New Testament scholar Bruce Longenecker has written a lively, realistic account of a fictional dialogue between the physician/historian Luke and Antipas, a high-born admirer of his gospel narrative. The narrative is at turns both poignant and hopeful. It is not without a tinge of sadness and yet it resounds with the triumph of the grace of the gospel. There is probably no better way for the reader to immerse him or herself in the world of first century eastern Mediterranean world, with its unique social mores and expectations, than through this moving story. The counter-cultural nature of the gospel message and the costliness of declaring one's faith in Christ become obvious to the reader as the story progresses. Antipas, a benefactor of the city of Pergamum, dabbles in historical research and writes Luke in the hopes of obtaining a copy his narrative of the life of Jesus. It is Luke's positive response that leads to an extended correspondence that opens up for the reader a window on life in the Roman empire of the late first century. We learn about the patron/client relationship, a society built around social climbing, letter writing and delivery, and that early on people practiced legitimate and illegitimate forms of Christianity. As Antipas digests Luke's Gospel and shares his reactions with Luke, Luke is able to clarify matters of possible misunderstanding. The Lost Letters of Pergamum paints for the reader a picture of one man's pilgrimage to faith. - Jeff Waddington - Westminster Bookstore