Includes bibliographical references (pages 361-402) and indexes.

Social-scientific interpretation of the New Testament: retrospect and prospect / David G. Horrell -- Jesus the witch: witchcraft accusations in Matthew 12 / Bruce J. Malina and Jerome H. Neyrey -- The earliest Christian communities as sectarian movement / Robin Scroggs -- The wandering radicals: light shed by the sociology of literature on the early transmission of Jesus sayings / Gerd Thiessen -- The socio-redaction of Luke-Acts / Philip F. Elser -- Despising the shame of the cross: honor and shame in the Johannine Passion narrative / Jerome H. Neyrey -- Christian missions and the theory of cognitive dissonance -- John G. Gager -- The social level of Pauline Christians / Wayne A. Meeks -- Ritual in the Pauline churches / Margaret Y. MacDonald -- Social integration and sacramental activity: an analysis of 1 Cor 11:17-34 / Gerd Thiessen -- Not many powerful: approaches to a sociology of early Christianity / Luise Schottroff -- Deviance and apostasy: some applications of deviance theory to first-century Judaism and Christianity / John M.G. Barclay -- Leadership patterns and the development of ideology in early Christianity / David G. Horrell -- Social-scientific criticism of a biblical text: 1 Peter as an example / John H. Elliott.