The River of God: A New History of Christian Origins - Hardcover

Riley, Gregory J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060669799 ISBN 13: 9780060669799

Publisher: HarperOne, 2001

Synopsis

In this powerful and persuasive work trailblazing historian Gregory Riley traces the origins of Christianity beyond its familiar sources in Judaism and in the Hebrew Bible. journeying off the beaten path, Riley reveals other, lesser-known sources -- elements of Greek philosophy and science, Zoroastrianism, and the religions of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. "From the very beginning," writes Riley, "there were several varieties of Christians." The differences were greater, perhaps, than those seen in the Christianity of today. Dozens of sects arose in different cities of the first-century Greco-Roman world, all claiming to be the religion of the risen Christ. Ultimately, these early, doctrinally disparate Christianities led to the present-day diversity of the Church.

Moving from the origins of Christianity to understanding Christianity, this remarkable book guides the reader through five major areas at the core of Christian faith.

1. The rise of monotheism.
2. The subsequent development of Christian Trinitarianism.
3. The evolution of the Devil and eschatology.
4. The development and the consequences of the concept of body and soul for humans.
5. The meaning of Jesus as savior.

In straightforward, accessible prose, Riley shows how an enriched understanding of Christianity can uncover new truths and new pathways to faith. Likening the history of Christianity to a great river, Riley illustrates the ebb and flow of the relationship between God and humanity over the centuries. There are contributions from each side, divine and human, in a relationship that stretches over thousands of years, from before the dawn of writing to the time of the early Christians, and beyond.

The River of God is an original and masterly exploration of how the beliefs and experience of early Christianity evolved among its early adherents. Weaving historical, theological, scientific, and social developments and insights, Gregory Riley distills the history of Christianity into a superbly readable volume that has profound implications for both its present and future.

About this title

About the Author

Gregory Riley, Ph.D., educated at Harvard University, is professor of NewTestament and Early Christianity at the Claremont School of Theology in California and the author of the acclaimed One Jesus, Many Christs.

Reviews

In what is now a rather commonplace argument, Riley (One Jesus, Many Christs) contends that Christianity originated from the tremendous theological diversity of Near Eastern religions and that its origins cannot be explained or understood adequately by simply emphasizing its roots in Judaism, as he claims conventional scholarship has done. He proposes instead a threefold model of genealogy, punctuated equilibrium and the "river of God" to investigate Christian origins. First, he examines Christianity's genealogy, examining all the branches of its family tree to locate the sources of ideas such as the Devil, body and soul, and monotheism. Second, he argues that Christianity evolved by embracing certain ideas that would ensure its survival and rejecting others that did not contribute to its longevity. Finally, in an unoriginal manner, Riley uses the image of a river to demonstrate the diversity of religious traditions that have flowed into Christianity as well as the variety of traditions that have developed within Christianity itself. But Riley's book is plagued with problems. His subtitle is misleading, for he doesn't offer a new history of Christian origins; acknowledging and emphasizing the religious diversity upon which Christianity depended has been a standard approach for more than a decade. Riley also passes along some inaccuracies. Plato never equated the Good with God, and Aristotle probably would be horrified to learn that his Unmoved Mover is God. Riley's pedestrian prose and lack of originality combine to steal the zest from what otherwise could have been an exciting book.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Riley uses three models--genealogy, a river system, and, from evolutionary theory, punctuated equilibrium--to understand Christianity's lineage. He pictures Christianity as a family of organisms representable on a tree that can also be seen as a riverlike system of sources and tributaries. He attends to the multicultural matrix within which Christianity emerged, lucidly accounting its Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Persian, Greek, and Greco-Roman influences. His is an articulate voice for the Greek and Hellenistic background of Jesus' thought, and for seeing that Greek tragedy influenced the early church's understanding of a crucified messiah, and that Greek science influenced its understanding of God. He imparts much about the impact of Persian thought, particularly Zoroastrianism, on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and he renders real service by noting the interplay of cultural influences in Galilee as distinct from Judah. Here is a thoroughly Galilean Jesus and a richly multicultural Christianity--concepts that should enhance general discussion of Christianity's place in the history of religion and its development amid diverse cultural streams that nourish and are nourished by it. Steven Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Several recent books have sought to demonstrate the influence of Greek and Roman thought on the origins of Christianity, but Riley (New Testament and Early Christianity, Claremont Sch. of Theology) gives us one of the best. His arguments are far more balanced and substantiated than those in Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy's The Jesus Mysteries (LJ 7/00), for example. Riley states that Christianity was not produced by preceding and/or contemporaneous religious ideas, which he calls "the river of God." However, he points out that for Jesus and his disciples there was "a vast store of ideas and traditions that they used to form their unique expressions of religious truth." Beginning with a discussion of why the "Israel only" model (i.e., the idea that Christianity drew only from Judaism) is incorrect and insufficient, he moves in subsequent chapters to discuss the sources for and ideas about such core concepts as one God, the Devil, the soul as separate from the body, and the need for a Savior. His last chapter contains his summary of how Greek and Roman religious ideas affected Christianity and how recognizing this can lead to a more complete understanding of Jesus and his message. This volume will become one of the most important books on the subject. Recommended for any public or academic library. David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060669799
• ISBN 13: 9780060669799
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256