Childhood and Fictive Kinship in the Roman Empire

Taught as a Child: The Family-Forging Effect of Instruction in Early Christianity and its Historical Influences

By Zane McGee

PAPER #4

The kinship-like relationships between the earliest followers of Jesus of Nazareth are well-attested by the New Testament (NT) literature, perhaps most evident in the use of ἀδελφός as a form of mutual address. The origins and functions of such terms, however, are less than clear. While earlier religious traditions no doubt influenced such language, with the Apostle Paul these relationships take on new rhetorical effect as he employs kinship language in direct correlation to his role as teacher.