The mystery of Acts : unraveling its story

The author of "Acts" unwittingly committed a near-perfect crime: He told his story so well that all rival accounts vanished with but the faintest of traces. And thus future generations were left with no documents that recount the history of the early Christian tradition - because "Acts" is not history. According to Richard Pervo, '"Acts" is a beautiful house that readers may happily admire, but it is not a home in which the historian can responsibly live'. Luke did not even aspire to write history but rather told his story to defend the gentile communities of his day as the legitimate heirs of Israelite religion. In "The Mystery of Acts", Pervo explores the problem of history in "Acts" by asking, and answering, the fundamental questions: Who wrote "Acts"? Where was "Acts" written? When was "Acts" written? Why was "Acts" written? How was "Acts" written? The result is a veritable tour-de-force that enlightens, entertains, and brings "Acts" to life.