The religion of the earliest churches : creating a symbolic world / Gerd Theissen ; translated by John Bowden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Theissen, Gerd

Standardized Title:

Theorie der urchristlichen Religion. English

Language:

English

German

Subjects (All):

Christianity--Essence, genius, nature--History.

Christianity.

Christianity--Origin.

Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600.

Church history.

Church history--Primitive and early church.

Christianity--Essence, genius, nature.

History.

Physical Description:

xiv, 393 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Minneapolis : Fortress Press, 1999.

Summary:

In these distinguished Oxford lectures, Theissen picks up where he left off in The Historical Jesus (1998). Employing the notion of religion as a "cultural sign language which promises a gain in life by corresponding to an ultimate reality, " he plots the emergence of Christianity as a religion, with elements of myth, ritual, ethics, and an emergent symbolic system. He expands upon the historical, social, and theological analysis of his earlier works to cover such issues as the relationship of Jesus to the earliest churches, power, possessions, interpretations of Jesus' death, and the separation of the church and synagogue.-- Theissen's most complete and systematic treatment of early Christianity to date-- Traces the gradual emergence of the most important beliefs about Jesus-- Encompasses beliefs, ethics, ritual, and the origin of the New Testament canon in one synthesis

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [308]-322) and indexes.

ISBN:

080063179X

OCLC:

42597699