Resetting the Origins of Christianity

Resetting the Origins of Christianity PDF Author: Markus Vinzent
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009290495
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 419

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Book Description
How do we know what we know about the origins of the Christian religion? Neither its founder, nor the Apostles, nor Paul left any written accounts of their movement. The witnesses' testimonies were transmitted via successive generations of copyists and historians, with the oldest surviving fragments dating to the second and third centuries - that is, to well after Jesus' death. In this innovative and important book, Markus Vinzent interrogates standard interpretations of Christian origins handed down over the centuries. He scrutinizes - in reverse order - the earliest recorded sources from the sixth to the second century, showing how the works of Greek and Latin writers reveal a good deal more about their own times and preoccupations than they do about early Christianity. In so doing, the author boldly challenges understandings of one of the most momentous social and religious movements in history, as well as its reception over time and place.

Resetting the Origins of Christianity

Resetting the Origins of Christianity PDF Author: Markus Vinzent
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009290495
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 419

Get Book

Book Description
How do we know what we know about the origins of the Christian religion? Neither its founder, nor the Apostles, nor Paul left any written accounts of their movement. The witnesses' testimonies were transmitted via successive generations of copyists and historians, with the oldest surviving fragments dating to the second and third centuries - that is, to well after Jesus' death. In this innovative and important book, Markus Vinzent interrogates standard interpretations of Christian origins handed down over the centuries. He scrutinizes - in reverse order - the earliest recorded sources from the sixth to the second century, showing how the works of Greek and Latin writers reveal a good deal more about their own times and preoccupations than they do about early Christianity. In so doing, the author boldly challenges understandings of one of the most momentous social and religious movements in history, as well as its reception over time and place.

The Early Christian Book (CUA Studies in Early Christianity)

The Early Christian Book (CUA Studies in Early Christianity) PDF Author: William E. Klingshirn
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813214866
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 357

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Book Description
Written by experts in the field, the essays in this volume examine the early Christian book from a wide range of disciplines: religion, art history, history, Near Eastern studies, and classics.

Christian Origins

Christian Origins PDF Author: Richard Horsley
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1451416644
Category : Christian life
Languages : en
Pages : 346

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Book Description
Dealing with a time when "Christians" were moving towards separation from the movement's Jewish origins, this inaugural volume of A People's History of Christianity tells "the people's story" by gathering together evidence from the New Testament texts, archaeology, and other contemporary sources. Of particular interest to the distinguished group of scholar-contributors are the often overlooked aspects of the earliest "Christian" consciousness: How, for example, did they manage to negotiate allegiances to two social groups? How did they deal with crucial issues of wealth and poverty? What about the participation of slaves and women in these communities? How did living in the shadow of the Roman Empire color their religious experience and economic values?

Writing the History of Early Christianity

Writing the History of Early Christianity PDF Author: Markus Vinzent
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108480101
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 493

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Book Description
Brings a new approach to the interpretation of the sources used to study the Early Christian era - reading history backwards. This book will interest teachers and students of New Testament studies from around the world of any denomination, and readers of early Christianity and Patristics.

The History of the Origins of Christianity, Vol. 3 (Classic Reprint)

The History of the Origins of Christianity, Vol. 3 (Classic Reprint) PDF Author: Ernest Renan
Publisher: Forgotten Books
ISBN: 9780266746614
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
Excerpt from The History of the Origins of Christianity, Vol. 3 The fifteen or sixteen years of religious history comprised in this volume in'the embryonic age of Christianity, are the years with which we are best acquainted. Jesus and the primitive Church at Jerusalem re semble the images of a far-off paradise, lost in a mysterious mist. On the other hand, the arrival of St Paul at Rome, in consequence of the step the Author of the Acts has taken in closing at that juncture his narrative, marks in the history of Christian origins the commencement of a profound darkness into which the bloody glare of the barbarous feasts of Nero, and the thunders of the Apocalypse, cast only a few gleams. In particular, the death of the Apostles is enveloped in an impenetrable obscurity. On the contrary, the era of the missions of St Paul, especially of the second mission and the third, is known to us through documents of the greatest value. The Acts, till then so legendary, become suddenly quite authentic; the last chapters, com. Posed in part of the narrative of an eye-witness, are the sole complete historical writings which we have of the early times of Christianity. In fine, those years, through a privilege very rare in similar circum stances, provide us with documents, the dates of which are absolutely authentic, and a series of letters, the most important of which have withstood all the tests of criticism, and which have never been sub jected to interpolations. In the introduction to the preceding volume, we have made an ex amination of the Book of Acts. We must now discuss seriatim the different epistles which bear the name of St Paul. The Apostle informs us himself, that even during his lifetime there were in circulation in his name several spurious letters, and he often took precautions to prevent frauds. We are, therefore, only carrying out his intentions in subject ing the writings which have been put forth as his to a rigorous censorship. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Redescribing Christian Origins

Redescribing Christian Origins PDF Author: Ronald Dean Cameron
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004130640
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 557

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Book Description
These essays challenge the traditional picture of Christian origins. Making use of social anthropology, they move away from traditional assumptions about the foundations of Christianity to propose that its historical beginnings are best understood as reflexive social experiments.

A Myth of Innocence

A Myth of Innocence PDF Author: Burton L. Mack
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9781451404661
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 460

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Book Description
"This imaginative book is not just a study of the Gospel of Mark, but of primitive Christianity in all its variegated forms, for which it represents a new paradigm ... It deserves serious reflection and discussion at several levels, in a variety of contexts, by quite diversified discussion partners."? James M. Robinson, Professor Emeritus, Claremont Graduate University"This is an epic-making work because it turns scholarship on its head. Mack asks questions not about origins but about social meaning. The entire conception of what we want to know, why we want to know it, and how we shall find it out is new and compelling."? Jacob Neusner, Bard College"A Myth of Innocence is the most penetrating historical work on the origins of Christianity written by an American scholar in this century. Its strikingly innovative feature is the recombination of literary and social histories, and the placement of diverse Jesus movements into their respective social contexts."? Werner H. Kelber, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Jesus, the New Testament, and Christian Origins

Jesus, the New Testament, and Christian Origins PDF Author: Dieter Mitternacht
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 146746175X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 876

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Book Description
An introduction to the New Testament in its historical context, with an overview of interpretative approaches and exegetical exercises In this up-to-date introduction to the New Testament, twenty-two leading biblical scholars guide the reader through the New Testament’s historical background, key ideas, and textual content. Seminarians and anyone else interested in a deep understanding of Christian Scripture will do well to begin with this thorough volume that covers everything from the historical Jesus to the emergence of early Christianity. The contributors stress the importance of Christianity’s emergence within and from Second Temple Judaism. Unique to this book is a special focus on interpretative methods, with several illustrative examples included in the final chapter of various types of scriptural exegesis on select New Testament passages. Readers are guided through the hermeneutical considerations of a historical text-oriented reading, a historical-analogical reading, a rhetorical-epistolary reading, argumentation analysis, feminist analysis, postcolonial analysis, and narrative criticism, among others. These practical, hands-on applications enable students to move from an abstract understanding of the New Testament to a ready ability to make meaning from Scripture.

Finding the Roots of Christianity

Finding the Roots of Christianity PDF Author: Luke Painter
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532601719
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Finding the Roots of Christianity is for people who are curious about the historical Jesus, his followers, and the movement they began. Who were they, and how was their message understood by those who heard them? Where did the New Testament of the Bible come from? In a personal, thoughtful style, Luke Painter brings into focus the life and times of the Jewish prophet Jesus of Nazareth, bridging the gap between personal study of the Bible and academic scholarship. Sources outside the Bible, including the ancient historian Josephus and recently discovered "lost scriptures" such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, reveal the diversity of early Christian beliefs. Roman religious beliefs influenced how the Christian message was understood during the transition from Jewish sects to the official religion of the Roman Empire. Clear and concise, and based on careful historical research, this book guides the reader through what is known about the earliest origins of Christianity as well as recent discoveries and debates. The author's personal journey of faith and passionate interest in the people behind the New Testament enliven the facts of history, illuminating their meaning for their own time as well as today.

Introduction to the History of Christianity

Introduction to the History of Christianity PDF Author: Tim Dowley
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 0800699696
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 618

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Book Description
Combining the accuracy and readability of the first edition of this highly acclaimed text, Dowley has enhanced the second edition with new contributions from Pheme Perkins on The Thought-World of Early Christianity and Richard Burridge on Jesus and the Gospels as well as updated and revised contributions from Ward Gasque, Richard Pierard, John H. Y. Briggs, and more. With many new photographs, illustrations, maps, charts, and timelines, the inviting new full-color format tells the dramatic, intriguing, and often surprising story of Christians in their 2000-year journey to the present day.