Who Made Early Christianity?

The Jewish Lives of the Apostle Paul

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Judaism, History, Christianity, Church, Bible & Bible Studies
Cover of the book Who Made Early Christianity? by John Gager, Jr., Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Gager, Jr. ISBN: 9780231539371
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: June 16, 2015
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: John Gager, Jr.
ISBN: 9780231539371
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: June 16, 2015
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

In this historical and theological study, John G. Gager undermines the myth of the Apostle Paul's rejection of Judaism, conversion to Christianity, and founding of Christian anti-Judaism. He finds that the rise of Christianity occurred well after Paul's death and attributes the distortion of the Apostle's views to early and later Christians.

Though Christian clerical elites ascribed a rejection-replacement theology to Paul's legend, Gager shows that the Apostle was considered a loyal Jew by many of his Jesus-believing contemporaries and that later Jewish and Muslim thinkers held the same view. He holds that one of the earliest misinterpretations of Paul was to name him the founder of Christianity, and in recent times numerous Jewish and Christian readers of Paul have moved beyond this understanding.

Gager also finds that Judaism did not fade away after Paul's death but continued to appeal to both Christians and pagans for centuries. Jewish synagogues remained important religious and social institutions throughout the Mediterranean world. Making use of all possible literary and archaeological sources, including Muslim texts, Gager helps recover the long pre-history of a Jewish Paul, obscured by recent, negative portrayals of the Apostle, and recognizes the enduring bond between Jews and Christians that has influenced all aspects of Christianity.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this historical and theological study, John G. Gager undermines the myth of the Apostle Paul's rejection of Judaism, conversion to Christianity, and founding of Christian anti-Judaism. He finds that the rise of Christianity occurred well after Paul's death and attributes the distortion of the Apostle's views to early and later Christians.

Though Christian clerical elites ascribed a rejection-replacement theology to Paul's legend, Gager shows that the Apostle was considered a loyal Jew by many of his Jesus-believing contemporaries and that later Jewish and Muslim thinkers held the same view. He holds that one of the earliest misinterpretations of Paul was to name him the founder of Christianity, and in recent times numerous Jewish and Christian readers of Paul have moved beyond this understanding.

Gager also finds that Judaism did not fade away after Paul's death but continued to appeal to both Christians and pagans for centuries. Jewish synagogues remained important religious and social institutions throughout the Mediterranean world. Making use of all possible literary and archaeological sources, including Muslim texts, Gager helps recover the long pre-history of a Jewish Paul, obscured by recent, negative portrayals of the Apostle, and recognizes the enduring bond between Jews and Christians that has influenced all aspects of Christianity.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Capital and the Common Good by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Chinese History and Culture by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Love, Amy by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book A New Foreign Policy by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Slow Food by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Speaking for Buddhas by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book On Sexuality and Power by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book How They Got Away With It by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Making Sense of the Alt-Right by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book The Hermeneutic Nature of Analytic Philosophy by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book The Beginner's Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Philosophy and Poetry by John Gager, Jr.
Cover of the book Joseph Conrad and the Fiction of Autobiography by John Gager, Jr.
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy