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This book presents a selection of adapted papers originally read at the 7th Nordic New Testament conference in Stavanger in 2003. The 14 essays expose different aspects of the conference theme 'the formation of the early church'. To these belong considerations about how the primitive church developed and defined its own identity over against (other) Jews, both historically and with regard to how recent research has treated this theme methodologically. Further, early developments within and between different church communities and congregations are discussed as well as aspects of authority and power structures within them. Three essays deal with questions relating to the New Testament canon. For obvious thematic reasons the volume moves beyond the 1st century A.D.; two essays address issues related to the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, and one patristic contribution focuses predominantly on Cyprian.