Items related to The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened...

The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus - Softcover

 
9780060616724: The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

John Dominic Crossan explores the lost years of earliest Christianity, the years immediately following Jesus' execution.

He establishes the contextual setting through a combination of literary, anthropological, historical and archaeological approaches. He challenges the assumptions about the role of Paul and the meaning of resurrection, and forges a new understanding of the birth of the Christian church.


Here is a vivid account of early Christianity's interaction with the world around it, and of the new traditions and communities established as Jesus' companions continued their movement after his death.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
John Dominic Crossan is the leading contemporary scholar on the historical Jesus, which means that his vocation is to look behind, around, and through Christ's resurrection, toward the goal of establishing what can be known about the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

His search for the historical Jesus, however, takes place in the larger context of the life of the church. Among the goals of The Birth of Christianity is to teach readers how our habits of worship have created false gods. To that end, Crossan attempts to unearth the religion's earliest forms. What did Christianity look like, Crossan asks, between the crucifixion and the conversion of Paul? And what might Christianity look like today had Saul never set off toward Damascus?

Crossan's conclusions don't come from newly discovered documents; they come from freshly-minted academic methodologies. He uses anthropology, history, and archaeology to construct his arguments about the essential nature of both Jesus' religion and Paul's. The 25-cent summary of his conclusion is that Jesus did not recognize the dualism between spirit and flesh that formed the basis of Paul's apocalyptic Christianity. In other words, Jesus was more Jewish than Paul.

The ramifications of this argument are huge. Crossan says much of Christian worship--and many of the world's injustices--are based on the dualistic Christ that Paul preached. Though Crossan doesn't bully readers into accepting his conclusions, he does press hard for them to situate their own beliefs in relation to his interpretations of Jesus and Paul. At every point in the evolution of his argument, he asks readers questions such as "How do you understand a human being?" and "What is the character of your God?" Then he proceeds to answer these questions himself. Finally, he tells readers what he thinks these answers mean.

It's an incredibly civilized style of argument--both spiritually and intellectually respectful and always rhetorically engaging. Though The Birth of Christianity weighs in at almost 600 pages of text, you'll probably want to read every word. And after that, you'll probably be hungry for more.

From the Inside Flap:
"This book is about the lost years of earliest Christianity, about the 30s and 40s of the first century, about those dark decades immediately after the execution of Jesus.... The obscurity of the 30s and 40s can be emphasized by the comparative brilliancy of the 50s. From that later decade we have the letters of Paul.... From them, above all else, we receive the temptation to gloss speedily over the 30s or 40s and move swiftly to those better-documented 50s.... Before there was Paul the apostle in the early 50s, there was Paul the persecutor in the early 30s. What was there for him to persecute?" (from The Birth of Christianity

In this long-awaited companion to his landmark The Historical Jesus, John Dominic Crossan, the world's foremost expert on the historical Jesus, explores the lost years of earliest Christianity, those immediately following the execution of Jesus. He establishes the contextual setting by an interdisciplinary combination of anthropological, historical, and archaeological approaches. He identifies the textual sources by a literary analysis of the earliest discernible layers within our present gospels, both inside and outside the New Testament. Context and text come together to challenge long-standing assumptions about the role of Paul and the meaning of resurrection, and to forge an eloquent and powerful new understanding of the birth of the Christian church.

John Dominic Crossan, one of the most influential figures in biblical scholarship, combines innovative scholarship with compelling insight in illuminating the mysteries of the origins of Christianity. Crossan's meticulous research into the anthropological milieu within which Christianity arose, and his study of the emergence of early Christian communities, form the basis for his stunning and original theory. Separating history from theology and redaction, he presents a vivid account of early Christianity's interaction with the world around it, and of the new traditions and communities established as Jesus' companions continued their movement after his death.

With ancient traditional Judaism under increasing pressure from both Roman commercial exploitation and Greek cultural domination, the Kingdom-of-God movement of Jesus and his followers establish radical but non-violent resistance in the Lower Galilee of the late 20s. As early Jewish and Greek-influenced schools of thought present competing visions of the nature of the spirit and the flesh, it is the message brought by Jesus during his life that creates the spiritual center of the early church.

The Resurrection, while essential to the story of Christ as told through the centuries, is understood in a different light when presented in the setting of a Mediterranean culture in which events such as apparitions by the dead and ecstatic visions were far from unusual. While the eschatological teachings of Paul play a large role in the growth and development of the church, they are seen to follow, rather than define, the moment of its birth.

Ground-breaking and brilliantly crafted, The Birth of Christianity is an indispensable addition to our understanding of the origins of the Christian faith.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherHarperSanFrancisco
  • Publication date1998
  • ISBN 10 0060616725
  • ISBN 13 9780060616724
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages687
  • Rating
Buy Used
Condition: Good
Used book that is in clean, average... Learn more about this copy

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.

Destination, rates & speeds

Add to Basket

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780060616601: The Birth of Christianity : Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780060616601
Publisher: HarperOne, 1999
Softcover

  • 9780060616595: The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened In the Years Immediately After the Execution Of Jesus

    HarperOne, 1998
    Hardcover

  • 9780567086686: Birth of Christianity

    T &..., 1999
    Softcover

  • 9780965664295: Birth Of Christianity - Discovering What Happened In The Years Immediately After The Execution Of Jesus

    Harper..., 1998
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperCollins Publishers (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Better World Books
(Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 18897062-75

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.14
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperCollins Publishers (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Better World Books
(Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 8482770-6

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.14
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperSanFrancisco (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
SecondSale
(Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00019370183

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.15
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperOne (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
ThriftBooks-Dallas
(Dallas, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.7. Seller Inventory # G0060616725I3N00

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.19
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperOne (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
ThriftBooks-Atlanta
(AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.7. Seller Inventory # G0060616725I3N00

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.19
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperOne (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
ThriftBooks-Reno
(Reno, NV, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.7. Seller Inventory # G0060616725I3N00

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.19
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperOne (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
ThriftBooks-Dallas
(Dallas, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.7. Seller Inventory # G0060616725I3N10

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 8.19
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by HarperSanFrancisco (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Irish Booksellers
(Portland, ME, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 11-0060616725-G

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 15.97
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by Harper SanFrancisco (1998)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Windows Booksellers
(Eugene, OR, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover with dust jacket. G/G. Shaken with a badly cocked spine. Some bumping and curling to edges of jacket. Else good. 653 pages. 653 pp. Seller Inventory # 477721

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 10.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 6.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Crossan, John Dominic
Published by Harper San Francisco (1989)
ISBN 10: 0060616725 ISBN 13: 9780060616724
Used Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Melanie Nelson Books
(Livingston, NY, NY, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition, Stated. --Hardcover---Black spine with gilt letters and baby blue covers, a thick book, 9 1/2" tall. 653 pages.Book feels LIKE NEW, but note pages not actually bright white-- from the publisher??? and a crease in index at end of book-- minor-- still- lovely new feel- - - dust jacket New condition, with original price present. Seller Inventory # 053930

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy Used
US$ 15.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book