jules?

The challenge is a quick description of theories, personal or favs, that I could pass on [without sounding like a complete dickhead] that explain why Judaism morphed into Christianity and why non Jews switched teams, abandoned their pagan past and awaited the new kingdom.

Please spare me the Jesus rose from the dead but explain if this myth really did light peoples fire why other pagan examples were abandoned. [at this point Jesus the 4th century invention theory ticks all the boxes despite lacking personal cred]
thanks -jules

Ben C Smith

I do not think Judaism ever morphed into Christianity. But it did (at least help to) produce Christianity.

Ben.

jules?

After the destruction of Temple Judaism the faith morphed into severial new versions, admittedly most of these were up and running in previous centuries like the Alexandian fusion of Greek/Jewish mysticism. [Which makes me think; fruit bats and insectivour bats are now seen as different evolutionary branches rather having a common ancestor; so, is gnostic/ paulinefaiths different branches but not based on the god man? another thread perhaps]]

Anyway morphed or evolved from or grew out of, the choice of phrasing is yours but the question is the explaination

Toto

Judaism never morphed into Christianity. Both modern rabbinical Judaism and Christianity evolved out of the primordial soup of religions in the first century Roman Empire, which included various sects of Jewish practice and thought. Both religions recruited from pagans; Christianity had the advantage of not requiring circumcision or strange dietary rules, but it only really began to outcompete the Judaism of the day when it gained the sponsorship of the Roman Emperor.

Cesc

Some quick thoughts. One key to the development of Christianity, I believe, was the belief/fear of the impending End Times, as a result of the escalating hopelessness of the Jews' situation, due to the socio-political circumstances in Palestine. Culminating in the destruction of the Temple, a most traumatic event for their society and identity as a whole. And consequently opening up for whole new ways.

Seeing just how popular and widespread stoicism had become, the stoic views within Christianity must have seem appealing to many in the Roman world. Christianity also held big promises of reward in the afterlife and all you had to do was believe in a friendly guy who spoke kind words that seemed reasonable to everyone except tyrants. No circumsision and no animal sacrifice. It was a way to oppose the elites and authorities of the Roman empire. It was a poor man's religion just as much as rich man's. It could turn sinners into saints and forgive you your sins to relieve you of your bad conscience, just like that. People were becoming more enlightened and thus tired of worn-out silly pagan fables, unrealistic gods and semi-gods and a widespread crazed sex-culture; Christianity offered a new "sober" alternative. Christianity embodied several ideas whose time had come?

mountainman

Is this challenge specifically excluding comments from "the 4th century invention theory"?

Best wishes,


Pete

Toto

There is actually quite a bit written about this. I have just come across A Portable God: The Origin of Judaism and Christianity (or via: amazon.co.uk) which can be previewed on Google Books.

There is also Rodney Stark's Rise of Christianity (or via: amazon.co.uk), which discusses the appeal of Christianity to pagans in the Roman Empire. (Google books)

aa5874

But, the second century writings of so-called Christian writers do NOT support you. Christians were persecuted, prosecuted, killed, had their property confiscated, imprisonned, tortured, used to worship in secret and even called atheists and cannibals.

It was in the 4th century that Christianity time had come, when Constantine, the real Saviour, and the Christians, including Eusebius formed an allegiance.

Cesc

Im not saying it was easy to be a Christian before the 4th century. But there was a reason for Constantine, the Roman empire itself, to finally embrace Christianity. And that reason is obviously that Christianity had grown too big to suppress.

So why had it grown so big and popular from the 1st to the 4th century? Thats what I was musing about.

Toto

That's what Rodney Stark attempts to explain, as well as anyone can. Christianity formed a social network that helped people survive the difficulties of life in the Roman Empire. They looked after their own sick, and took in orphans and abandoned children.

But Constantine might have had other reasons to embrace Christianity besides its popularity. It was a useful ideology.