Chan Chi Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-184). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Notes to the Readers --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iii / Chinese Abstract --- p.iv / Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter One --- Imperial Cults as a Context of the Lukan Writings: Historical Preliminaries --- p.11 / Chapter 1.1 --- Imperial Cults or Emperor Cults as a Religion in the Roman Empire --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2 --- "The Lukan Perspective: Between the Author, the Literary Text, the Reader, and Their Historical Context" --- p.23 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Authorship and Intended Readership of the Lukan Writings --- p.24 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Time of Composition --- p.30 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Further Notes on Luke-Acts' Historical Situation --- p.37 / Chapter 1.3 --- The Lukan Perspective on the Roman Empire Rethought --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter Two --- A Contra-cultural Reformed Judaism Surpassing the Imperial Cult? Assessing Allen Brent's Interpretation of the Lukan Writings --- p.49 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2 --- "An Overview of Brent's Interpretation of Luke's ""Political Theology""" --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Contra-cultural Strategy and Social Reintegration into the Host Culture --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Augustan Saeculum Aureum and Luke's Delayed Parousia --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Latent Conflicts Remain --- p.57 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- "A ""Political Theology"" Doomed to Fail: Domitian and the Fiscus Iudaicus" --- p.57 / Chapter 2.3 --- "An Evaluation of Brent's Interpretation of Luke's ""Political Theology""" --- p.58 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Lukan vs. Imperial Eschatologies --- p.58 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- """Jewish"" or Pagan Backcloth?" --- p.58 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Roman State Religion or Greek Imperial Cults? --- p.59 / Chapter 2.4 --- Conclusion --- p.61 / Chapter Chapter Three --- King Agrippa I Smitten by an Angel of the Lord: Acts 12:20-23 and the Lukan Attitude towards Emperor Worship --- p.63 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2 --- Acts 12:20-23 and the Theme of Apotheosis: Reviewing Some Recent Interpretations of the Lukan Account of Agrippa I's Death --- p.67 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- "An Assessment of Martin Meiser's ""Historical Objections""" --- p.69 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Typical Death of a Tyrant as Persecutor of the Church? --- p.75 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- "Some Alleged Allusions to ""Ruler Cult Rituals""" --- p.81 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- "The ""Royal Clothing""" --- p.83 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- "The ""Appointed Day"" and Imperial Festival" --- p.85 / Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- The Divine Voice: A Neronian Allusion? --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- "A Critique of the Ruler Cult with Its Rituals of ""Divine Filiation"" and Its ""Wrong"" Expression of Power?" --- p.96 / Chapter 3.3 --- A False and Falsely Apotheosized Royal Benefactor: Acts 12:20-23 and Emperor Worship --- p.102 / Chapter 3.4 --- Conclusion --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter Four --- An Imperial Neokoros Mocked: Acts 19:23-41 as a Domitianic or Post-Domitianic Retelling of an Ephesian Riot --- p.108 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.108 / Chapter 4.2 --- Artemis Ephesia and the Imperial Context of the Riot: Reviewing Kreitzer's Study --- p.113 / Chapter 4.3 --- "Ephesus, a ""Double"" Neokoros City: Imperial Cult as Context of the Riot Episode" --- p.129 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- The Opening Appeal of the City Secretary --- p.129 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- """Neokoros"" as a Sacred Office" --- p.134 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- """Neokoros"" as a City Title" --- p.135 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- """Neokoros"" and the Flavian Provincial Cult of Asia" --- p.140 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Ephesus as the Neokoros of Artemis and of the ΔioπεTηζ --- p.144 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- "Ephesian Silversmiths, the Motif of Moneymaking Religion, and the Imperial Cults" --- p.154 / Chapter 4.4 --- Conclusion --- p.158 / Conclusion --- p.160 / Works Cited --- p.165