Paul’s Alternative Mediterranean

doi:10.1017/9781009532396.008

8 - Paul’s Alternative Mediterranean

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2026

Harry O. Maier

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Rubina Raja

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Rubina Raja: Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark

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Summary

Abstract: The chapter engages Horden and Purcell’s revision of Braudel’s Mediterranean model to seek a more dynamic account of Christ religion in its Mediterranean contexts. Critiquing earlier portrayals that examine Paul through a Mediterranean lens, it offers a more nuanced account through exploration of fictional social networks and geographical itineraries found in Acts, as well as in both the undisputed and disputed Pauline letters and apocryphal acts. The journeys described in Acts and implied by Paul’s letters offer a panoramic Mediterranean view, akin to ancient imperial maps, envisioning a world shaped by itineraria of early Christ travellers. Employing David Sacks’s insights, the essay examines Paul’s territorial concept of the Mediterranean, controlling people and regions through an imagined geography connected by messengers and audiences. Paul’s letters condense the Mediterranean by using vivid imperial imagery and language, revealing alignment and distinction from the Roman Empire. Integrating anthropological insights on gift-giving, Paul’s Mediterranean is seen as a shifting and dynamic phenomenon challenging patronage norms, fostering social cooperation, and economic solidarity.

Keywords

Anthropology of the gift Braudelianism imperial maps territorialism Roman imperial iconography Pauline collection New Testament Mediterranean studies social networks ancient letter writing

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Mediterranean in Antiquity
New Perspectives from Prehistory to the Byzantine Period
, pp. 176 - 204
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009532396.008 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2026

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