The Birth of Christianity

by John Dominic Crossan

"This book is about the lost years of earliest Christianity, about the 30s and 40s of the first century, about those dark decades immediately after the execution of Jesus...The obscurity of the 30s and 40s can be emphasized by the comparative brilliancy of the 50s. From that later decade we have the letters of Paul...From them, above all else, we receive the temptation to gloss speedily over the 30s or 40s and move swiftly to those better-documented 50s...Before there was Paul the apostle in the early 50s, there was Paul the persecutor in the early 30s. What was there for him to persecute?"
-from The Birth of Christianity In this long-awaited companion to his landmark The Historical Jesus, John Dominic Crossan, the world's foremost expert on the historical Jesus, explores the lost years of earliest Christianity, those immediately following the execution of Jesus. He establishes the contextual setting by an interdisciplinary combination of anthropological, historical, and archaeological approaches. He identifies the textual sources by a literary analysis of the earliest discernible layers within our present gospels, both inside and outside the New Testament. Context and text come together to challenge long-standing assumptions about the role of Paul and the meaning of resurrection, and to forge an eloquent and powerful new understanding of the birth of the Christian church. John Dominic Crossan, one of the most influential figures in biblical scholarship, combines innovative scholarship with compelling insight in illuminating the mysteries of the origins of Christianity. Crossan's meticulous research into the anthropological milieu within which Christianity arose, and his study of the emergence of early Christian communities, form the basis for his stunning and original theory. Separating history from theology and redaction, he presents a vivid account of early Christianity's interaction with the world around it, and of the new traditions and communities established as Jesus' companions continued their movement after his death. With ancient traditional Judaism under increasing pressure from both Roman commercial exploitation and Greek cultural domination, the Kingdom-of-God movement of Jesus and his followers establish radical but non-violent resistance in the Lower Galilee of the late 20s. As early Jewish and Greek-influenced schools of thought present competing visions of the nature of the spirit and the flesh, it is the message brought by Jesus during his life that creates the spiritual center of the early church. The Resurrection, while essential to the story of Christ as told through the centuries, is understood in a different light when presented in the setting of a Mediterranean culture in which events such as apparitions by the dead and ecstatic visions were far from unusual. While the eschatological teachings of Paul play a large role in the growth and development of the church, they are seen to follow, rather than define, the moment of its birth. Ground-breaking and brilliantly crafted, The Birth of Christianity is an indispensable addition to our understanding of the origins of the Christian faith. John Dominic Crossan is the author of The Historical Jesus, A Revolutionary Biography, Who Killed Jesus?, and Who Is Jesus? He chairs the Historical Jesus section of the Society of Biblical Literature and was codirector of the Jesus Seminar. John Dominic Crossan, the world's foremost expert and best-selling author on the historical Jesus, presents a fascinating and essential inquiry into the rise of Christianity in the years preceding and immediately following the Crucifixion. Crossan's interdisciplinary approach sheds new light on the cultural and theological context in which the Christian church arose, and raises essential questions about the role of St. Paul and the significance of the Resurrection.

Genres: Religion, History, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction, Biblical Studies, Research

688 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

John Dominic Crossan is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Birth of Christianity, and Who Killed Jesus? He lives in Clermont, Florida.

John Dominic Crossan was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland in 1934. He was educated in Ireland and the United States, received a Doctorate of Divinity from Maynooth College in Ireland in 1959, and did post-doctoral research at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1959 to 1961 and at the École Biblique in Jerusalem from 1965 to 1967. He was a member of a thirteenth-century Roman Catholic religious order, the Servites (Ordo Servorum Mariae), from 1950 to 1969 and was an ordained priest in 1957. He joined DePaul University in Chicago in 1969 and remained there until 1995. He is now a Professor Emeritus in its Department of Religious Studies.

Reviews

[Monica Aho · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, unfortunatey, is not the compelling read I had hoped for. It is very "learned" - but to me, TOO much so. He spends about the first half of the book asking WHY the actual question "how did Early Christianity (the first 20 years after the Crucifixtion) spread" is important, HOW he plans on figuring out the answer to that question methodologically, what other Biblical scholars think about the subject... without necessarily getting down to the nitty-gritty of ANSWERING the QUESTION distinctly. Granted, those were "quiet years" before Paul, when documentation was scarce outside of the Book of Acts (which he chooses not to look at too much, as it is "gospel" rather than "objective history". He pretty much skewers Oral Tradition as a non-tenable means of spreading information, and seems to downplay the fact that there were a great many witnesses to Christ himself still alive in those first 20 years, and I guarantee -- they would NOT stay quiet about what they saw! These were not people who simply memorized a set of sayings, as one would memorize a poem for school, to pass on with frequent mistakes to anyone who might listen. These are people who heard and saw, and it fundamentally changed their lives -- radically, utterly. They gave up jobs, family, wealth. They became new people, to the point of willing death for that new way of life. Their witness was not just in their words, but in their change in lifestyle, to mimic the life of Christ. Dominic does acknowledge this, but I'm not sure he recognizes the power of that testimony to perpetuate itself. I'm not a Biblical Scholar, so I am sure that's not the rigorous standard that they are held to academically. That is only one person's "common sense" answer. I am a believer, who was hoping to find some simple, "not over-thought" answers to I suppose a not-so-easily answered question. But that is exactly what I didn't find in this book. Sometimes the straight-forward answer IS the right answer. And sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. I can take certain things on faith - that the gospels tell the story of Christ accurately, that outside pagan sources (Pliny, Josephus to name a few) and archeology overwhelming support that this man existed and was extrodinary, that Christianity spread like wildfire in the first three centuries, to the point where HALF the ROMAN EMPIRE was Christian before Constantine ever got in on the act - and that was even in the face of brutal and frequent persecution. My faith, supported by facts, tells me the hand of God was at play. And, despite this book, that is enough for me. I was hoping to learn more, but... if I don't, that's okay.

[Steven Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to agree with all of Crossan's conclusions to see that THIS is how you study early Christianity - through anthropology, archaealogy, textual criticism, etc. etc.

Read this book only if you are very, very, very interested in what may have happened in between Jesus' life and the letters of Paul. At times it is fascinating (studying oral tradition of different cultures, memory studies, textual criticism, etc.). At times it is really detailed and boring - but that's only because Crossan tirelessly explains his methodology. Interesting stuff - I read it over a few months.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read many of Crossan's books, and although they can be dry, they do always provide something to sink your teeth into. He seems to write two kinds of books: Long, scholarly tomes, and short, interesting summaries. The Birth of Christianity is (unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon your purpose for reading) of the former type.

Crossan attempts in this book to initiate more scholarly research into the early years of Christianity, by which he means those years after Christ died but before the Gospels were published. Years 30-70 AD. His ideas are controversial--hey, every publication by every liberal Christian will be controversial--but they are well documented. In my opinion, too well documented. I don't think Crossan needs 641 pages to explain and support his research. He delves deeply, for example into the topic "memory and orality," to bolster his opinion about how poorly our memories operate and thus how unreliable oral transmission is.

Nevertheless, Crossan's picture of early Christianity and particularly his long discussion of various types of eschatology (apocalyptic, ascetical, ethical) are important to the understanding of the Jesus movement of the first century. He explains how different communities of Christians could share different eschatological ideas--and you don't have to think of eschatology as the end of the universe, but merely the end of an age and the dawning of a new kind of life--and develop very different brands of Christianity. Crossan traces the emphasis of early Christian communities into two traditions: Jesus' "life" and "death." The moral teachings of Jesus and the passion-resurrection tradition. Both, Crossan insists, are very early traditions; for example, he discusses the Common Meal Tradition. Is it a giving-sharing experience, or a eucharistic experience? From this merger of traditions grew the latter church.

I definitely recommend reading The Birth of Christianity and I think it will be an important foundation for continuing research into this era. I would not, however, insist that the casual read the entire book cover to cover. Perhaps he will one day publish an abbreviated version. :)

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 star for insight and freshness. You hardly can find scholarship book on historical Jesus/ancient christianity this fresh. You can also tell Crossan's mastery and knowledge across disciplines. It's not just a book on history. He talks about research methodology, memory, different types of oral tradition, poetry, women lamentation in oral performance across cultures, the relationship between revolution and urbanisation, sociology, and so on.

He also doesn't shy away from controversy - I find his use of Gospel of Peter as a fifth source of the crucifixion and resurrection narrative rather odd, but turns out he's got many interesting points. However, if this is your first few books on the topic I suggest to look elsewhere. It's long and rather dense. He claimed that all the gospels come from the same source/tradition (Mark) instead of coming from independent eyewitnesses. And that many details in the passion story are invented by Mark/Markan oral tradition as a reverse exegesis to fit a story. It's as if the story can't be properly built without the old testament references. He also mentioned something of common knowledge to many historians of ancient christianity - that many of the details in the gospels don't fit the context of the time eg. Sanhedrin councils can't meet at night as told in the gospels, Pilate is a ruthless and brutal man instead of being portrayed as weak/swayed by the crowd in the gospels, many details of Paul's life contradict each other between those told in Acts and the letters of Paul (eg. Galatians).

Some of Crossan's points appear forced (a typical of scholar's flaw). Such as his point that Joseph of Arithmatea can't have asked for Jesus body out of piety without asking the body of two other prisoners.

Anyway, it's a wonderful book to make you think deeper and in fresh ways. The book feels more a collation of different things instead of one big powerful punch.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't really count this one as read since I didn't finish it. I found Crossan's premise interesting and short passages were intriguing but, overall, I found it too scholarly and very slow going. He spends a lot of time setting up his arguments (repetition) and defending himself against past criticism and attempting to avert possible future criticism. In the end, I decided it wasn't worth slogging my way through. An interesting look at the "missing" years between the crucifixion and Paul's conversion, but not quite stimulating enough to keep me enthused for 600+ pages. Also, it's too heavy for the metro!

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very detailed treatment by one of the foremost scholars of the historical Jesus movement. I disagree with his conclusions, and many of his assumptions, but he provides you with the data he bases his views on, so you can form your own opinion. Very transparent, confident scholarship.

[Jim Mackowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Book for Scholars

This book is not for lady people seeking a history of early Christianity. It may be a resource for those pursuing a PHD in theology or similar degree.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

YIKES!!!!!!!!
This was one of, if not the most, challenging books I have ever read. It is like a text book for top religious scholars. It assumes a level of knowledge that I did not bring to bare - in spite of my undergrad degree in religion and years of additional reading in that field.

Crossan repeatedly states that what he is writing is a debate between himself and multiple other top scholars in religious studies. There were times when I felt as if I was sitting in a room, listening to these experts go at each other and trying, desperately, to keep up with the line of thought.

Stylistically, sentences were often long and complex; filled with hefty vocabulary and jargon. Some words I had never seen before and had to look up. EXAMPLES: prosopographic, irenic, soteriology, probative, protophany, equiprimordial and inhering… In a couple of cases google could not find me definitions of the words! Indeed, spell-check is flagging several of these as I write.

Way back in my undergrad days I learned about the apocalypse and eschatology. I thought I knew what they meant. But Crossan has a long section [4+ chapters] in which he redefines them and works to differentiate apocalyptical eschatology, from eschatological apocalypticism, from ascetical eschatology, from ethical eschatology, from ascetical apocalypticism and ethical apocalypticism . . . My brain is still fried.

Crossan, working with Jonathan L. Reed, wrote a book titled "Excavating Jesus". The content of that book is very accessible for us lay people. I enjoyed reading it. "The Birth of Christianity" was rather dense and a challenge to read, at least for me.

In spite of all that, I DO have a better sense of what life was like in Jerusalem, Israel and the Roman Empire during the first century C.E.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5, DNF

This is an immensely frustrating and misleading book that nonetheless contains some very valuable scholarship. As a sequel to Crossan's 'The Historical Jesus', with a title like 'The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus', and a preface that promises a book covering the "lost years" of Christianity c. 30-50 CE, one expects to find reconstructed accounts of the Jerusalem Church, the leadership oscillations between Peter and James the Just, the conversion of Paul and his tense relations with the apostles, the first persecutions and missions, the development of Christology, etc. Instead what we get is a book that, after spending about 300 pages (half the book's length) tirelessly outlining the methodological background, focuses almost entirely on the theory and practice of the Jesus Movement in Jesus's lifetime and as adopted by his followers, with a focus on eschatology, wisdom teachings, healing, and communal eating. This is very perplexing, especially since Crossan is apparently completely open and honest about his beliefs and aims for the work. Admittedly there are plenty of very interesting sociological and anthropological insights of Jesus in the methodological sections and no doubt in the rest that follow - the analyses of the sources, eschatology, and socioeconomic background are very fascinating - though it's often hard to see the line between genuine scholarship and Crossan deploying wishful thinking to satisfy his idiosyncratic beliefs as a sort of hippie gnostic catholic. I may return to the book when I'm more interested in learning about the nature of earliest Christianity. But this is absolutely not what the book promised to be nor what I expected it to be.

[Kim Fessenden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very serious and in-depth history of the very first years of Christianity. Crossan effectively uses an interdiscplinary method that uses document analysis, as expected in a history like this, but also a lot of anthropological methods as well. There is a LOT of discussion of sources and methods and this book would be very difficult to follow without a background in the historical method.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dense at the start, yet worth finishing. He presents different ways to look at existing evidence and introduces many relevant, yet obscure facts about the world of Jesus in drawing his conclusions. His final point is weak, but many of his intermediate points seem reasonable and well-argued. 600 pages.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book consistently well argued and compelling, even when I disagree with Crossan's conclusions. He and I are coming from different religious perspectives, but I learned a lot and changed some of my own views after reading. That's about the highest praise you can give a book, I think. So, despite some flaws, it's 5 stars from me.

[Keith West · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but most of the book is just a high-level summary of various approaches one might take to studying the issue. It didn’t feel like I actually learned much about that time in history.

[Ronald Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I perhaps have too much awe of erudition. But think this is an excellent book to
be read and re-read. I am presently re-reading the JDC book on St Paul.
A+

[Don Swartzentruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like him or not, he is a world-class NT Scholar.
Emeritus at DePaul University. An impressive collection of books.

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The claim to know what happened almost 2,000 years ago, but conjecture is the providence of Man.

[Geoff Glenister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally, I would not recommend this book to non-scholars. It is a very painstakingly detailed, thorough exploration of the relationships between the historical context of early Christianity, the texts of the synoptics, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Didache. There are many places where the differences between single verses in various sources is explored in detail, and at times this is quite fascinating. But it's a very dry book, and as such is very difficult to read. So I would definitely recommend people start with other books of Crossan's.

[Frostik Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this appeared after Crossan's _Historical Jesus_, and although he says this is all about the "lost years" of AD 30 - 50, it's much more. I keep coming back and re-reading chunks of this -- especially on Paul's re-interpretation of Jesus. Crossan is never afraid to toss out controversial points of view -- and if one simply dismisses them as sensational, or ill-founded in history, he does at risk.

[Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is long and thorough, something that delights a scholar's heart. But in the end, too much details that do not go anywhere. As if it were a first draft that needs much tightening.

[Allison Thurman]

Library

[Mark Matzeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second time I read it, and I always find Crosson informative, stretching, and thought-provoking.

[Mary Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

academic

[Michael Powe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tough read, really meant for readers with a solid background in Biblical archaeology. Informative if you can make the effort.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, great book, but he sure gets defensive about his position vis a vis other NT scholars. Touchy!

[John Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tedious with nuggets along the way

A long and tedious read, yet along this road of dusty words, a few hidden golden nuggets of wisdom can be found

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of Christan move immediately after the crusifiction

[Jonathan Osborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a tough slog. It took me three months to read it. Crossan is very explicit and thorough in laying out his theses, and their justifications. Not a light hearted approach, but definitely worth the slog