House of Disciples

by Michael H. Crosby

The household was the basic unit of the early church, it also constituted the basic unit of political economy until the Industrial Revolution. This richly detailed work uses the notion of "house" as a unifying theme, establishing the idenity and concerns of the early Christion churches. What emphases did Matthew's gospel have for the audience - which Crosby establishes was urban-based and prosperous - and what does it mean to First World Christians today?

Through an in-depth exploration of Matthew's gospel and its socio-economic milieu, House of Disciples shows how the early church continues to challenge Christians nineteen hundred years later. It makes a unique contribution to both New Testament scholarship and the practice of a contemporary spirituality.

"We are presently amidst a very creative moment in the relating of scripture to ethics, and not least to some of the most important and problematic issues of the day - such as economic ones. Michael Crosby's book is an exegetically detailed and timely contribution."

LARRY L. RASMUSSEN: Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics Union Theological Union

"A fresh, challenging reading of Matthew's gospel from the perspective of economic justice. Using the metaphor of the 'household,' Crosby highlights Matthew's interest in having the gospel of Jesus transform every label of our relationships. His conclusions drive home the meaning of the gospel for a First World church."

DONALD SENIOR, C.P.Catholic Theological Union

"Michael Crosby proffers not only startling new insights about Matthew's gospel but also meticulously constructs an exciting new mode of reading and understanding the scriptures altogether. We are not forced to leave the Bible's struggle with economy lodged in the first century, as modern exegesis has assuduously taught us to do. Rather, Crosby shows how the struggles of the first-century members of the household of Jesus Christ with authority, the division of labor, and the just distribution of social goods, can have a qualitative impact on those who struggle with these same questions in our time."

M.DOUGLAS MEEKS Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy Eden Theological Seminary

MICHAEL CROSBY belongs to the Midwest Province of the Capuchin Franciscans. He lives in a Capuchin Community in downtown Milwaukee. Father Crosby's latest book is Rethinking Celibacy, Reclaiming the Church. His recent books on the gospels of Matthew and John have received awards from the Catholic Press Association. He has a Masters in Economics as well as a Doctorate and Licentiate in Sacred Theology.