Synagogue and Separation: A Social-Scientific Approach to the Formation of Christianity in Antioch
(2001)- Abstract
- This book attempts to answer the question of how it is possible that Christianity in the beginning of the second century C.E. had developed into a non-Jewish, Gentile religion. Since Christianity was originally one of many Jewish factions within the diversified Judaism of the period, and one that even primarily seems to have directed its attention to the people of Israel, the problem of its separation from Judaism is one of the real puzzles of Western civilisation.
While previous attempts to solve this riddle have focused mainly on ideological aspects, this study emphasises the interplay between sociological and ideological elements. In an attempt to overcome the problem of inadequate sources the use of a hermeneutical... (More) - This book attempts to answer the question of how it is possible that Christianity in the beginning of the second century C.E. had developed into a non-Jewish, Gentile religion. Since Christianity was originally one of many Jewish factions within the diversified Judaism of the period, and one that even primarily seems to have directed its attention to the people of Israel, the problem of its separation from Judaism is one of the real puzzles of Western civilisation.
While previous attempts to solve this riddle have focused mainly on ideological aspects, this study emphasises the interplay between sociological and ideological elements. In an attempt to overcome the problem of inadequate sources the use of a hermeneutical model is suggested. The purpose of the model is to construct an interpretative frame through which historical information can be elicited from spare sources.
It is argued that the separation between Judaism and Christianity in an Antiochean context was a result of a combination between the socio-political situation in the Roman Empire and ideological elements within the Jewish faction of the Jesus movement that primarily concerned the status of Gentiles within the movement. It is concluded that the separation between Judaism and Christianity was mainly a separation between Jews and Gentiles within the Jesus movement and Gentile adherents to the Jesus movement strove to become a legally recognised voluntary association completely separated from Judaism.
It is suggested that the anti-Judaism of early Christianity was used as a resource in this struggle of independence as part of the programme of convincing the civic authorities about the reasonableness of allowing Christianity to become a legally recognised collegium. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Avhandlingen syftar till att bidra till förståelsen av hur det kan komma sig att kristendomen i början av det andra århundradet utvecklas till en icke-judisk religion. Att de judendom och kristendom idag uppfattas som två olika religioner är inte så märkligt. Dock, om man betänker att kristendomen ursprungligen var en del av det första århundradets judendom så är det egendomligt att finna hur företrädare för kyrkan, i början av det andra århundradet, uppfattar judendom som en religion som inte är förenlig med kristendom. Kristendomen under denna period är inte bara icke-judisk utan också anti-judisk.
Undersökningen är begränsad till situationen i Antiokia, men det är rimligt... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Avhandlingen syftar till att bidra till förståelsen av hur det kan komma sig att kristendomen i början av det andra århundradet utvecklas till en icke-judisk religion. Att de judendom och kristendom idag uppfattas som två olika religioner är inte så märkligt. Dock, om man betänker att kristendomen ursprungligen var en del av det första århundradets judendom så är det egendomligt att finna hur företrädare för kyrkan, i början av det andra århundradet, uppfattar judendom som en religion som inte är förenlig med kristendom. Kristendomen under denna period är inte bara icke-judisk utan också anti-judisk.
Undersökningen är begränsad till situationen i Antiokia, men det är rimligt att tänka sig en liknande utveckling även på andra platser. Genom att tillämpa socialvetenskapliga teorier på det knapphändiga källmaterialet söker avhandlingen visa att separationen mellan judendom och kristendomen kan förstås som en grundläggande konflikt om icke-judarnas status inom den judiska Jesusrörelsen. Denna problematik förstärks av den socio-polistiska situationen i romarriket och leder till att de icke-judiska anhängarna till Jesusrörelsen blir religiöst och social marginaliserade. Detta leder i sin tur att det inom den icke-judiska delen av Jesurörelsen mot slutet av de första århundradet, uppstår en rörelse med syftet att separera från den judiska delen av Jesusrörelsen och skapa en skapa en egen religion som är godkänd av myndigheterna.
Avhandlingen föreslår alltså att separationen mellan judendom och kristendom huvudsakligen var en separation mellan judar och icke-judar inom Jesusrörelsen. Det är också i denna konflikt med den judiska delen av Jesusrörelsen som den anti-judiska polemiken blir begriplig. Den icke-judiska kyrkan måste övertyga myndigheterna om att den egentligen representerar den sanna judendomen och att andra tolkningar av den judiska traditionen, t ex den som omfattas av de judiska delen av Jesusrörelsen egentligen är missuppfattningar. Den sanna kyrkan är befriad från judar men har övertagit och omtolkat judendomens religiösa traditioner. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/20146
- author
- Zetterholm, Magnus LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Seland, Torrey, Høgskolen i Volda, Norge
- organization
- publishing date
- 2001
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Jewish-Christian relations, partings of the ways, Ignatius, sociology, Matthew, synagogue, hermeneutics, anti-Semitism, Jewish-Christianity, Gentile-Christianity, resource mobilisation, social movement, collective action, migration, assimilation, General, Kristen teologi (allmän, systematic and practical Christian theology, systematisk och praktisk), Antioch, History of the Christian church, Kristna kyrkans historia, Non-Christian religions, Världsreligioner (ej kristendom)
- pages
- 336 pages
- publisher
- Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University
- defense location
- Samarkand, Akademiska Föreningen, Sandgatan 2
- defense date
- 2001-11-30 10:15:00
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (015017000)
- id
- 97b544cc-9173-4def-8529-ec6946dc64f5 (old id 20146)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 11:19:54
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:04:09
@phdthesis{97b544cc-9173-4def-8529-ec6946dc64f5,
abstract = {{This book attempts to answer the question of how it is possible that Christianity in the beginning of the second century C.E. had developed into a non-Jewish, Gentile religion. Since Christianity was originally one of many Jewish factions within the diversified Judaism of the period, and one that even primarily seems to have directed its attention to the people of Israel, the problem of its separation from Judaism is one of the real puzzles of Western civilisation.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
While previous attempts to solve this riddle have focused mainly on ideological aspects, this study emphasises the interplay between sociological and ideological elements. In an attempt to overcome the problem of inadequate sources the use of a hermeneutical model is suggested. The purpose of the model is to construct an interpretative frame through which historical information can be elicited from spare sources.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
It is argued that the separation between Judaism and Christianity in an Antiochean context was a result of a combination between the socio-political situation in the Roman Empire and ideological elements within the Jewish faction of the Jesus movement that primarily concerned the status of Gentiles within the movement. It is concluded that the separation between Judaism and Christianity was mainly a separation between Jews and Gentiles within the Jesus movement and Gentile adherents to the Jesus movement strove to become a legally recognised voluntary association completely separated from Judaism.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
It is suggested that the anti-Judaism of early Christianity was used as a resource in this struggle of independence as part of the programme of convincing the civic authorities about the reasonableness of allowing Christianity to become a legally recognised collegium.}},
author = {{Zetterholm, Magnus}},
keywords = {{Jewish-Christian relations; partings of the ways; Ignatius; sociology; Matthew; synagogue; hermeneutics; anti-Semitism; Jewish-Christianity; Gentile-Christianity; resource mobilisation; social movement; collective action; migration; assimilation; General; Kristen teologi (allmän; systematic and practical Christian theology; systematisk och praktisk); Antioch; History of the Christian church; Kristna kyrkans historia; Non-Christian religions; Världsreligioner (ej kristendom)}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Synagogue and Separation: A Social-Scientific Approach to the Formation of Christianity in Antioch}},
year = {{2001}},
}