This landmark handbook, written by distinguished Pauline scholars, and first published in 2003, remains the first and only work to offer lucid and insightful examinations of Paul and his world in such depth. Each chapter provides an overview of a particular social convention, literary or rhetorical topos, social practice, or cultural more of the world in which Paul and his audiences were at home. In addition, the sections use carefully chosen examples to demonstrate how features of Greco-Roman culture shed light on Paul's letters and on his readers' possible perception of them. In this new edition, now across two volumes, all the contributions have been revised to take into account the last ten years of methodological change. New chapters cover Paul and memory, Paul's economics, and re-address the issues of honour and shame in Paul's writings - with respect to their Greco-Roman context.