{"product_id":"ancient-letters-and-the-purpose-of-romans-book-aaron-ricker-9780567693983","title":"Ancient Letters and the Purpose of Romans","description":"\u003cp\u003eAaron Ricker locates the purpose of Romans in its function as a tool of community identity definition. Ricker employs a comparative analysis of the ways in which community identity definition is performed in first-century association culture, including several ancient network letters comparable to Romans. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRicker’s examination of the community advice found in Rom 12-15 reveals in this new context an ancient example of the ways in which an inscribed addressee community can be invited in a letter to see and comport itself as a “proper” association network community. The ideal community addressed in the letter to the Romans is defined as properly unified and orderly, as well accommodating to – and clearly distinct from – cultures “outside.” Finally, it is defined as linked to a proper network with recognised leadership (i.e., the inscribed Paul of the letter and his network). Paul’s letter to the Romans is in many ways a baffling and extraordinary document. In terms of its community-defining functions and strategies, however, Ricker shows  its purpose to be perfectly clear and understandable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52690410701073,"sku":"NLS9780567693983","price":158.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780567693983.jpg?v=1786109776","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/ancient-letters-and-the-purpose-of-romans-book-aaron-ricker-9780567693983","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}