Bengt Holmberg is widely known and respected as one of the pioneers of the sociological study of the New Testament. His dissertation, Paul and Power, published by CWK Gleerup in 1978 and by Fortress Press in 1980, was among the first studies to use sociological theory to explore and more deeply understand the Pauline letters, and it set the agenda for much future research. Partly on the basis of his conviction that the ultimate reality escapes scholarly analytical categories, Holmberg always sensed both the advantages and the dangers of sociological approaches to the study of religious phenomena. This perception was discussed with much insight and expanded in his second monograph, Sociology and the New Testament, published by Fortress Press in 1990. In recent years, he has continued to publish prolifically on this topic, and his recent efforts have focused on what culminated in a 2008 article published in Exploring Christian Identity.
This volume, a celebration of the life and work of Prof. Holmberg, derives its focal point from his core interests and celebrates his long commitment to Lund University, where he spent much of his academic life. The essays presented here come from former students and an international assemblage of colleagues and admirers; they pay tribute to his efforts to integrate sociological research and approaches with New Testament studies and the development of early Christianity.