The Rise of Christian Beliefs: The Thought World of Early Christians

by Raisanen, Heikki

• ISBN13: 9780800662660
• ISBN10: 0800662660
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-01
• Publisher: Fortress Pr

Summary

Heikki Rauml;isauml;nen offers a historical survey of the "roots and first growth" of the thoughts, values, and practices of the early Christians and explains the evolution of Christian belief in terms of vital adaptations to specific challenges. An ideal textbook for university introductory courses on the New Testament and Early Christianity, The Rise of Christian Beliefs offers chapters discussing "paradigmatic events" the life and death of Jesus and experiences of Easter, principal figures and groups, last things and afterlife, savior figures and the human condition, ethnicity, identity, and morality, and ritual community life.

Author Biography

Heikki Raumlet;isaumlet;nen is Academy Professor Emeritus in the Academy of Finland and former Head of the Centre of Excellence in the Department of Biblical Studies of the University of Helsinki. He is the author of Paul and the Law (Fortress Press, 1983; 2nd ed., 1987), The "Messianic Secret" in Mark's Gospel (1990), and Beyond New Testament Theology: A Story and a Programme (1990; 2nd ed., 2000).

Table of Contents

Illustrations	p. xiii
Editor's Note	p. xv
Preface	p. xvii
Acknowledgments	p. xx
Abbreviations	p. xxi
Introduction	p. 1
The Relationship to "New Testament Theology"	p. 2
The Structure of the Present Work	p. 6
Timeline	p. 9
Roots and Starting Points
Second Temple Judaism	p. 19
The Aftermath of the Exile	p. 20
Jewish History in Hellenistic and Roman Times	p. 21
The Maccabean Uprising	p. 21
Rome and Judea	p. 22
Galilee	p. 26
Toward Disaster	p. 27
Jewish Religion	p. 28
Groups	p. 32
Diaspora Judaism	p. 36
Jewish Writings from the Period	p. 37
From Palestine	p. 37
From the Diaspora	p. 38
Uncertain Provenance	p. 39
Rabbinic Literature	p. 39
Greco-Roman Religion and Philosophy	p. 41
Religion	p. 41
Civic Cult and Private Worship	p. 41
Mystery Cults	p. 43
Other Religious Phenomena	p. 46
Cult of Rulers	p. 47
Philosophy	p. 50
Plato and His Followers	p. 51
Stoics, Cynics, Others	p. 52
Was There a Gnostic Religion?	p. 53
Events, Persons, Sources	p. 56
Jesus: Mission, Message, Fate	p. 56
The Easter Experiences	p. 57
The Beginnings of the Gentile Mission	p. 59
Conflicts around the Gentile Mission	p. 60
Jesus Remembered	p. 63
From the Jewish War to the Early Second Century	p. 64
The More Liberal Wing	p. 64
The More Conservative Wing	p. 65
Further Developments	p. 67
The Conservative Wing	p. 67
"Mystical" and Platonist Strands	p. 68
Radical Paulinism	p. 70
Popular Strands	p. 70
Prophecies and Revelations	p. 71
Proto-Orthodox	p. 71
Christians with Gnostic Learnings	p. 72
The Marginalization of Gnostic Christians	p. 75
Basic Problems and Solutions
Last Things First: God, History, and Beyond	p. 79
Israelite and Jewish Hopes	p. 79
The God Who Acts: From Exodus to Exile	p. 79
Apocalypticism	p. 81
Expectations at the Time of Jesus	p. 83
Jesus and God's Kingdom	p. 86
Eschatological?	p. 86
On Earth or in Heaven?	p. 89
Millenarian Expectation	p. 93
Toward a Kingdom in Heaven	p. 98
Paul	p. 98
Developments after Paul	p. 102
Spiritual Reinterpretations	p. 105
Outcome and Impact	p. 110
After Death: The Destiny of the Individual	p. 114
Jewish and Greco-Roman Visions	p. 114
From the World of Shadows to Different Destinies	p. 114
Bodily Resurrection and Immortality of the Soul	p. 118
Visions of Judgment in the Jesus Movement	p. 120
Annihilation	p. 120
Hell	p. 121
Resurrection or Immortality?	p. 124
Resurrection of the Flesh?	p. 124
The Risen Jesus as a Model	p. 125
Paul and the Corinthians: Spiritual Resurrection?	p. 126
The Spiritual Trajectory after Paul	p. 129
A Basic Tension and Its Consequences	p. 131
Sold under Sin? The Human Condition	p. 134
Israelite and Jewish Notions of Sin	p. 134
Universal Sinfulness	p. 135
The Origin of Sin	p. 137
Sin as a Way of Life: "Sinners" as a Social Category	p. 138
Sin and the Human Condition in the Jesus Movement	p. 139
Sin as Transgression	p. 139
"Sinners" as a Social Category in the Jesus Tradition	p. 140
Under Cosmic Powers	p. 143
Sin as Enslaving Power in Paul	p. 144
Blinded by Ignorance	p. 150
A Historical Epilogue	p. 152
What Must I Do to Be Saved? Different Paths to Salvation	p. 154
Covenantal Nomism	p. 154
The Path of Repentance and Obedience	p. 157
John and Jesus	p. 157
Early Christianity	p. 159
Salvation through Jesus	p. 166
Jesus' Death as Saving Event	p. 167
New Life in Union with Christ	p. 174
Faith and Works: A Pauline Contrast	p. 176
Predestination-or Universal Salvation?	p. 181
Saving Knowledge	p. 184
Salvation outside the Church?	p. 186
Salvific Rites	p. 187
Prospects	p. 191
True Man or True God? The Mediator of Salvation	p. 192
Deliverers and Mediators in Jewish Tradition	p. 192
Royal Figures	p. 192
Transcendent Figures	p. 193
Jesus' Self-Understanding	p. 196
What Difference Did Easter Make?	p. 198
Jesus' Future Task	p. 199
Jesus' Present Function	p. 201
Jesus' Past Ministry	p. 204
Death	p. 204
Actions	p. 205
Teaching	p. 208
Jesus' Birth	p. 209
Jesus' Preexistence	p. 213
From Kenosis to Epiphany	p. 217
"Docetic" or "Real" Incarnation?	p. 221
Epilogue	p. 225
The Empowering Presence: Experiences and Doctrines of the Spirit	p. 228
The Divine Spirit in Jewish and Greek Tradition	p. 228
The Spirit and Extraordinary Phenomena	p. 231
The Spirit and Everyday Christian Life	p. 237
The Spirit Guides the Church	p. 241
Conflicts around the Spirit	p. 243
Personifying the Spirit	p. 245
True Israel? From Jewish to Christian Identity	p. 247
Jewish Identity	p. 247
Jesus and Jewish Identity	p. 252
Preserving Jewish Identity	p. 253
Crossing Boundaries, Remolding Identity	p. 256
Paul's Practice	p. 257
Paul's Theory	p. 259
Ambiguous Continuity	p. 264
Toward Non-Jewish Identity	p. 272
Jewish Identity Denied	p. 276
A Short Epilogue	p. 282
Strangers in a Transitory World: Christians and Pagans	p. 283
Idolatry	p. 283
Worshiping Idols	p. 283
Idol Meat	p. 285
Conflict and Apology	p. 288
Harassment and Persecution	p. 288
Political Apology	p. 295
Pagan Philosophy and Culture	p. 296
Some Effects	p. 299
Toward Christian Orthodoxy	p. 301
Authoritative Scripture	p. 301
Authoritative Tradition	p. 304
Authoritative Persons	p. 306
Women as Leaders	p. 311
Inner-Christian (In)tolerance	p. 313
Conclusion Common Ground and Diversity in Early Christian Through	p. 315
Notes	p. 319
Bibliography	p. 407
Index of Subjects	p. 435
Index of Ancient Sources	p. 449
Index of Modern Authors	p. 475
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