations: Claiming a Place in Ancient Mediterranean Society Paperback– January 1, 2003

by Philip Harland (Author)

This is a classic, well researched treatment of the connection between the early church and the associations and synagogues of the time. It is an especially timely read to address the controversy and those who push for us to use the word Ekklesia instead of Church. This gives some historical background and shows how the early church navigated the different groupings that were in society at the time

The book is currently very expensive on Amazon and out of print. It is available as a free download on the author’s website.
https://philipharland.com/publications/Harland%202013%20Associations-Synagogues-Congregations.pdf

Ephesus, Galatia, Troas, and Pergamum are familiar names to readers of the New Testament. But what made this region such fertile ground for early synagogues and congregations of those who followed Christ? How did the earliest churches and synagogues organize themselves? How did other voluntary associations operate within the Roman Empire? How did such organizations relate to the constraints of imperial religion? These are some of the questions that Philip Harland addresses in this stimulating look at first-century Roman Asia. He surveys the various forms of guilds and associations in the eastern Roman Empire. Asia Minor is one of the primary regions of Paul?s journeys described in Acts, and it provided the context for several New Testament books, especially the Pastoral Epistles, 1 Peter, and Revelation. The author?s fresh look at ancient inscriptions reveals new insights about the formation, operation, and functions of congregations and synagogues within the larger framework of voluntary associations in the Roman world.