Download or read book Anti Judaism and Early Christian Identity written by Miriam S. Taylor and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2022-06-08 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Against the scholarly consensus that assumes early Christians were involved in a rivalry for converts with contemporary Jews, this book shows that the target of patristic writers was rather a symbolic Judaism, and their aim was to define theologically the young church's identity. In identifying and categorizing the hypotheses put forward by modern scholars to defend their view of a Jewish-Christian "conflict", this book demonstrates how current theories have generated faulty notions about the perceptions and motivations of ancient Christians and Jews. Beyond its relevance to students of the early church, this book addresses the broader question of Christian responsibility for modern anti-Semitism. It shows how the focus on a supposedly social rivalry, obscures the depth and disquieting nature of the connections between early anti-Judaism and Christian identity.
Download or read book Neither Jew nor Greek written by Judith Lieu and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A ground-breaking study in the formation of early Christian identity, by one of the world's leading scholars.In Neither Jew Nor Greek, Judith Lieu explores the formation and shaping of early Christian identity within Judaism and within the wider Graeco-Roman world in the period before 200 C.E. Lieu particularly examines the way that literary texts presented early Christianity. She combines this with interdisciplinary historical investigation and interaction with scholarship on Judaism in late Antiquity and on the Graeco-Roman world.The result is a highly significant contribution to four of the key questions in current New Testament scholarship: how did early Christian identity come to be formed? How should we best describe and understand the processes by which the Christian movement became separate from its Jewish origins? Was there anything special or different about the way women entered Judaism and early Christianity? How did martyrdom contribute to the construction of early Christian identity? The chapters in this volume have become classics in the study of the New Testament and for this Cornerstones edition Lieu provides a new introduction placing them within the academic debate as it is now.
Download or read book Anti Judaism in Early Christianity written by Stephen G. Wilson and published by Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second volume in this two-volume work studying the initial developments of anti-Judaism within the church examines the evolution of the Christian faith in its social context as revealed by evidence such as early patristic and rabbinic writings and archaeological findings.
Download or read book Jewish Christian Relations written by Abel Mordechai Bibliowicz and published by Mascarat Publishing. This book was released on 2019-03-01 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I am in fundamental agreement with Bibliowicz's thesis (that the anti-Jewish polemic in the New Testament reflects debates between Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus - not a polemic between Christians and Jews), and with the implications which he has drawn for Christian theology... May this book find a wide readership among people devoted to the cause of the healing of memories between Jews and Christians." —Peter C. Phan, Professor. Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University; President of the Catholic Theological Society of America ‘Standing on a brilliant and insightful reconstruction of Paul, and on a quite shocking (but perhaps compelling) reading of Mark—the author offers a number of original and, in some cases, quite compelling theoretical reconstructions of the context and purposes of early Christian texts... a work of sublime moral passion.’ —David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director, Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University. President-elect American Academy of Religion. Author of Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context ‘An intrepid excursion into the Christian discourse... The quest of an intellectual, a humanist... Interesting and, in fact overwhelming... A timely and honest engagement of the Christian texts, authors, and scholars by a Jewish intellectual.’ —Burton L. Mack, – Professor of Early Christianity, Claremont School of Theology, California; author of A Myth of Innocence: Mark and Christian Origins “There is great merit to Bibliowicz's approach... I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Jewish-Christian dialogue.... Scholars may disagree with a number of Bibliowicz' conclusions, as I do with his interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews. But even in disagreeing, scholars in the field of Jewish-Christian studies, will learn new ways of challenging and thinking about old presumptions." —Eugene J. Fisher, Distinguished Professor of Theology, Saint Leo University. Former staff person for Catholic-Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Consultor to the Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, member of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee representing the Holy See. ‘An important work... Sensitive and deeply researched... In the deepest sense, a profound theological work.’ —Clark M. Williamson, Professor. Christian Theological Seminary, Indiana; author of Way of Blessing, Way of Life: A Christian Theology ‘I very much appreciated the depth and scope of the scholarship, accompanied by the kind and humble spirit of the author…it may also prove to be one of the formidable and formative scholarly contributions of the decade for both biblical and historical scholars. ‘ —Michael Thompson, Professor. Religious Studies – Oklahoma State University ‘In methodical and precise fashion Bibliowicz takes the reader through the relevant ancient Christian texts bearing on the question at hand. In so doing, he proposes an intriguing, compelling thesis. The book should prove to be a major voice in the ongoing debate.’ —Brooks Schramm, Professor of Biblical Studies, Lutheran Theological Seminary ‘Impressive work... With this impassioned study available to us, it will no longer be possible for us to ignore the unintended ways the unthinkable came to be and still say ‘we did not know.’’ —Didier Pollefeyt, Professor. Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium; coauthor of Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Gospel and Paul and Judaism ‘An original and plausible claim that goes beyond most of modern scholarship... a solid contribution to the study of anti-Judaism in early Christianity.’ —Joseph B. Tyson, Professor. Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University; author of Marcion and Luke-Acts: A Defining Struggle ‘Well-researched and thorough. Intelligent and thoughtful... accessible, the argumentation compelling.’ —Michele Murray, Professor. Bishop’s University, Canada; author of Playing a Jewish Game: Gentile Christian Judaizing in the First and Second Centuries C.E. ‘A detailed and insightful exploration of the writings of the early Jesus movement... argues convincingly that the origins of Christian anti-Judaism are to be found among early non-Jewish followers of Jesus who were in conflict with Jesus’s disciples and first followers... a must read.’ —Tim Hegedus, Professor of New Testament, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada ‘Bibliowicz uses solid scholarship to engage large and difficult topics while managing to be balanced and clear... invites Christians to walk a deep journey toward truth... and suggests a compelling nuance that the conflicts in the early texts were between Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, not between Jews and Christians.’ —David L. Coppola, Executive Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding, Sacred Heart University ‘A meticulous study... a mammoth endeavor... goes beyond others in his interpretation of the evidence, tracing and documenting distinctions and tensions in the early Jesus movement.’ —N. A. Beck, Professor of Theology and Classical Languages, Texas Lutheran University; author of Mature Christianity in the 21st Century: The Recognition and Repudiation of the Anti-Jewish Polemic of the New Testament ‘The topics Bibliowicz engages are complex. Although some of his interpretations are controversial... Gentile Christians should set aside apologetical agendas and honestly ponder the challenges put forward by the author.’ —Dale C. Allison, Jr. Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary; author of Constructing Jesus: History, Memory, and Imagination
Download or read book Jesus Judaism and Christian Anti Judaism written by Paula Fredriksen and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Current scholarship in the study of ancient Christianity is now available to nonspecialists through this collection of essays on anti-Judaism in the New Testament and in New Testament interpretation. While academic writing can be obscure and popular writing can be uncritical, this group of experts has striven to write as simply and clearly as possible on topics that have been hotly contested. The essays are arranged around the historical figures and canonical texts that matter most to Christian communities and whose interpretation has fed the negative characterizations of Jews and Judaism. A select annotated bibliography also gives suggestions for further reading. This book should be an excellent resource for academic courses as well as adult study groups.
Download or read book Making Myths written by Leonard Victor Rutgers and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Were the Jews who appear so abundantly in the writings of the early Church real or were they figments of the imagination? In this new book, Leonard Rutgers argues that they were both. Exploring Jewish-Christian interaction in Late Antiquity in the form of three case studies, Rutgers shows that early Christian ideas about Jews and Judaism not only played a determining role in the ideologies that shaped early Christian identity formation. They also had a tendency to spill over into the real world. Therefore such ideas deeply influenced the dynamics of Jewish-Christian relations during a period that saw the curtailing of Jewish civil rights and liberties precisely as a result of early Christian exegetical activity. Making Myths draws a picture of Jewish-Christian relations in Late Antiquity that is significantly bleaker than the optimistic view of Roman-period Jewish history that permeates many recent studies on the topic. An epilogue sets out to explain why more irenic scenarios do not apply to the period under study.
Download or read book Christian Identity in the Jewish and Graeco Roman World written by Judith Lieu and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 2004-05-27 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Judith Lieu's study explores how a sense of being a Christian was shaped within the setting of the Jewish and Graeco-Roman world. By exploring this theme she reveals what made early Christianity so distinctive and separate.
Download or read book Perfect Martyr written by Shelly Matthews and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-07-12 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focuses on Stephen, the first Christian martyr, offering a picture of violence, solidarity, and resistance among Jews and early Christians.
Download or read book Two Faiths One Covenant written by Eugene B. Korn and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2005 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the twenty-first century, Jews and Christians are challenged to reconsider their theological assumptions by two inescapable truths: the moral tragedy of the holocaust demands that Christian thinkers acknowledge the violent effects of theologically delegitimizing Jews and Judaism, and the pervasive reality of cultural and religious pluralism calls both Christian and Jewish theologians to rethink the covenant in the presence of the Other. Two Faiths, One Covenant? Jewish and Christian Identity in the Presence of the Other is a breakthrough work that embraces this contemporary challenge and charts a path toward fruitful interfaith dialogue. The Christian and Jewish theologians in this book explore the ways that both religions have understood the covenant and reflect on how it can serve as a reservoir for a positive theological relationship between Christianity and Judaism-not merely one of non-belligerent tolerance, but of respect and theological pluralism, however limited.
Download or read book The Temple in Early Christianity written by Eyal Regev and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive treatment of the early Christian approaches to the Temple and its role in shaping Jewish and Christian identity The first scholarly work to trace the Temple throughout the entire New Testament, this study examines Jewish and Christian attitudes toward the Temple in the first century and provides both Jews and Christians with a better understanding of their respective faiths and how they grow out of this ancient institution. The centrality of the Temple in New Testament writing reveals the authors’ negotiations with the institutional and symbolic center of Judaism as they worked to form their own religion.
Download or read book When Christians Were Jews written by Paula Fredriksen and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-23 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling account of Christianity’s Jewish beginnings, from one of the world’s leading scholars of ancient religion How did a group of charismatic, apocalyptic Jewish missionaries, working to prepare their world for the impending realization of God's promises to Israel, end up inaugurating a movement that would grow into the gentile church? Committed to Jesus’s prophecy—“The Kingdom of God is at hand!”—they were, in their own eyes, history's last generation. But in history's eyes, they became the first Christians. In this electrifying social and intellectual history, Paula Fredriksen answers this question by reconstructing the life of the earliest Jerusalem community. As her account arcs from this group’s hopeful celebration of Passover with Jesus, through their bitter controversies that fragmented the movement’s midcentury missions, to the city’s fiery end in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, she brings this vibrant apostolic community to life. Fredriksen offers a vivid portrait both of this temple-centered messianic movement and of the bedrock convictions that animated and sustained it.
Download or read book The Origins of Anti Semitism written by John G. Gager and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1985-02-14 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This revisionist reading of early anti-Judaism offers a richer and more varied picture of the Jews and Christians of antiquity.
Download or read book Cast Out of the Covenant written by Adele Reinhartz and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Gospel of John presents its readers, listeners, and interpreters with a serious problem: how can we reconcile the Gospel’s exalted spirituality and deep knowledge of Judaism with its portrayal of the Jews as the children of the devil (John 8:44) who persecuted Christ and his followers? One widespread solution to this problem is the so-called “expulsion hypothesis.” According to this view, the Fourth Gospel was addressed to a Jewish group of believers in Christ that had been expelled from the synagogue due to their faith. The anti-Jewish elements express their natural resentment of how they had been treated; the Jewish elements of the Gospel, on the other hand, reflect the Jewishness of this group and also soften the force of the Gospel’s anti-Jewish comments. In Cast out of the Covenant, this book, Adele Reinhartz presents a detailed critique of the expulsion hypothesis on literary and historical grounds. She argues that, far from softening the Gospel’s anti-Jewishness, the Gospel’s Jewish elements in fact contribute to it. Focusing on the Gospel’s persuasive language and intentions, Reinhartz shows that the Gospel’s anti-Jewishness is evident not only in the Gospel’s hostile comments about the Jews but also in its appropriation of Torah, Temple, and Covenant that were so central to first-century Jewish identity. Through its skillful use of rhetoric, the Gospel attempts to convince its audience that God’s favor had turned away from the Jews to the Gentiles; that there is a deep rift between the synagogue and those who confess Christ as Messiah; and that, in the Gospel’s view, this rift was initiated in Jesus’ own lifetime. The Fourth Gospel, Reinhartz argues, appropriates Jewishness at the same time as it repudiates Jews. In doing so, it also promotes a “parting of the ways” between those who believe that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God, and those who do not, that is, the Jews. This rhetorical program, she suggests, may have been used to promote outreach or even an organized mission to the Gentiles, following in the footsteps of Paul and his mid-first-century contemporaries.
Download or read book Gentile Christian Identity from Cornelius to Constantine written by Terence L. Donaldson and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 748 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally an ascribed identity that cast non-Jewish Christ-believers as an ethnic other, “gentile” soon evolved into a much more complex aspect of early Christian identity. Gentile Christian Identity from Cornelius to Constantine is a full historical account of this trajectory, showing how, in the context of “the parting of the ways,” the early church increasingly identified itself as a distinctly gentile and anti-Judaic entity, even as it also crafted itself as an alternative to the cosmopolitan project of the Roman Empire. This process of identity construction shaped Christianity’s legacy, paradoxically establishing it as both a counter-empire and a mimicker of Rome’s imperial ideology. Drawing on social identity theory and ethnography, Terence Donaldson offers an analysis of gentile Christianity that is thorough and highly relevant to today’s discourses surrounding identity, ethnicity, and Christian-Jewish relations. As Donaldson shows, a full understanding of the term “gentile” is key to understanding the modern Western world and the church as we know it.
Download or read book Anti semitism and Early Christianity written by Craig A. Evans and published by Augsburg Fortress Publishing. This book was released on 1993 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Slandering the Jew written by Susanna Drake and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2013-07-16 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Christian leaders in the first through fifth centuries embraced ascetic interpretations of the Bible and practices of sexual renunciation, sexual slander—such as the accusations Paul leveled against wayward Gentiles in the New Testament—played a pivotal role in the formation of early Christian identity. In particular, the imagined construct of the lascivious, literal-minded Jew served as a convenient foil to the chaste Christian ideal. Susanna Drake examines representations of Jewish sexuality in early Christian writings that use accusations of carnality, fleshliness, bestiality, and licentiousness as strategies to differentiate the "spiritual" Christian from the "carnal" Jew. Church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Hippolytus of Rome, Origen of Alexandria, and John Chrysostom portrayed Jewish men variously as dangerously hypersexual, at times literally seducing virtuous Christians into heresy, or as weak and effeminate, unable to control bodily impulses or govern their wives. As Drake shows, these carnal caricatures served not only to emphasize religious difference between Christians and Jews but also to justify increased legal constraints and violent acts against Jews as the interests of Christian leaders began to dovetail with the interests of the empire. Placing Christian representations of Jews at the root of the destruction of synagogues and mobbing of Jewish communities in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, Slandering the Jew casts new light on the intersections of sexuality, violence, representation, and religious identity.
Download or read book Torah Ethics and Early Christian Identity written by Susan J. Wendel and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the relationship between the Mosaic law and early Christian ethics In this volume thirteen respected scholars explore the relationship between the Mosaic law and early Christian ethics, examining early Christian appropriation of the Torah and looking at ways in which the law continued to serve as an ethical reference point for Christ-believers — whether or not they thought Torah observance was essential. These noteworthy essays compare differences in interpretation and application of the law between Christians and non-Christian Jews; investigate ways in which Torah-inspired ethical practices helped Christ-believing communities articulate their distinct identities and social responsibilities; and look at how presentations of the law in early Christian literature might inform Christian social and ethical practices today. Posing a unified set of questions to a diverse range of texts, Torah Ethics and Early Christian Identity will stimulate new thinking about a complex phenomenon commonly overlooked by scholars and church leaders alike.
