This week, I found myself musing about the composition of the New Testament Gospels. Not so much about the content or theological propositions therein, but about the actual methodology involved in writing such texts. My focus shifted primarily to Luke-Acts, the first and second volumes of a second-century survey of Christian origins. I think that …
Continue reading A Historically Plausible (If Imaginary) Origin Story for Luke-Acts
This may seem like an obvious question. Many would answer that Christianity began with Christ. Others, thinking a bit deeper, might assert that the apostle Paul really began Christianity. But, historically speaking, both answers would be wrong. It is commonplace to assume that the religion called Christianity is as old as its namesake. Unfortunately, there …
Most people understand that Christianity grew out of Judaism. Jesus was Jewish. So were Peter, James, John, and Paul. So were the many other named and unnamed initial believers who hailed from Palestine and from the Greek-speaking world. But as followers of Jesus began to invite non-Jews to join their movement, questions immediately arose about …
Continue reading Early Christianity’s Uneasy Relationship with the Torah, Jews, and Judaism
