The first one hundred years of Christianity : an introduction to its history, literature, and development / Udo Schnelle ; translated by James W. Thompson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schnelle, Udo, author.

Contributor:

Thompson, James W. (James Weldon), 1942- translator.

Standardized Title:

Ersten 100 Jahre des Christentums. English

Language:

English

German

Subjects (All):

Church history--ca. 30-100.

Church history.

Church history--2nd century.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 662 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Grand Rapids, Michigan : Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, [2020]

Summary:

Beginning as a marginal group in Galilee, the movement initiated by Jesus of Nazareth became a world religion within 100 years. Why, among various religious movements, did Christianity succeed? This major work by internationally renowned scholar Udo Schnelle traces the historical, cultural, and theological influences and developments of the early years of the Christian movement. It shows how Christianity provided an intellectual framework, a literature, and socialization among converts that led to its enduring influence. Senior New Testament scholar James Thompson offers a clear, fluent English translation of the successful German edition.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. On Writing a History of Origins

1.1. History as Interpretation of the Present and the Past

1.2. History and Method

2. Definition and Demarcation of the Epoch

2.1. Primitive Christianity or Early Christianity?

2.2. The Chronological Framework

3. Presuppositions and Contexts

3.1. Hellenism as a World Culture

3.2. Greco-Roman Culture

3.3. Judaism

3.4. The Political and Economic Situation in the Roman Empire in the First and Second Centuries CE

4. The New Movement of Christ-Believers

4.1. The Easter Events

4.2. The Origin of Christology

4.3. The Founder of a New Discourse and New Thinking

5. The Jerusalem Church

5.1. The Beginnings

5.2. Groups and Persons

5.3. Places: The Temple

5.4. Conflicts

5.5. Theological Institutions and Discourse

5.6. Texts: The Passion Narrative

5.7. The Theological Development of the Early Jerusalem Church

6. Early Churches and Early Mission outside Jerusalem

6.1. Contexts: Mobility and Religious-Philosophical Variety in the Roman Empire

6.2. Persons

6.3. Groups: The Jesus Movement

6.4. Lands and Places

6.5. Competitors and Conflicts

6.6. The Development of the Community's Own Cult Praxis and Theology: The First Forms of Institutionalization

6.7. Texts

6.8. The First Missionary Journey and the Mission to the Gentiles without the Requirement of Circumcision

6.9. The Three Great Currents at the Beginning

7. The Apostolic Conference

7.1. The Initial Conflict

7.2. The Essential Problem

7.3. The Process

7.4. The Result

7.5. Interpretations of the Outcome

7.6. The Incident at Antioch

8. The Independent Mission of Paul

8.1. Perspective, Process, and Conflicts

8.2. Persons

8.3. Structures

8.4. External Discourse

8.5. Internal Discourse

8.6. Theology in Letter Form: The Pauline Letters

8.7. Paul and the Development of Early Christianity as an Independent Movement

9. The Crisis of Early Christianity around 70 CE

9.1. The Deaths of Peter, Paul, and James and the First Persecutions

9.2. The Destruction of the Temple, the Fall of the Jerusalem Church, and the Fiscus Judaicus

9.3. The Rise of the Flavians

9.4. The Writing of the Gospels and Pseudepigraphy as Innovative Responses to Crises

10. The Establishment of Early Christianity

10.1. A New Genre for a New Era: The Gospels

10.2. The Synoptic Gospels and Acts as Master Narratives

10.3. The Continuing Legacy of Paul

10.4. Johannine Christianity as the Fourth Great Stream

10.5. Jewish Christianity as an Enduring Power

10.6. Perceptions by Outsiders

11. Dangers and Threats

11.1. The Delay of the Parousia

11.2. Poor and Rich

11.3. Controversies, False Teachers, and Opponents

11.4. Structures and Offices

11.5. Conflicts with Judaism after 70 CE

12. The Persecutions of Christians and the Imperial Cult

12.1. The Imperial Cult as a Political Religion

12.2. Persecution under Nero

12.3. Persecution under Domitian?

12.4. Pliny and Trajan concerning Christianity

13. Early Christianity as an Independent Movement

13.1. The New Narrative and the New Language of the Christians

13.2. New Perspectives about God

13.3. Serving as a Model of Success

13.4. Early Christianity as a Religion of the City and of Education

13.5. The Major Theological Currents and Networks near the End of the First Century

13.6. The Expansion of Early Christianity

14. The Transition to the Ancient Church

14.1. Claims to Power and Established Structures

14.2. The Emergence of Another Message: Early Gnosticism

15. Fifteen Reasons for the Success of Early Christianity.

Notes:

"Originally published as Udo Schnelle, Die ersten 100 Jahre des Christentums." -- title page verso.

Translated from the German.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781540960153

1540960153

OCLC:

1104071660