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The River of God: A New History of Christian Origins
Acclaimed author Gregory Riley embarks on a remarkable journey in this readable and persuasive account of the origins of Christianity. Riley demonstrates that early Christians held widely differing beliefs about God, Jesus, the Devil, and the human soul, and follows these beliefs back to their sources in Greek science and philosophy and the religions of the ancient Middle East. An expert on the context in which Christianity arose, Riley maps out a new understanding of the forging of Christianity, and conveys a vital message for today about the true nature of Christian faith as inherently diverse.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 3, 2014
Riley's "river of god" is a metaphor suggesting that Christianity has had many tributaries or sources which flowed into the beliefs that we now recognize as "Christian." He points out that studies of early Christianity have obviously concentrated on its Jewish heritage, particularly as revealed in the Old Testament, and the Roman context in which so much of the New Testament is embedded. He emphasizes, though, that there were other tributaries as well , from Persia, Plato, Mesopotamia, as well as various Gnostic sects throughout the near east.
The book divides the Christian debt to them ito six chapters. The subjects range from the development of polytheistic beliefs to monotheistic ones, the idea of the triune God (Trinity ), the rise of the "Devil", the separation of body and soul, saviors and the savior of the world, and the last chapter, "The River of God in the twenty-first century."
I found the most interesting parts to be the development of the idea of the devil, a concept unknown in early Hebrew literature. It comes from Persia and Zoroastrianism with its images of the universe made up of two warring factions of light and darkness, of God and the Devil. What Christianity added to this conflict, beginning with Genesis, was the idea that the Devil, or Satan, was a lesser god who in the end would be defeated by the forces of good in the person of Christ. The Devil in a sense relieved God of the blame of causing random evil, an evil that was voiced often in ancient Jewish writings.
From Plato and the Greeks came the notion of "body" and "soul" with the subsequent splitting apart of this world and the hereafter. The medieval church ingeniously linked the two together, especially through the idea of purgatory, so each influenced the other. There is a strain of gnosticism in here as well, in that the soul is t rapped in the body and only through death will it be released. Supporting this body-soul division was the Greek idea of God as a remote figure.
The idea of humans needing a "savior" is an ancient one, not restricted to Christians, which saw human beings as essentially blind and helpless creatures who needed help from the gods. Greek mythology, for example, has Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to help humans, and is punished for his deed. On a more mundane level, human rulers were often viewed as saviors, delivering people from suffering and providing order, an idea that the Jews would incorporate into the anticipated coming of the Messiah. Christianity built on this notion but made the kingdom of god "not of this world." Gnostic strains in Christianity suggested a final an triumph over all created things which are inherently evil and ruled by the devil.
What Christianity brought to this mix was the idea of a savior who apparently was totally defeated in his efforts to improve mankind. That was Christ crucified, of course, which as Paul put it, "was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles." Christ became, then, both man and god. He suffered a humiliating crucifixion for the sake of his followers, and what more could be asked of any hero who puts others above himself? His followers wouldl be "saved" by emulating his action, if not in this world, then in the next. But Christ was is also "God" (and the relationship was a contentious one as can be seen in the early "heresies" of the church) who would make a second appearance, riding on the clouds of heaven and finally defeating the forces of evil everywhere.
After looking at these sources, Riley's thesis is that religions change because of cultural influences, often unknown and unacknowledged. Every society known to humanity has had some form of religion, some way of making sense of human existence on earth. New circumstances, especially those brought about by science, bring new knowledge. Religious understanding adapts and responds to the new circumstances, despite the often loud protests from many Christian sects that their beliefs are old and unchanging. No one wants to admit that they may not have the final word as it would undermine faith and belief. What such an attitude misses, though, is that religion, like evolution, is a series of incremental and ongoing adaptations, impressively creative in their own right.
The book divides the Christian debt to them ito six chapters. The subjects range from the development of polytheistic beliefs to monotheistic ones, the idea of the triune God (Trinity ), the rise of the "Devil", the separation of body and soul, saviors and the savior of the world, and the last chapter, "The River of God in the twenty-first century."
I found the most interesting parts to be the development of the idea of the devil, a concept unknown in early Hebrew literature. It comes from Persia and Zoroastrianism with its images of the universe made up of two warring factions of light and darkness, of God and the Devil. What Christianity added to this conflict, beginning with Genesis, was the idea that the Devil, or Satan, was a lesser god who in the end would be defeated by the forces of good in the person of Christ. The Devil in a sense relieved God of the blame of causing random evil, an evil that was voiced often in ancient Jewish writings.
From Plato and the Greeks came the notion of "body" and "soul" with the subsequent splitting apart of this world and the hereafter. The medieval church ingeniously linked the two together, especially through the idea of purgatory, so each influenced the other. There is a strain of gnosticism in here as well, in that the soul is t rapped in the body and only through death will it be released. Supporting this body-soul division was the Greek idea of God as a remote figure.
The idea of humans needing a "savior" is an ancient one, not restricted to Christians, which saw human beings as essentially blind and helpless creatures who needed help from the gods. Greek mythology, for example, has Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to help humans, and is punished for his deed. On a more mundane level, human rulers were often viewed as saviors, delivering people from suffering and providing order, an idea that the Jews would incorporate into the anticipated coming of the Messiah. Christianity built on this notion but made the kingdom of god "not of this world." Gnostic strains in Christianity suggested a final an triumph over all created things which are inherently evil and ruled by the devil.
What Christianity brought to this mix was the idea of a savior who apparently was totally defeated in his efforts to improve mankind. That was Christ crucified, of course, which as Paul put it, "was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles." Christ became, then, both man and god. He suffered a humiliating crucifixion for the sake of his followers, and what more could be asked of any hero who puts others above himself? His followers wouldl be "saved" by emulating his action, if not in this world, then in the next. But Christ was is also "God" (and the relationship was a contentious one as can be seen in the early "heresies" of the church) who would make a second appearance, riding on the clouds of heaven and finally defeating the forces of evil everywhere.
After looking at these sources, Riley's thesis is that religions change because of cultural influences, often unknown and unacknowledged. Every society known to humanity has had some form of religion, some way of making sense of human existence on earth. New circumstances, especially those brought about by science, bring new knowledge. Religious understanding adapts and responds to the new circumstances, despite the often loud protests from many Christian sects that their beliefs are old and unchanging. No one wants to admit that they may not have the final word as it would undermine faith and belief. What such an attitude misses, though, is that religion, like evolution, is a series of incremental and ongoing adaptations, impressively creative in their own right.
February 20, 2017
I'm going to be digesting this book for a while.
February 26, 2012
While not a full and complete expose about all the influences upon Christianity, and not necessarily providing new ideas, Riley offers a decent starting point for an exploration of how the ancient faith traditions in the Near East influenced one another, including parts of the Old and New Testaments. I found parts of the work frustrating, as he would venture down a path and not really develop an idea fully.
November 26, 2012
Best introduction to Christian Origins.
August 28, 2024
A COMPARISON OF CHRISTIANITY TO A RIVER WITH MANY TRIBUTARIES
Gregory Riley is professor of New Testament at the Claremont School of Theology; he has also written books such as 'One Jesus, Many Christs: The Truth About Christian Origins' and 'Resurrection Reconsidered.'
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2001 book, "In the following chapters, we will look at five major subject areas that make up the core of the Christian faith, the main content of the River of God: the rise of monotheism, the subsequent development of Christianity Trinitarianism, the arrival of the Devil and ideas about eschatology, the development and consequences of the concept of body and soul for humans, and the advent of Jesus as Savior." (Pg. 16)
He explains, "Imagine a great river with several large tributaries enlarging the total flow downstream... If we apply this model of a great river system to the rise of Christianity, we again find contact with the traditional picture of the history of salvation. The river is, of course, the totality of the history and religious background of Christianity. This is the River of God, the flow over time of the relationship between God and humanity in the ancient Near East." (Pg. 8-9)
He says, "Each of these subject areas had a long history of development. In no case were the initial stages of these ideas anything like what they turned out to be in their final forms in the church of the fourth century CE. In fact, it does not appear that these concepts existed at all... at the beginning of the period of our study approximately three millennia earlier: no one we have a record of was a monotheist and certainly not a Trinitarian, there was no Devil, humans did not have souls, and there was no need for a heavenly savior. Nevertheless, there were here and there intimations of each idea---preparations, so to speak, for the eventual rise of the more complex and defined ideas of later times." (Pg. 16)
He emphasizes "an aspect of the teaching of Jesus that often goes unnoticed: he was preaching something new to his culture. There were certainly other Jews who agreed more or less with him in one or another aspect of his teaching: Pharisees, Essenes, Hellenistic Jews, and others. These, however, were but a very small minority of the people as a whole... In the main, Jesus' message was something different from what his contemporary Jews believed." (Pg. 160)
He concludes, "The River of God contains simultaneously what is new and what is very old. Because people are slow to change, at any one moment what is old in the River predominates." (Pg. 223) Then, "What we know of God today is again being challenged and forced to respond. That has forever been the divine Plan. That is the process of the River of God." (Pg. 237)
This book will be appreciated by those who look for more "diversity" in not only the early church, but in the modern one, as well.
Gregory Riley is professor of New Testament at the Claremont School of Theology; he has also written books such as 'One Jesus, Many Christs: The Truth About Christian Origins' and 'Resurrection Reconsidered.'
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2001 book, "In the following chapters, we will look at five major subject areas that make up the core of the Christian faith, the main content of the River of God: the rise of monotheism, the subsequent development of Christianity Trinitarianism, the arrival of the Devil and ideas about eschatology, the development and consequences of the concept of body and soul for humans, and the advent of Jesus as Savior." (Pg. 16)
He explains, "Imagine a great river with several large tributaries enlarging the total flow downstream... If we apply this model of a great river system to the rise of Christianity, we again find contact with the traditional picture of the history of salvation. The river is, of course, the totality of the history and religious background of Christianity. This is the River of God, the flow over time of the relationship between God and humanity in the ancient Near East." (Pg. 8-9)
He says, "Each of these subject areas had a long history of development. In no case were the initial stages of these ideas anything like what they turned out to be in their final forms in the church of the fourth century CE. In fact, it does not appear that these concepts existed at all... at the beginning of the period of our study approximately three millennia earlier: no one we have a record of was a monotheist and certainly not a Trinitarian, there was no Devil, humans did not have souls, and there was no need for a heavenly savior. Nevertheless, there were here and there intimations of each idea---preparations, so to speak, for the eventual rise of the more complex and defined ideas of later times." (Pg. 16)
He emphasizes "an aspect of the teaching of Jesus that often goes unnoticed: he was preaching something new to his culture. There were certainly other Jews who agreed more or less with him in one or another aspect of his teaching: Pharisees, Essenes, Hellenistic Jews, and others. These, however, were but a very small minority of the people as a whole... In the main, Jesus' message was something different from what his contemporary Jews believed." (Pg. 160)
He concludes, "The River of God contains simultaneously what is new and what is very old. Because people are slow to change, at any one moment what is old in the River predominates." (Pg. 223) Then, "What we know of God today is again being challenged and forced to respond. That has forever been the divine Plan. That is the process of the River of God." (Pg. 237)
This book will be appreciated by those who look for more "diversity" in not only the early church, but in the modern one, as well.
October 9, 2019
This guy needs a better PR agent - he is one of the most erudite and intelligent theologians I have read in the last 10 years. I would never have discovered him had I not stumbled across one of his earlier works in the dollar bin of the bookstore....
July 26, 2017
I wish I had read this book before I wrote my book THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS (THE YOUNGER). It offers thrilling insights into the origins of Christianity and the "rivers" of thought and religious practice that fed it. Riley has given us a reasoned and well-written book of great spiritual vision. Destined to be read and re-read as long as Christianity exists on this planet.
January 3, 2010
Read for MUM book club JAN. 2010.tHIS IS A HISTORY OF HOW gOD WAS VIEWED AND HENCE RELIGION FROM THE ANCIENT TIMES WAY BEFORE JESUS AND HOW THE DIFFERENT CULTURES AND TIMES SAW GOD AND WORSHIPPED. aLSO THE RIVER KEEPS FLOWING NOW WITH CHANGES STILL HAPPENING. tHIS BOOK HELPS ;ME SEE MYSELF AND WHAT I BELIEVE AND PERHAPS WHERE WE ALL ARE HEADING. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.
January 31, 2011
Interesting book that synthesizes a huge amount of material. However, you sometimes get the feeling that the author is playing fast and loose with the facts and oversimplifying to make some of his overarching explanations work. Still worth the read.
Currently reading
June 4, 2008This book has opened up my eyes to a different viewpoints of our Christian culture. It is not derived from one source but by every influence.
Read
April 27, 2009It contains more factual history of the influences on Christianity from an objective point of view.
Want to read
August 30, 2012I read this before and I absolutely loved it. I'm about to read it again. It definitely deserves a re-read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews