Rebecca I. Denova - The Origins of Christianity and the New Testament

Ancient religious practice and belief are at once fascinating and alien for twenty–first–century readers. There was no Bible, no creed, no fixed set of beliefs. Rather, ancient religion was characterized by extraordinary diversity in belief and ritual.

This distance means that modern readers need a guide to ancient religious experience. Written by experts, the books in this series provide accessible introductions to this central aspect of the ancient world.

Published

Ancient Greek Divination

Sarah Iles Johnston

Magic in the Ancient Greek World

Derek Collins

Religion in the Roman Empire

James B. Rives

Ancient Greek Religion, Second Edition

Jon D. Mikalson

Ancient Egyptian Tombs: The Culture of Life and Death

Steven Snape

Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt

Stephen Quirke

Greek and Roman Religions

Rebecca I. Denova

Rebecca I. Denova

University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This edition first published 2021

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The right of Rebecca I Denova to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Denova, Rebecca I., author.

Title: The origins of Christianity and the New Testament / Rebecca I. Denova.

Description: Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, 2021. | Series: Blackwell ancient religions | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Contents: Book : The origins of Christianity and the New Testament -- Studying the historical Jesus -- The history of Israel -- Introduction to the gospels -- The gospel of Mark (the apocalyptic Jesus) -- The gospel of Matthew (The “new Moses”) -- The gospel of Luke (The compassionate Jesus) -- The acts of the Apostles -- The gospel of John (“the stranger from heaven”) -- Historical anomalies in the trial(s) and crucifixion of Jesus -- Jesus and women in the gospels -- Paul, the “apostle to the gentiles” -- Paul and the first Christians -- Women in the Pauline communities -- The other New Testament documents --The revelation of John of Patmos -- The legacy of Jewish-Christian relations -- Glossary.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020058482 (print) | LCCN 2020058483 (ebook) |

ISBN 9781119759621 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119759652 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119759607 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Christianity--Origin. | Jesus Christ--Historicity. | Bible. New Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Classification: LCC BR129 .D47 2021 (print) | LCC BR129 (ebook) | DDC 270.1--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020058482

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020058483

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Cover design by Wiley

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1 Cover

2 Series page Blackwell Ancient Religions Ancient religious practice and belief are at once fascinating and alien for twenty–first–century readers. There was no Bible, no creed, no fixed set of beliefs. Rather, ancient religion was characterized by extraordinary diversity in belief and ritual. This distance means that modern readers need a guide to ancient religious experience. Written by experts, the books in this series provide accessible introductions to this central aspect of the ancient world. Published Ancient Greek Divination Sarah Iles Johnston Magic in the Ancient Greek World Derek Collins Religion in the Roman Empire James B. Rives Ancient Greek Religion, Second Edition Jon D. Mikalson Ancient Egyptian Tombs: The Culture of Life and Death Steven Snape Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt Stephen Quirke Greek and Roman Religions Rebecca I. Denova

3 Title page THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE NEW TESTAMENT Rebecca I. Denova University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

4 Copyright

5 Acknowledgments

6 Preface Chapter I: Studying the Historical Jesus Chapter II: The History of Israel Excursus I: Introduction to the Gospels Chapter III: The Gospel of Mark (The Apocalyptic Jesus) Chapter IV: The Gospel of Matthew (“The New Moses”) Chapter V: The Gospel of Luke (The Compassionate Jesus) Chapter VI: The Acts of the Apostles Chapter VII: The Gospel of John (“The Stranger from Heaven”) Excursus IIHistorical Anomalies in the Trial(s) and Crucifixion in the Gospels Excursus IIIJesus and Women in the Gospels Chapter VIII: Paul, the “Apostle to the Gentiles” Chapter IX: Paul and the First Christians Excursus IVWomen in the Pauline Communities Chapter X: Other New Testament Documents Chapter XI: The Book of Revelation

7 Epilog

8 Excursus VThe Legacy of Jewish–Christian Relations

9 Glossary