Early Christianity & Its Sacred Literature,9781565632660

Early Christianity & Its Sacred Literature

by McDonald, Lee Martin
ISBN13: 9781565632660
ISBN10: 1565632664
Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 2000-09-01
Publisher(s): Hendrickson Pub
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Summary

This comprehensive examination of the sacred literature of early Christianity introduces the literature and world of the early followers of Jesus. It explores fundamental issues such as the relationship between history and faith, the place of critical methodology, the transmission of the New Testament writings, the historical context of early Christianity, and the formation of the canon. It looks at writings, personalities, and issues outside the New Testament. Sixty color pictures by noted photographer Richard Cleave enhance the fifty black and white images, maps, and charts.

Porter and McDonald have presented us with what is perhaps the best current introduction to early Christianity and its literature. Well-informed at every turn and supplemented with helpful charts, bibliography, pictures and time-lines, this work presents the phenomenon of early Christianity in a thoroughgoing historical manner while still being respectful of the faith dimensions of the sources. The hard questions about the relationship of faith and history (e.g., about the resurrection

Author Biography

Lee Martin McDonald is principal of the college and professor of New Testament studies at Acadia Divinity College in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii
Abbreviations xvii
History and faith: Critical assumptions for the study of the new testament
1(22)
The Problem of History
1(2)
History and the Historical Method
3(6)
The Meaning and Subject of History
3(2)
The Task of the Historian
5(1)
The Framework of the Historian
6(2)
History and Science
8(1)
Principles and Assumptions of Modern Historiography
9(4)
The Principle of Autonomy
10(1)
A Closed Causal Nexus
10(1)
The Principle of Analogy
11(1)
The Principle of Probability
12(1)
Historical Assumptions and God's Activity in History
13(2)
Historical and ``Theological'' Explanation
15(8)
Bibliography
18(1)
Notes
19(4)
Examining the Bible Critically
23(24)
Introduction
23(1)
The Importance of Critical Biblical Inquiry
24(2)
Types of Biblical Criticism
26(9)
Textual Criticism
26(1)
Historical Criticism
27(1)
Source Criticism
27(1)
Form Criticism
28(1)
Redaction Criticism
28(1)
Literary Criticism
29(1)
Rhetorical Criticism
30(2)
Social-Scientific Criticism
32(1)
Canonical Criticism
33(1)
Linguistic Criticism
34(1)
Biblical Theology: What comes after Biblical Criticism?
35(2)
Conclusion
37(10)
Bibliography
37(5)
Notes
42(5)
The Historical context of Early Christianity
47(53)
From Cyrus to Augustus
47(8)
Persian Domination of Palestine
47(2)
Greek Domination of Palestine
49(4)
Jewish Independence and the Hasmoneans
53(1)
Roman Domination of Palestine and Herodian Rule
53(2)
The Jewish Context of Early Christianity
55(25)
Jewish Identity and Religious Beliefs
55(2)
The Hebrew Scriptures
57(2)
The Rabbinic Tradition and Literature of Ancient Judaism
59(3)
The Home
62(1)
The Temple
62(1)
The Synagogue
62(1)
Conversion to Judaism
63(1)
Apocalypses and Messiahs
63(2)
Primary Jewish Religious Sects
65(15)
The Greco-Roman Context of Early Christianity
80(20)
The Social World
80(2)
Religion
82(5)
Christianity and Hellenism
87(1)
Bibliography
88(5)
Notes
93(7)
The Quest for the historical Jesus: Recent life-of-Jesus research
100(16)
Introduction to Life-of-Jesus Research
100(1)
The Quest for the Historical Jesus
100(5)
The First Quest for the Historical Jesus
101(1)
The ``No Quest'' for the Hisorical Jesus
102(1)
The ``New Quest,'' or Second Quest, for the Historical Jesus
103(1)
The ``third Quest'' for the Historical Jesus
103(2)
The Use of Q in Recovering the Historical Jesus
105(3)
Criteria for Authenticity
108(2)
Problems for Christian Faith
110(6)
Bibliography
111(2)
Notes
113(3)
The story of Jesus, PART A: FROM BIRTH TO BURIAL
116(62)
Introduction
116(1)
The Life of Jesus: from Birth to Burial
117(51)
The Birth of Jesus
117(5)
The Genealogy of Jesus
122(4)
The Early Childhood of Jesus
126(1)
John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus
127(3)
The Temptation of Jesus
130(1)
The Early Galilean Ministry
130(6)
Healings, Teachings, and the Nature of Jesus' Appeal
136(5)
The Transfiguration of Jesus
141(6)
The Triumphal Entry
147(1)
The Passion Predictions of Jesus
147(1)
The Arrest and Trial of Jesus
147(11)
The Death and Burial of Jesus
158(10)
What factors and People Were Involved in the Death of Jesus? Further Comment
168(10)
Circumstances Surrounding Jesus' Death
168(2)
Responsibility for Jesus' Death
170(1)
Bibliography
171(2)
Notes
173(5)
The story of Jesus, PART B: EASTER FAITH AND THE RESURRECTION NARRATIVES
178(47)
Introduction
178(1)
Origins of the Notion of Resurrection
178(3)
The Resurrection of Jesus in History and in the Easter Traditions
181(2)
The Empty-Tomb Tradition
183(14)
The time of the Discovery
183(2)
The Number and Names of the Women
185(1)
The Problem of Opening the Tomb
186(1)
The Opening of the Tomb
187(1)
The Women Entering the Tomb
187(1)
The Angels in the Empty-Tomb Stories
188(2)
The Response of the Women to the Angelic Message
190(1)
The Response of the Disciples to the Message of the Women
190(1)
The Grave Clothes
190(2)
The Guard at the Tomb
192(1)
Consistencies in the Empty-Tomb Tradition and their Importance
193(4)
The Appearance Stories
197(19)
The Location of the Appearances
197(5)
To Whom Did Jesus First Appear?
202(2)
The Ascension and the Forbidding of Mary to Touch Jesus
204(3)
What was the Ascension?
207(2)
The Nature of the Resurrection Appearances
209(5)
A Summary of the Events of Easter
214(1)
Concluding Comments on the Easter Narratives
215(1)
Conclusion
216(9)
Bibliography
217(2)
Notes
219(6)
The Emergence of Early Christianity: A Look at the first Christians
225(49)
Introduction
225(1)
Organization and Order in the Early Church
225(4)
The Organization of the early Church
226(2)
Organization in the Jerusalem Church
228(1)
Conclusion
228(1)
Galilee and Early Christianity
229(3)
The Population of Galilee
229(2)
Silence about the Church in Galilee
231(1)
Growth and Development in Early Christianity (A.D. 30-100)
232(11)
The Composition of the First Christian Community
232(1)
The Names of the Earliest Christians
233(2)
The Church toward the End of the First Century
235(6)
Worship in the Early Church
241(2)
Wandering Preachers in the Early Church
243(1)
The Separation of Christianity from Judaism
244(11)
When Christians Ceased Being Jews
244(5)
The Causes of the Separation and Hostilities
249(5)
Conclusion
254(1)
How Others Saw the Christians
255(7)
Suetonius
256(1)
Tacitus
256(1)
Pilny the Younger
257(1)
Trajan
258(1)
Graffiti
258(1)
Lucian of Samosata
258(1)
Celsus
259(1)
Marcus Aurelius
260(1)
Galen
260(1)
Josephus
261(1)
An Outline of the Early Church's Development
262(12)
Timeline
262(1)
Noteworthy Events and Writings
263(1)
Bibliography
264(3)
Notes
267(7)
The Gospels and the acts of the Apostles
274(49)
Introduction to the Gospels
274(2)
The Synoptic Problem: Relationships and Differences
276(9)
Introduction to the Synoptic Problem
276(5)
The Existence of Q
281(2)
Events Giving Rise to the Gospels
283(2)
Conclusion
285(1)
The Gospel of Mark
285(6)
Authorship
285(2)
Date
287(1)
Influence and Reliability
288(1)
Basic Characteristics and Message
289(1)
Outline of the Gospel of Mark
289(1)
Postscript
290(1)
The Gospel of Luke and the acts of the Apostles
291(6)
Introduction
291(1)
Authorship
291(4)
Date
295(1)
The Importance of Authorship for Interpretation
296(1)
Outlines of the Gospel of Luke and the acts of the Apostles
297(1)
The Gospel of Matthew
297(5)
Introduction
297(1)
Authorship
297(2)
Date, Location, and Occasion
299(2)
Basic Characteristics and Message
301(1)
Historical Reliability
302(1)
Outline of the Gospel of Matthew
302(1)
The Gospel of John
302(7)
Introduction
302(1)
Distinctive Features
303(1)
John and the Synoptics
303(2)
Authorship and Date
305(2)
Purpose and Historical Origins
307(1)
History and the Gospel of John
307(2)
Outline of the Gospel of John
309(1)
Conclusion
309(14)
Bibliography
311(3)
Notes
314(9)
The Pauline Tradition
323(86)
Who was Paul? His Importance in Early Christianity
323(17)
The Value of Paul for the Early Church
323(2)
Paul the Man
325(1)
Paul and His Upbringing
326(5)
Paul and the Roman Empire
331(1)
Paul's Occupation
332(1)
Paul's Religious and Ethnic Background
333(1)
Paul's Conversion
334(3)
Acts and Paul
337(3)
The Primary Teachings and Thought of Paul
340(25)
The Background to Paul's Thought
340(12)
Major Pauline Beliefs
352(13)
Paul's Mission and Ministry: an Outline
365(7)
Paul's Conversion and the Early Years (ca. A.D. 33-47)
367(1)
First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14; A.D. 47-49)
367(1)
Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22; A.D. 50-52)
368(1)
Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:17; A.D. 53-57)
369(2)
Paul in Roman Custody (A.D. 57-62)
371(1)
Paul's Possible Release from Prison and Later Reimprisonment (A.D. 62-65)
371(1)
Paul's Imprisonments
372(5)
Paul the Prisoner
372(1)
The Places of Imprisonment
373(4)
The Pauline Letter Form
377(11)
The Letter in the Hellenistic World
377(2)
The Purposes of Letters
379(1)
The Form of the Letter
380(6)
Paul's Use of the Amanuensis
386(1)
Summary
387(1)
Pseudonymity and the Pauline Letters
388(21)
Bibliography
393(3)
Notes
396(13)
The Pauline Letters
409(108)
Introduction
409(1)
The Main Epistles
410(51)
Galatians
410(5)
1 Thessalonians
415(7)
2 Thessalonians
422(7)
1 Corinthians
429(12)
2 Corinthians
441(8)
Romans
449(12)
The Prison Epistles
461(27)
Philippians
461(10)
Colossians
471(8)
Philemon
479(3)
Ephesians
482(6)
The Pastoral Epistles
488(29)
Timothy and Titus
488(1)
Critical Difficulties
489(3)
Proposed Solutions to the Problems of the Pastoral Epistles
492(3)
The Evidence
495(2)
Authorship
497(1)
Outlines of the Pastoral Epistles
497(1)
Bibliography
498(4)
Notes
502(15)
Hebrews, the General Epistles, and Revelation
517(54)
Introduction
517(1)
Hebrews
517(11)
Introduction
517(1)
Authorship
518(3)
Date, Audience, and Destination
521(3)
Literary Genre
524(2)
Basic Characteristics and Message
526(1)
Outline of Hebrews
526(2)
James
528(6)
Introduction
528(1)
Authorship
528(3)
Literary Genre
531(1)
Date
532(1)
Basic Characteristics and Message
533(1)
Outline of James
534(1)
The Petrine Letters and Jude
534(13)
Introduction
534(1)
1 Peter
534(5)
2 Peter and Jude
539(5)
Basic Characteristics and Message
544(1)
Outlines of 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude
545(2)
The Johannine Letters
547(4)
Introduction
547(1)
Literary Genre
547(1)
Reception, Authorship and Date, and Order of Composition
548(3)
Situation and Content
551(1)
Outlines of 1, 2, and 3 John
551(1)
Revelation
551(20)
Introduction
551(1)
Literary Genre
552(2)
Date
554(3)
Authorship
557(1)
Problems of Interpretation
558(3)
Outline of Revelation
561(1)
Bibliography
561(2)
Notes
563(8)
The Language, Text, and Transmission of the New Testament
571(29)
Introduction
571(1)
The Language of the New Testament
572(6)
Introduction
572(3)
The Greek of the New Testament
575(2)
The Language of Jesus
577(1)
The Text and Transmission of the New Testament
578(9)
Basic Concepts of Textual Criticism
578(2)
History of the Modern Critical Text
580(1)
Textual Types
581(4)
Internal Criteria
585(2)
Conclusion
587(1)
Textual Transmission and Bible Translations
587(13)
Ancient Writing and Its Materials
587(3)
Translations Ancient and Modern
590(2)
Bibliography
592(2)
Notes
594(6)
The Origins of the Christian Bible
600(34)
Introduction: The Notions of Scripture and Canon
600(1)
The Problem of Definition: Canon 1 and Canon 2
601(1)
The Old Testament Canon
602(9)
The Scriptures of Judaism and Early Christianity
602(2)
Josephus's Scriptural Canon
604(2)
The Completion of the Old Testament Canon
606(2)
Conclusion
608(3)
The New Testament Canon
611(10)
Recognition of New Testament Writings as Scripture
611(1)
Influences toward Canonization
611(6)
Criteria for Canonization
617(1)
The Muratorian Fragment: A Fourth-Century Canonical List?
618(3)
Conclusions about the Old and New Testaments
621(13)
Bibliography
623(2)
Notes
625(9)
The Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and Agrapha
634(13)
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
634(5)
The Problem of Pseudonymity
639(2)
The Agrapha
641(6)
Bibliography
644(1)
Notes
645(2)
APPENDIX A: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS AND PERSONS RELEVANT TO THE HISTORY OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY (200 B.C.-A.D. 200) 647(6)
1. Chronology of Events in the World of the New Testament and the Early Church
647(3)
2. Hasmonean Dynasty (Second and First Centuries B.C.)
650(1)
3. Herodian Dynasty
650(1)
4. Jewish High Priests
650(1)
5. Roman Prefects and Procurators of Judea and Samaria
651(1)
6. Roman Emperors
651(1)
7. Messianic Claimants around the Time of Jesus
651(1)
8. Jewish Prophets around the Time of Jesus
652(1)
APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL TERMS 653(10)
Index of Modern Authors 663(9)
Index of Ancient Sources 672(21)
Index of Subjects 693

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