The Earliest Christians.

Catalog description

This course offers a socio-historical and literary introduction to the writings of the earliest Christians. It will emphasize the importance of the historical context of these writings and will investigate the ways these texts fit into Mediterranean cultures. Topics include: the Jewish origins of the “Jesus movement”; the formation of early Christian communities and their varying patterns of belief and practice; the development of oral and written traditions about Jesus, especially in the gospels and letters of Paul; and various images of Jesus and their significance. Students will learn how to read ancient texts closely, gain an understanding of the various methods of scholarly biblical interpretation, and learn how to evaluate these interpretations critically. Also offered as RELI 025 . ( GELN )