It seems to me that when it comes to New Testament scholarship there is more attention given to the historical Jesus and Paul than there is to the prominent albeit enigmatic figure of Peter. A new volume from Brill helps right the ship and they are offering this book, The Early Reception and Appropriation of the Apostle Peter (600-800 CE) to anyone who wants it! Who doesn’t love free books?!? You can either go to the website linked above and click the “Download PDF” button or just click here.
But why would you want this volume? For starters, Peter looms large in the canonical Gospels and is no stranger in the Acts of the Apostles. Moreover, two epistles are attributed to him in the form of the pseudonymous letters of 1 and 2 Peter. Additionally, in the writings of the early church fathers Peter’s death is viewed as an example for future generations (e.g. 1 Clement 5:1-4). Finally, in the Roman Catholic tradition Peter is considered the first bishop of Rome, the first pope. All these subjects are covered in this volume edited by historian Roald Dijkstra.
So if you’d prefer to pay $140 for a hardback version of The Early Reception and Appropriation of the Apostle Peter (600-800 CE), then be my guest! Or you can take advantage of a free book by clicking on the link at the beginning of this post.
The Amateur Exegete 