Episode 77. The Origins of Christianity

Works Cited Primary Sources The book of Acts. Composed approximately 80 to 90 CE by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. The principal narrative source for the early Christian community in Jerusalem and the missionary work of Paul.The four canonical Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Composed between approximately 70 and 110 CE. The principal sources for Jesus's life and teaching, with the substantial source-critical caveats this episode has discussed.Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, especially 18.3.3, the Testimonium Flavianum on Jesus, with the source-critical caveats discussed in Part Six, and 20.9.1, the execution of James the brother of Jesus in 62 CE.The letters of Paul. Composed between approximately 50 and 60 CE. The seven authentic letters—Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, First Thessalonians, and Philemon—are our most reliable evidence for the state of the Christian movement in the 50s.Suetonius. Life of Claudius, 25. The reference to the expulsion of the Jewish community from Rome in 49 CE for disturbances instigated by Chrestus.Tacitus. Annals, 15.44. The principal Roman reference to the Neronian persecution and to Christianity as a distinct religious movement.Secondary Sources Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. Oxford University Press, multiple editions. Standard scholarly introduction to the early Christian texts and their composition.Koester, Helmut. Introduction to the New Testament. De Gruyter, multiple editions. Comprehensive scholarly treatment of the early Christian movement and its texts.Sanders, E. P. The Historical Figure of Jesus. Penguin, 1993. The standard scholarly biography of Jesus from a perspective grounded in Pauline-period Jewish religious context. The framework of this episode owes substantial debts to Sanders's analysis.Vermes, Geza. Jesus the Jew. Collins, 1973. The classic work establishing the Jewish religious context of Jesus's ministry. Continues to shape contemporary historical Jesus scholarship.Wright, N. T. The New Testament and the People of God. SPCK, 1992. The major contemporary treatment from a more theologically committed perspective, useful as a counterweight to the more skeptical scholarly traditions.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/real-roman-history/donations