The Lord's Supper in Corinth in the Context of Greco-Roman Private Associations

Abstract

In this socio-historical study, Jin Hwan Lee offers fresh insights on social aspects of communal banqueting practice in early Christ groups, particularly in Corinth. With an emphasis on banqueting practice in Greco-Roman private associations, he attempts to understand social conflicts at communal gatherings of the Christ group in Corinth. His research on the social dynamics of banquet meetings in associations is thorough, fresh, and even striking; readers will be amply rewarded by new ideas to this field. Making use of a wide range of ancient literature, and epigraphical and papyrological sources from associations, Lee helps recover the real issues that the Christ group members encountered at their communal meal described in 1 Cor 11:17–34, boldly claiming that current scholarly approaches to these issues at the Corinthian Christ group communal meal are anachronistic, Lee provides a new paradigm for thinking about early Christ movement meals, and by and large, early Christ movements in the first and second centuries A.D.