More Biblical Resources

I would like to recommend a book I turn to quite often, David deSilva’s Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture.  deSilva, a professor at Ashland Theological Seminary (my hometown), is an evangelical and an expert in social-scientific criticism and a wise exegete as well.  This book is somewhat of an introduction to the cultural background of the world of the NT, but done in a clear and down-to-earth fashion.  Whatever area of NT you are interested in, it can only be enhanced by better grasping these issues (mentioned in the title).  Some scholars in deSilva’s social-scientific circles are a bit overboard with the importance of such things, but deSilva is careful and convincing.