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James L. Papandrea
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A Week in the Life of Rome (A Week in the Life Series) Paperback – February 19, 2019

by James L. Papandrea (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 71 ratings
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In first-century Rome, following Jesus comes at a tremendous social cost. An urbane Roman landowner and merchant is intrigued by the Christian faith―but is he willing to give up his status and lifestyle to join the church? Meanwhile his young client, a catechumen in the church at Rome, is beginning to see just how much his newfound faith will require of him. A Week in the Life of Rome is a cross section of ancient Roman society, from the overcrowded apartment buildings of the poor to the halls of the emperors. Against this rich backdrop, illuminated with images and explanatory sidebars, we are invited into the daily struggles of the church at Rome just a few years before Paul wrote his famous epistle to them. A gripping tale of ambition, intrigue, and sacrifice, James Papandrea's novel is a compelling work of historical fiction that shows us the first-century Roman church as we've never seen it before.

Previous page
  1. Part of series
    A Week in the Life
  2. Print length
    223 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    IVP Academic
  5. Publication date
    February 19, 2019
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0830824820
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0830824823
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A marvelous read!" -- Rodney Stark, codirector, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University

"Jim Papandrea has done it again. An eminent scholar and theologian of the church fathers, who has also written about Christianity in popular cinema, blends his love of history with his passion for narrative tales. This unique work punctuates a wonderful fictional story with pithy lessons about the life of early Christians. Dr. Papandrea's style makes this a great read for anyone from age twelve to 112. Bravo!" -- Anthony Gill, author of The Political Origins of Religious Liberty

"James L. Papandrea's imaginative narrative builds on a substantial amount of strong historical scholarship, yet it is presented in a fresh and unique way. Contemporary readers will sense both continuity and discontinuity between the earliest church and their own lives. When looking back at first-century Christians in Rome, current practices of the faith amid modern cultural challenges appear both familiar and strange at the same time. One does not need to agree with every aspect of Papandrea's imaginative narrative to benefit greatly from his historical recreation. I occasionally teach a course in Rome and this is now a required textbook; any Christian visiting this great city should read this book before they go!" -- Kelly M. Kapic, professor of theological studies, Covenant College

Review

"James L. Papandrea's imaginative narrative builds on a substantial amount of strong historical scholarship, yet it is presented in a fresh and unique way. Contemporary readers will sense both continuity and discontinuity between the earliest church and their own lives. When looking back at first-century Christians in Rome, current practices of the faith amid modern cultural challenges appear both familiar and strange at the same time. One does not need to agree with every aspect of Papandrea's imaginative narrative to benefit greatly from his historical recreation. I occasionally teach a course in Rome and this is now a required textbook; any Christian visiting this great city should read this book before they go!"

-- Kelly M. Kapic, professor of theological studies, Covenant College

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP Academic; Illustrated edition (February 19, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 223 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0830824820
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0830824823
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 71 ratings

About the author

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James L. Papandrea

James L. Papandrea

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To connect with Jim Papandrea, and participate in his ongoing in-depth Bible Study, join The Original Church Community on Locals at TheOriginalChurch.locals.com

Jim Papandrea is Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, with a PhD in the history and theology of the early Christian Church, New Testament interpretation, and the history of the Roman Empire. Visit Jim Papandrea's home page: www.JimPapandrea.com. Also check out his YouTube series on The Original Church, at www.WhenTheChurchWasOne.com.

Jim Papandrea is also a published songwriter and professional musician, performing and recording as a solo and with his group, "Remember Rome." He is a teacher of songwriting, has written and arranged music for church choirs, and has written two musicals; "Treasures of the Heart" (A Christmas Musical), and "The Prodigal's Dream" (An Easter Opera). IF YOU LIKE JIM PAPANDREA'S BOOKS, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN HIS MUSIC - Check out Jim Papandrea's latest CD: Still Quiet Voice, available from Amazon, or for more information, visit his home page, www.JimPapandrea.com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
71 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

J. Byrd
5.0 out of 5 stars Great way to learn about the early church in Rome
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
The author does a great job of blending biblical characters into the history of the early church in Rome. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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KEM
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes the Bible come alive
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is the first time I've read a book like this where you have both a novel and frequent "sidebar" information giving background, culture, and biblical insights. The combination made for fascinating reading that was also helpful in understanding what was going on both in the Bible and the culture of that time. I will definitely read more of these kinds of books. This one was great.
3 people found this helpful
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A. Horton
4.0 out of 5 stars Overall good book
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book. It was a well written edutainment type book for understanding ancient Rome. However, there are informative sections put in during the narrative that hault the "flow" of the story. These parts are still fairly important for understanding, so I usually flipped though the chapter and read them before reading the story.
3 people found this helpful
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Bob M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very insightful
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book gives a great deal of detailed information as to how first century Romans, and Cristians in Rome, lived. The presentation of how their society functions gives great insight and the story line keeps one interested. I highly recommend this book.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
I loved this book! I will be traveling to Rome in a few weeks, and this book helped prepare me with historical facts and info. I loved the fictional story centered in Ancient Rome, and weaved throughout the prose are snippets of facts and history about the culture and customs. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned so much about Roman culture.
3 people found this helpful
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Sally McC
3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Read This in Electronic Form. Here's Why.
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019
In this recent new release, James Papandrea gives the reader of what life was like in Roman for both fledgling Christians and Roman citizens. It’s AD50, and the Jews have been banished from the city, but the community awaits one very important person who’s traveling from Jerusalem to see them. Stachys, a Greek who also happens to be a Roman citizen, is married to a Way-Follower but his patron is a worshipper of Pagan gods and is looking for increased status. Will either of them live long enough to see Peter arrive?

A Week in the Life of Rome should be a great book. It’s got a good storyline to it, with interesting characters. Most of the characters are all mentioned in the New Testament; while the Pauline letters mention them in passing, Papandrea fleshes them out and gives them identity. It’s also a combination of a novel and an encyclopedia. If it was on television, the best comparison would be a docudrama.

That’s where I had a problem with this read. I read it in electronic form - where formatting is never the greatest - and I think this does need to be read in print format. There are plenty of factual blocks to explain aspects of Roman life, such as the Patron-Client system, and the types of homes that Romans lived in. These don’t come at the end of a chapter but, instead, break up the narrative. The breaks weren’t clear in the e-book but I presume they would be in a paper book. This meant that passages that should’ve been tense weren’t.

It’s a shame that the flow of the book was broken up in such a way. Each explanatory section lessened the tension. I’ve no doubt that, written as a straight piece of fiction, A Week in the Life of Rome, could’ve been a fantastic novel.

Disclaimer: I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a review, and the words above are my own.
5 people found this helpful
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Tim F.
5.0 out of 5 stars Really helps to understand life in 1st century Rome.
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book really helps put Roman's and Acts in context
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C. Norbury
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting hybrid of fiction and non-fiction
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2019
I found this book surprisingly enjoyable to read. I say that because I'm not into religion or religious history and thought this book would be on the dry, boring side. But the author used a clever technique interspersed the historical facts and photos in between a fictionalized account of a week in Rome shortly after Jesus's death that featured some "typical" people living in Rome at the time and awaiting the arrival of the Apostle Peter.

The fiction had nice tension throughout that grew steadily toward the end when Peter finally showed up. Characters were by necessity (length of the book) not fully sketched out but were drawn well enough that we could readily understand their hopes, fears, aspirations, and strengths and weaknesses.

For a hybrid book that blended fiction and non-fiction on a rather dry topic for many, this is worth a read if you're at all curious about early Christianity in first-century Rome.
3 people found this helpful
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