The Acts of the Apostles Through the Centuries

Charting the theological and cultural potency of Acts across the timespan of Christian history, this work of profound scholarship reveals the full extent of the New Testament book s religious, artistic, literary, and political influence. * Reveals the influence of Acts at key turning points in the history of the Christian church * Traces the rich and varied artistic and cultural heritage rooted in Acts, from music to literature * Analyzes the political significance of the book as a touchstone in the church s external relations * Provides detailed commentary on the exegesis of Acts down the centuries

Author Biography: Heidi J. Hornik is Professor of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Art History at Baylor University, USA. She is a highly respected art historian and scholar in the field of reception history, and the author of Michele Tosini and the Ghirlandaio Workshop in Cinquecento Florence (2009). Prof Hornik co-authored the three- volume series Illuminating Luke (2003, 2005, 2007) with her collaborator on this publication, Mikeal Parsons, with whom she also co-edited Interpreting Christian Art (2004). Mikeal C. Parsons is Professor and Macon Chair in Religion at Baylor University, USA, where he has taught since 1986. His extensive publications on textual as well as interpretive topics in biblical studies include Body and Character in Luke and Acts: The Subversion of Physiognomy in Early Christianity (2011), and Luke: Storyteller, Evangelist, Interpreter (2007). Prof Parsons has collaborated with Prof Hornik on two previous publications, both as co-author on the three-volume series Illuminating Luke (2003, 2005, 2007), and as co-editor of Interpreting Christian Art (2004).

List of Figures vii Series Editors' Preface xiii Preface xv Acknowledgements xvii List of Abbreviations xix Introduction: Orienting the Reading 1 Acts 1 19 Acts 2 38 Acts 3 5 66 Acts 6 8 90 Acts 9 110 Acts 10 12 126 Acts 13 14 142 Acts 15 160 Acts 16 17 172 Acts 18 19 193 Acts 20 23 209 Acts 24 26 229 Acts 27 28 242 Epilogue 258 Appendix 1: Citations of the Acts of the Apostles in Creeds & Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition 262 Biographies and Glossary 285 Bibliography 296 Author and Artist Index 322 Index of Scripture References 330 Subject Index 339