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JOHN FOTOPOULOS, Food Offered to Idols in Roman Corinth: A Social-Rhetorical Reconsideration ofl Corinthians 8:1-11:1 (WUNT 2/151; Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2003). Pp. xiv +298. Paper euro54.
This volume is a revised and enlarged version of John Fotopoulos's doctoral dissertation undertaken at Loyola University, Chicago. F.'s book is a contribution to the understanding of the issue of eating meat offered to idols in the context of Roman culture and society and its influence in Corinth. F.'s remarkably straightforward style with complex and clear methodologies makes the book accessible as both a reference work and an occasion for further research.
Fotopoulos begins his dissertation with a helpful overview of research on the issue of food offered to idols. He discusses how each of the major cults in Corinth (chaps. 2-5)-for example, the cult of Asklepios, the cult of Demeter and Kore, the cults of Isis and Serapis-made their mark on the life and practices of the people in Corinth, including the church members. According to F., not all these cults and their rituals affected the church's practices, especially the problems encountered by many church members with idolatry. Although F. argues that...