Mission and Conversion

This is a controversial and important new examination of the origins of Christian mission, set against the background of ancient Judaism and the pagan culture of the Roman Empire. The author's startling conclusions suggest that mission was not inherent in either early Judaism or Christianity, and was only sporadically practised in antiquity by these religions. Clear, accessible, and at the same time displaying considerable scholarship, this book will provide an important challenge and a stimulus to both theologians and historians, and is likely to provoke keen and lively debate among scholars of these disciplines. It invites a total re-consideration of the grounds for religious mission in both Christianity and Judaism.