Discipleship and Family Ties in Mark and Matthew

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The book explores the impact of early Christianity on family dynamics during the first two centuries CE, focusing on the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. Dr. Barton analyzes family-related passages through multiple critical lenses—form, redaction, literary, and sociological—to provide a comprehensive understanding. He contextualizes these tensions within Jewish and Greco-Roman traditions, highlighting a common belief that higher religious or philosophical commitments could override familial obligations. The author posits that the Jesus movement fostered a new identity rooted in allegiance to Jesus and his followers.