The Hellenistic Öffentlichkeit : philosophy as a social force in the Greco-Roman world / Troels Engberg-Pedersen -- Expansion and recruitment among Hellenistic religions : the case of Mithraism / D.E. Aune -- Proselytes, conquest, and mission / Peder Borgen -- Paul and the beginning of Christian conversion / Alan F. Segal -- Jesus before culture / Graydon F. Snyder -- Conquest and social conflict in Galilee / Richard Horsley -- Once more-- the Hellenists, Hebrews, and Stephen : conflicts and conflict-management in Acts 6-7 / Torrey Seland -- Judaism, the circumcision of Gentiles, and apocalyptic hope : another look at Galatians 1 and 2 / Paula Fredriksen -- A response to Fredriksen's "Judaism, the circumcision of Gentiles, and apocalyptic hope : another look at Galatians 1 and 2" / Peder Borgen -- Expansion and conflict : the rhetoric of Hebrew Bible citations in Galatians 3 / Kjell Arne Morland -- Phases in the social formation of early Christianity : from faction to sect-- a social scientific perspective / John H. Elliott -- Election, obedience, and eschatology : Deuteronomy 30:2-14 in Romans 9-11 and the writings of Philo / Per Jarle Bekken -- The role of the congregation as a family within the context of recruitment and conflict in the early church / Karl Olav Sandnes -- Family-like care and solidarity as a pattern of social control in the ancient church / Øyvind Norderval.