Social networks in early christianity according to Luke-Acts

Abstract

This study explores the narrative portrayal of the early Christian network in Luke-Acts by utilizing Social Network Analysis (SNA) and critical spatiality. Understanding social interactions and networks and how they influence society are important issues in this quest. Most studies by historians and biblical scholars have only focused on understanding how the New Testament constructs networks and identity using exegetical methods. In this work we have developed suitable methods for a mathematical computational social network analysis using exegetical methods.

First, we provide a detailed methodological discussion that highlights the overlap between narrative criticism and SNA. Combining both in a second step, we present a SNA based on exegetical observations on Luke-Acts. This includes a detailed analysis with multiple methods like distance measures, structural analyses, community detection, and other methods from the social sciences. Transferring these results back to the domain of biblical texts, we provide a detailed analysis of Luke’s portrayal of community and social cohesion. This also includes research on a network construction which combines both Luke’s Gospel and Acts, the mission co-workers in Acts, different locations and spatiality, and detailed studies of several major and minor actors.

By using these methods, we were able to demonstrate that methods from the humanities, in particular social network analyses, can bring fresh perspectives to our understanding of Luke-Acts. While the Gospel of Luke focuses on the connection between theological and christological motifs with social aspects in thirdspace (according to the categories of critical spaciality), and in particular describes the ‘in’ and ‘out’ in the inclusive network of Jesus-followers, Acts is more concerned with the firstspace and secondspace spread of the network and in particular how the network developed and displays the previously introduced motifs. Further analysis indicates that Luke’s primary focus is on the inclusion of every single person. In this, his inclusion of women stands out, but, however, his interest goes even further: He opens the perspective to all people. Thus, the opposite is also important: The SNA of Luke’s Gospel does not allow any conclusions that Luke in his composition intended that one particular group should play a special role in the community. The network is built around Jesus being the centre of Luke’s narrative and heological intentions. Luke’s primary narrative interest in composing interpersonal relationship is the idea of participation in a community. Acts describes a stable, redundant but expanding network. It refers to strong interactions between people who belong to several communities, which is a key to understanding the network. The results of this SNA emphasize that Paul was a person deeply embedded within the early Christian network. In particular, Luke does not omit co-workers, but highlights collaboration in mission not only with Paul, but also for Barnabas, Peter and John. All these actors use different strategies to collaborate with co-workers.

Our approach also has the added benefit that it integrates an analysis of the methodological overlap between SNA, literary approaches and narrative criticism. However, more research needs to be done to evaluate how digital methods can contribute to our understanding of biblical texts.