The Powers and “Popular Religion” in Pompeii and Paul’s Letter to the Romans

Abstract

Readers of Romans debate how to understand Paul’s language related to sin and death. Are sin and death ontological powers that operate in the human realm? Does Paul use figurative language to describe abstract concepts? Rarely do scholars consider material evidence and popular ideas as sources for addressing such questions. This essay considers archaeological findings from Pompeii as an additional voice in the conversation for understanding life in a first-century Roman context and Paul’s framing of sin and death in Romans. The essay first considers philosophical critiques of popular practices and then turns to material remains to demonstrate that many thought suprahuman forces to be at work in the world. With the Vesuvian evidence in view, understanding sin and death among powers that can influence human life emerges as a plausible interpretation. Paul’s personal language thus resonates with popular beliefs in the Greco-Roman context and reframes them in significant ways.