Jews or Christians?
The Followers of Jesus in Search of their own Identity
by Giorgio Jossa, translated by Molly Rogers
When was Christianity born? When was it that Christianity, born as a particular current within Judaism, constituted itself as a religion different and separate from the Jewish religion? The question has been asked, and the problem has therefore been considered, since the historical-critical investigation of Christian origins began. However the problem has become acute only in the last few decades, because of the occurrence of a whole series of circumstances and of reflections that have deeply changed the historiographic understanding regarding Judaism in the first century, and thus the origins of Christianity as well. Traditional opinion considered the founders of Christianity to be Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of Tarsus. Recent studies however affirm that a Christian religion as distinct from the Jewish religion can be spoken of only much later, and that for the entire first century, and for at least a part of the second century, Christianity was nothing more than a sect within Judaism. Dealing with the problem from an historical point of view, and thus considering not only Christianity of Jewish origin but also that of gentile origin, Giorgio Jossa demonstrates that the birth of a Christian identity as distinct from Jewish identity must actually be dated back to the first period of life of the community of Jesus.
- By (author) Giorgio Jossa
- Translated by Molly Rogers
Other Titles in this Series
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Volume 207
The Prologue of the Gospel of John
Its Literary, Theological, and Philosophical Contexts. Papers read at the Colloquium Ioanneum 2013
The Gospel of Matthew in its Historical and Theological Context
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Väterfiguren im lukanischen Gedächtnisgemälde
Die identitätsstiftende Funktion von Abraham, Mose und David in der intentionalen Geschichtsschreibung des Lukas
Das Alte Testament als christliche Bibel in orthodoxer und westlicher Sicht
Zweite europäische orthodox-westliche Exegetenkonferenz im Rilakloster vom 8.-15. September 2001
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Wechselseitige Wahrnehmungen. II. Internationales Symposium zum Corpus Judaeo-Hellenisticum. 25.-28. Mai 2006, Greifswald
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Ideology, Economics, and Agrarian Conflict in Jewish Palestine
Volume 195
The History of Religions School Today
Essays on the New Testament and Related Ancient Mediterranean Texts
Volume 340
Das Endgericht bei Paulus
Framesemantische und exegetische Studien zur paulinischen Eschatologie und Soterologie
Volume 371
Antike und Urchristentum
Studien zur neutestamentlichen Theologie in ihren Kontexten und Rezeptionen
Volume 436
Covenant – Concepts of Berit, Diatheke, and Testamentum
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Identifying Irenaeus' Apostolic Presbyter and the Author of Ad Diognetum
Volume 186
Persecution, Persuasion and Power
Readiness to Withstand Hardship as a Corroboration of Legitimacy in the New Testament
Volume 270
Rethinking the Ethics of John
"Implicit Ethics" in the Johannine Writings. Kontexte und Normen neutestamentlicher Ethik / Contexts and Norms of New Testament Ethics. Volume III
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