Religious Studies 135: CHRISTIAN ORIGINS

Robert A. Kraft, University of Pennsylvania

227 Logan Hall (215 898-5827); kraft@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

LECTURE OUTLINE & ASSIGNMENTS (Fall 2002)

This course deals with the origins of "Christianity" in general, to about the year 200 ce, with particular reference to the various writings preserved from early Christians, including the "New Testament" anthology. The primary goal of the course is to understand what took place in this complex period, without consciously importing later ideas or imposing later value judgments upon the materials. It is thus concerned more with history and the history of ideas than with today's religious perspectives as such, although the study can have great relevance for understanding certain attitudes in modern circles interested in Christian and Jewish heritages. Grasp of METHOD of historical investigation is of primary importance.

Evaluation of student performance for grading purposes will rest on several factors, but especially the following:

- informed class participation (do the readings beforehand!),
- a major research paper due at the end of classes (topics vary),
- a comprehensive final review (written and/or oral).

Every student will be expected to have a computer account on the Internet and to keep in regular contact with the instructor by that means. Students are encouraged to join or monitor at least one academic discussion group (IOUDAIOS-L, ELENCHUS, or EccHst-L are recommended) and to learn to access other relevant materials linked from the instructor's home page and elsewhere (learn to search the net with google.com and similar tools).

There are various resources from which the pertinent information may be gathered, and students are encouraged to explore a wide range of modern treatments and interpretations. The assignments will be based on the following books that have been ordered in the Penn Bookstore, but it is possible to cover the same material from other books and resources as well, in accord with the stated topics. Of the modern "secondary" works, Ehrman (also Tyson) is written for college level classes such as this; Koester is more advanced (graduate level), and may prove to be more challenging, but hopefully no less rewarding! Note that individual students may choose the specific "track" by which they acquire information, all the way from using the Internet, the bibliography and the library resources, to using a fixed body of "textbooks."

Recommended Secondary Overviews

Recommended Collections of Primary Sources

Sequence of Foci (Course Outline and Topical Assignments)

1. ESTABLISHING A BASIS FOR APPROACHING THE MATERIALS

For this part of the course, read introductory sections that deal with "methodological" and background issues, as in EHRMAN chs 1+14+29 [or TYSON] and BARRETT (Intro and Sources), or KOESTER 2 ch 7. A general encyclopedia article on the sweep of Christian history would also be useful.

1.0 Definitions and Distinctions

1.1 The Surviving Communities and their Voices

1.2 The Filters of Classical Christian "Orthodoxy"

1.3 The Filters of Classical Jewish "Orthodoxy"

1.4 Moving Behind the Filters to the Earliest Recoverable Materials

2. THE WORLD(S) IN WHICH EARLY CHRISTIANITY DEVELOPED

For this section, read about the "backgrounds" of early Christianity (EHRMAN ch 2 [or TYSON, part 1]; KOESTER 1 entire), see HOPKINS chs 1 & 5 ("time travel to Pompeii," etc.), and sample the primary sources collected in BARRETT.

2.0 Definitions and Distinctions

2.1 Greco-Roman (Hellenistic) History, Culture, and Thought

2.2 Judaism(s) in the Greco-Roman World(s)

2.3 The Palestinian Scene at the Time of Jesus and Beyond

2.4 The Roman Empire and its "Religions"

3. JESUS AND THE TRADITIONS ABOUT HIM (died ca 30 ce)

Along with the syntheses such as in EHRMAN [or TYSON] & KOESTER 2, sample sections of the NT Gospels (synoptics and John; see Gospel Parallels as a convenient tool) and the "apocryphal Gospels" (e.g. in EHRMAN Red & Green ch 8). See also HOPKINS chs 4 & 8, and RelSt 435 (Kraft).

3.1 The Sources and their Relative Value

3.2 Reconstructing Jesus' Life and Career

3.3 Recapturing Jesus' Message(s)

3.4 The Fate of the Jesus Traditions in Early Christianity

4. EARLIEST CHRISTIANITY (to about 70 ce)

Paul and the NT book of Acts are the dominant subjects in this section; read about them (e.g. EHRMAN Intro chs 9 & 18-24), and read them. Also sample the "apocryphal" Acts and non-canonical Pauline materials (EHRMAN Red & Green ch 8). See also RelSt 436 (Kraft).

4.1 The Sources and their Relative Value

4.2 Jesus' Palestinian Companions and their Work

4.3 Christianity in the Greco-Roman World at Large

4.4 Paul, "Apostle to the Gentiles," his Career and Opponents

4.5 The Crisis Years in the Roman World (64-73 ce)

4.6 Christianity beyond the borders of Rome

5. THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY, RECOGNITION & CONSOLIDATION

Everything else from the first 150 years or so of Christian existence fits here, rather loosely. Read the secondary treatments for attempts at synthetic reconstruction (e.g. EHRMAN chs 25-28, HOPKINS chs 3 & 6-7), and explore the various primary sources listed below (see EHRMAN Red and Green, and the "Noncanonical Homepage"). See also RelSt 535 (Kraft).

5.1 Early Christianity and Early Judaism

5.1.1 Development of Mutual Hostility

5.1.2 Christianity's Apocalyptic Jewish Heritage

5.1.3 Christian Adaptation of Jewish Lifestyle Traditions

5.1.4 Christian Approaches to Jewish Scriptures & Authorities

5.2 The Battle Within -- Tensions in Early Christianity

5.2.1 Problem of Allegiance -- Who is to be Worshipped?

5.2.2 Problem of Authority -- Pneumatic vs Transmitted

5.2.3 Problem of Community -- Institutionalized Forms/Rules

5.2.4 Problem of Conformity -- Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy

5.3 The Struggle for Public Recognition

5.3.1 Survival in the Roman World -- "Delay of the Parousia"

5.3.2 Responses to Persecution -- Christian Apologists

//end (8/15/2001)//