Christian Beginnings: A Study in Ancient Mediterranean Religion

The book proposes a new way to understand Christianity's religiosity by examining three modes of religious expression: everyday social exchange, civic religion, and the religion of freelance literate experts. This approach provides a fresh perspective on Judaism and Christianity within Mediterranean religion and its intellectual cultures.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2024
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Rewritten text:

The book presents a groundbreaking perspective on Christianity, challenging the notion that it emerged as a distinct and alien religion from Mediterranean religious traditions. Instead, it proposes a pervasive religious dynamic rooted in three modes: the religion of everyday social exchange, civic religion, and the religion of freelance literate experts. These modes transcend ethnically defined cultures such as Judean, Greek, and Roman, offering a novel lens through which to interpret the earliest Christian literature and comprehend its religiosity.

The chapters of the book systematically articulate the theory and provide compelling illustrations through essays on key texts such as the letters of Paul, the Gospel of Matthew, and the challenges associated with studying Christian origins. By employing powerful new tools for theorizing religion more broadly, this approach offers a fresh and insightful way to understand Judaism and Christianity within the broader context of Mediterranean religion and its intellectual cultures.

The religion of everyday social exchange involves the exchange of goods, services, and favors within a community, often characterized by a sense of mutual obligation and reciprocity. It played a significant role in the early Christian communities, where members shared resources and supported one another in times of need. This mode of religious expression reflects the social and economic realities of the time and highlights the importance of community and social relationships in shaping religious practices.

Civic religion, on the other hand, refers to the religious practices and beliefs that were intertwined with the political and civic life of ancient societies. In the case of Christianity, it emerged as a religion that was closely associated with the Roman Empire and its imperial cult. Civic religion involved the worship of Roman gods and emperors, as well as the participation in public ceremonies and festivals that celebrated the empire's achievements. This mode of religious expression reflects the political and social context in which Christianity developed and highlights the importance of religion in maintaining social order and stability.

The religion of freelance literate experts, as the book suggests, emerged as a response to the increasing demand for religious knowledge and interpretation in the Roman Empire. These individuals, often referred to as "philosophers," were skilled in the Greek and Roman literary traditions and were able to interpret the Bible and other religious texts in their own unique ways. They often engaged in debates and discussions with other religious scholars and intellectuals, contributing to the development of Christian theology and philosophy. This mode of religious expression reflects the intellectual and cultural milieu in which Christianity developed and highlights the importance of scholarship and intellectual inquiry in shaping religious beliefs and practices.

By examining these three modes of religious expression, the book offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the religiosity of the earliest Christian communities. It challenges traditional narratives that view Christianity as a break from Mediterranean religion and instead presents a dynamic and multifaceted perspective that recognizes the complex and interrelated nature of religious practices and beliefs in the ancient world. This approach provides valuable insights into the origins and development of Christianity, as well as its relationship with other religious traditions and intellectual cultures in the Mediterranean region.

In conclusion, the book's argument for a pervasive religious dynamic based on three modes opens up a new way of reading the earliest Christian literature and understanding its religiosity. By transcending ethnically defined cultures and employing powerful new tools for theorizing religion, it offers a fresh and insightful perspective on Judaism and Christianity within Mediterranean religion and its intellectual cultures. This approach contributes to our understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of religious practices and beliefs in the ancient world and has the potential to inspire further research and exploration in this field.

Weight: 635g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399510066