The last decade has witnessed considerable development in social theory within the Roman Catholic Church. Inspired first by papal statements such as Pacem in Terris by Pope John XXII and Pope Paul's Populorium Progressio, Catholic social theorists have found a fertile environment in tne new world. The Medellin Conference in 1968 laid the groundwork for the movement known as liberation theology in Latin America. In North America the hierarchies of the United States and Canada have isssued prophetic and sometimes stratling statements on nuclear arms and economic policy.

"In The Other Judaisms of Late Antiquity the late Alan F. Segal is at his very best. This reissued and expanded edition--now containing his celebrated "Heavenly Ascent in Hellenistic Judaism, Early Christianity, and Their Environment"--delineates the variegated nature of both Judaism and Christianity in their formative periods. As Segal demonstrates, it is more accurate to speak of Judaisms and Christianities. Through his deft deployment of social-scientific methods and due attention to Jewish primary sources from the Second Temple period, Segal is able to trace the intricate, internecine struggles among Jewish, Christian, and gnostic communities in the earliest days of the Common Era. In doing so, Segal masterfully validates the importance of inductive historical reconstruction and analytical comparative study for illuminating the complex religious world of the first three centuries"--back cover.