This volume is concerned with Paul's world. The major question to ask is―what is that world of Paul? In determinable ways, Paul's world is everything in the world in which Paul lived and acted, and hence virtually everything that Paul did. In other words, Paul's world can be defined macrocosmically and microcosmically. As the term is defined in the various essays in this volume, Paul's world includes the surrounding environment in which Paul functioned, including its various religious, social, cultural, literary, rhetorical, linguistic and related phenomena. This volume treats some of the most important and germane factors that went into making up the world in which Paul lived, and that consequently defined who he was and became. This collection of twelve studies admirably maps out the intellectual, social and religious worl in which Paul was located....The contents of this volume are both rich and varied...The studies collected here do address significant factors that influenced Paul, and at times offer new insights into Paul's Sitz im Leben . Paul Foster, Expository Times , June 2009 ' Porter’s first four volumes have brought scholars from various persuasions, traditions and countries together and given them the opportunity to present their views to an international audience. The quality of their contributions is impressive. Porter is to be thanked for his own contributions and the effort involved in bringing the series together. ' Christoph Stenschke, Religion and Theology 16, 2009 All contributions are of high quality and will be of interested to both scholar and student alike. Gary W. Burnett. Journal for the Study of the New Testament , 31.5 (2009) This volume is concerned with Paul's world. The major question to ask isa "what is that world of Paul? In determinable ways, Paul's world is everything in the world in which Paul lived and acted, and hence virtually everything that Paul did. In other words, Paul's world can be defined macrocosmically and microcosmically. As the term is defined in the various essays in this volume, Paul's world includes the surrounding environment in which Paul functioned, including its various religious, social, cultural, literary, rhetorical, linguistic and related phenomena. This volume treats some of the most important and germane factors that went into making up the world in which Paul lived, and that consequently defined who he was and became. Stanley E. Porter , Ph.D. (1988) in Biblical Studies and Linguistics, the University of Sheffield, is President, Dean and Professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He has published extensively in New Testament and related subjects. He has also edited the first three volumes in the Pauline Studies series, The Pauline Canon (Brill, 2004), Paul and His Opponents (Brill, 2005), and Paul and His Theology (Brill, 2006). Contributors include: Sean A. Adams, Panayotis Coutsoumpos, Craig A. Evans, Ron C. Fay, Jim Harrison, Ronald F. Hock, Craig S. Keener, Tobias Nicklas, Andrew W. Pitts, and Michael J. Thate.