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Explore one of the most exciting books of the Bible and one of the most fascinating accounts of history with an expert in early Christianity, Sr. Laurie Brink. This series of lectures approaches the twenty-eight chapters of Acts of the Apostles as a multifaceted text, exploring its contents as a literary, ancient and religious work. It provides a glimpse into how the earliest believers understood and proclaimed the Gospel.

Acts of the Apostles is Luke's attempt to follow up on where his Gospel left off, narrating the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Acts is so much more than the first history of Christianity. No other work in the New Testament includes such a literary variety, covers so great a geographic and temporal expanse or introduces more characters. There are miracles, mayhem, sudden deaths, shipwrecks, resuscitations and harrowing escapes.

You can join the ride and follow Peter, Paul and the other apostles and disciples and learn about their mission that will bring martyrdom to some, hardship to most and the gospel to all through this 12-lecture series.

With this order you will receive, free of charge, a detailed Electronic Study Guide. With your confirmation email, you will receive a link that will take you to this Electronic Study Guide, which includes outlines for each topic, review questions and suggested readings for further study. The link to access this Electronic Study Guide will also be included on the case of your CDs or DVDs. You are allowed to print up to 7 copies of your guide. Simply click on the link, or type it into your browser, to access the file.

About Your Presenter

Sr. Laurie Brink, O.P., Ph.D, is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. A Sinsinawa Dominican Sister, Sr. Brink received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She has published extensively on the ancient social, religious, and cultural world out of which early Christianity emerged. Her recent scholarship has focused on the role of the Roman military in the spread of Christianity.

Having worked as a senior staff member for the Combined Caesarea Expeditions, Sr. Brink continues to do research in Greco-Roman archaeology. She regularly leads Bible study programs to the Middle East for CTU. Along with Marianne Race, C.S.J., Sr. Brink co-authored In This Place: Reflections on the Land of the Gospels for the Liturgical Cycles (Wipf & Stock, 2008). She co-edited the monograph, Commemorating the Dead: Texts and Artifacts in Context (DeGruyter, 2008), which resulted from a two-year interdisciplinary study of ancient burials. She has published articles on Luke-Acts in The Bible Today and New Theology Review and on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians in Biblische Zeitschrift. Sr. Brink is a member of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Catholic Biblical Association, Chicago Society of Biblical Research, and Society of Biblical Literature. Sr. Brink’s previous Now You Know Media program is titled St. Paul’s Letters Series: Philipians.

Topic Titles

• Introduction to the Study of Acts of the Apostles
• The Prequel to Acts: The Gospel of Luke
• The Importance of Lucan Geography in Acts of the Apostles
• The Pentecost Experience
• The Work of the Deacons
• Saul becomes Paul
• The Peter Narratives
• The Question of the Gentiles
• Paul's Missionary Journeys
• First Century Economic Interests
• Villains, Victims and Victors
• The Sequels: The Apocryphal Acts