Race and the Foreigner in the New Testament

Race is everywhere in the New Testament, but not in the way modern readers expect.

Race and the Foreigner in the New Testament is a paradigm-changing book. Pushing back against modern assumptions that equate race primarily with skin color, Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III situates New Testament texts within the racial imagination of ancient Greece and Rome, where identity was defined in terms of genealogy, environment, and culture. The result is a new way of reading Scripture—a way that helps readers recognize racially inflected themes they’ve previously missed or misunderstood.

An experienced scholar and teacher, Estrada skillfully translates complex academic conversations into clear, practical insights. In the first half of the book, he identifies the conceptual frameworks used by ancient peoples to define “difference” and “the other,” making his case through key Greek, Roman, Jewish, and biblical sources. In the second half of the book, Estrada examines the New Testament itself, identifying key passages that are often misinterpreted by modern readers and presenting alternative readings that recover the text’s racial dimensions.

In helping readers recover the racial imagination of the New Testament, this book also invites them to reflect on their own assumptions about identity and belonging. Written specifically for pastors, teachers, and students, Race and the Foreigner in the New Testament gives readers powerful new insights into New Testament texts—insights with practical applications for ministry, classroom, and community settings.