The Colossian Syncretism

By Clinton E. Arnold

Book Overview

Our modern era is not unique in its fascination with angels and the spirit world. Paul's young converts in Colossae also had a keen interest in the subject, but some of them allowed this interest to distort their newfound Christian faith. Defining the exact nature of the Colossian heresy, however, has been a perennial challenge to interpreters. The Colossian Syncretism offers groundbreaking evidence on the true nature of the problem that the Apostle Paul opposed so vehemently. Drawing upon little-known angel inscriptions, magical texts, and archeological evidence from Asia Minor, the author argues that the Colossians tried to combine Paul's teachings about Christ with local pagan and Jewish folk beliefs. The result was a syncretism that kept them captive to the fear of evil spirits, dependent on the power of magic and amulets, and blind to the liberating power of the indwelling Christ, the supreme Creator and Lord of all spiritual principalities and powers. In addition to unearthing the historical background of Paul's letter to the Colossians, The Colossian Syncretism presents Paul's strategy for addressing the religious syncretism he faced there. It thus provides a working model for Christian missionaries and evangelists discipling converts from today's religiously pluralistic societies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1498217575
• ISBN13: 9781498217576
• Release Date: December 2014
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
• Length: 390 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

The Colossian Heresy opened up and explained

This book opens up our understanding on what beliefs were attacking the church in Colossea based upon recent archeological findings that shed new light on "difficult" Greek words such as the "worship of angels." This book sheds light on the dangers behind much of the "revivalism" and "charismania" with the emphasis on "spiritual warfare" that we are experiencing. An excellent read.

Gain a deeper understanding of the Pauline Letters

My experience has taught me that the letters of Paul are some of the most theologically influential books in the bible. Therefore it is a must that those who study or teach from these sources have a good understanding of the context within which they were written, but enough of my rambling... This book deals with religious and philisophical beliefs of Christians and Pagans alike in Collosae and the surrounding cities. The arguments presented are well thought out and the evidence is meticulously presented (while this is a good thing from an academic point of view, it can put you to sleep real fast). I highly recommend this because it is extremely informative about aspects of life in Paul's day that were familiar to people that Paul wrote to, but rather foreign to us today. This book has provided me with a deeper insight into Colossians and all of Paul's letter. Any serious teacher of religion, Sunday School, etc. should read this and I guarantee that your presentations of Paul's letters will be the better for it. One other point is that if you are considering getting this book, get it right away. I've learned that book's of this nature (though potentially beneficial to many) have a limited audience and typically go out-of-print or become otherwise unavailable.