The Literary Construction of the Other in the Acts of the Apostles

Synopsis:Too often the negative characterization of others in the biblical text is applied to groups and persons beyond the text whom we wish to define as the Other. Otherness is a synthetic and political social construct that allows us to create and maintain boundaries between them and us. The other that is too similar to us is most problematic. This book demonstrates how proximate characters are constructed as the Other in the Acts of the Apostles. Charismatics, Jews, and women are proximate others who are constructed as the external and internal Other. Endorsements:Here Mitzi Smith provides a subtle and well-written analysis of how the various kinds of characters are portrayed in Acts and what that means for Luke's theology of mission. She moves far beyond the usual literary summaries of Acts: both the nature of language and the nature of story-telling are treated with sensitivity and sophistication, and yet her book is readable for a non-scholarly audience. A must-read for all those interested in the literary achievement of Luke and Acts and what it means for Luke's theology.--Lawrence M. WillsEpiscopal Divinity Schoolauthor of Not God's People: Insiders and Outsiders in the Biblical WorldAuthor Biography:Mitzi J. Smith is Associated Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies at Ashland Theological Seminary at Detroit. She is a contributor to True to Our Native Land (2008).