Luke's Acts of the Apostles is the only documentation available on the birth of Christianity, despite the author's vigorously disputed reliability as a historian. Daniel Marguerat avoids this true/false quagmire by establishing his evaluation of Luke's talent as an historian within the framework of ancient historiography (the rules of ancient historians and narrative criticism). His study portrays Luke as a skillful and sound theologian, and provides an original approach to the classic themes of Lucan theology.

Original re-interpretation of Luke as a historian

"...there is much in Marguerat's book to commend it to the reader. The careful exegesis is enlightening. The familiarity with ancient sources, both their parallels and differences from Luke's account, provide the reader with a cautious analysis, avoiding some of the enthusiasm for supposed 'parallels' discovered by earlier critics. The book is well worth the reader's time and attention."

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"Although each piece in the collection can stand alone, they cohere well and reinforce one another. Marguerat consistently and persuasively highlights the perseverance of the church's missionary proclamation as a dominant theological theme in Acts. These significant contributions from an insightful and accomplished interpreter deserve to be a conversation partner of Lukan scholars, today and for generations to come."