Ancient World Seminar: Prof John Barclay, 'Gifts that Circulate and Gifts that Surprise: Early Christian Gifts in the Context of Graeco-Roman Benefactions'

John Barclay, Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University,  is one of the foremost scholars of early Christianity and Judaism. He has published extensively on the apostle Paul as well as on the socio-historical context of the Pauline communities. He has written a standard work on Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora and a commentary on Josephus' Against Apion. John Barclay will speak on his forthcoming book on gift reciprocity:

'Gifts that Circulate and Gifts that Surprise: Early Christian Gifts in the Context of Graeco-Roman Benefactions'

Setting the context of gift reciprocity in the Greek and Roman worlds, Barclay will explore Seneca's treatise De Beneficiis to outline a Stoic solution to the problem of benefactions.  He will then trace what is, and is not, distinctive about the early Christian discourse (and practice).