Emergence of the Christian Religion: Essays on Early Christianity [Paperback]

Birger A. Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

The opening chapter in this new work by Birger Pearson lends its title to the whole. Pearson argues for the study of Christianity as “one of the religions of the world” and examines the historical process by which Christianity, a new religion, “emerges” out of Second Temple Judaism, an older religion. Then follows a lengthy and detailed critical analysis of the work of the Jesus Seminar and the trends in current North American gospel research it reflects. Remaining chapters deal with 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, canonical 2 Peter, the use and interpretation of the Old Testament in Gnostic literature, the work of Eusebius in relation to the Gnostic heresy, unity and diversity in the early church, and philanthropy in the Greco-Roman world, ancient Judaism, and early Christianity through the fourth century. In an Epilogue, Pearson comments on scholarly method in early Christian research, making a strong plea for taking such research, especially on the New Testament, out of its theological ghetto and into the arena of comparative historical research. Birger A. Pearson is Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus, at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Professor and Interim Director of the Religious Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity and editor, with James E. Goehring, of The Roots of Egyptian Christianity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Emergence of the Christian Religion is a highly recommended scholarly work which will have special appeal to those interested in the early Christian church and its development over the first four hundred years of the Christian movement." --The Midwest Book Review (Midwest Book Review, The )

"These essays...demonstrate the value of the historical study of early Christianity...a rich feast." --Edgar Krentz, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (Edgar Krentz Independent Reviewer Request )

"As a plea for the historical and comparative study of Christianity, Pearson's book will be most welcome to scholars in Religion departments interested in adopting such an approach...will be useful to anyone interested in the historiography of early Christianity." -- Elizabeth DePalma Digeser, St. Norbert College, reviewing for Journal of Early Christian Studies (Elizabeth DePalma Digeser Journal Of Early Christian Studies )

"These essays...demonstrate the value of the historical study of early Christianity...a rich feast." --Edgar Krentz, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (, Independent Reviewer Request )

"As a plea for the historical and comparative study of Christianity, Pearson's book will be most welcome to scholars in Religion departments interested in adopting such an approach...will be useful to anyone interested in the historiography of early Christianity." -- Elizabeth DePalma Digeser, St. Norbert College, reviewing for Journal of Early Christian Studies (, Journal Of Early Christian Studies )

About the Author

Birger A. Pearson is Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus, at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Professor and Interim Director of the Religious Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity and editor, with James E. Goehring, of The Roots of Egyptian Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Trinity Press Int'l (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563382180
• ISBN-13: 978-1563382185
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,789,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pearson's Vignettes address issues of Christian origins, April 1, 2007

By 

Didaskalex "Eusebius Alexandrinus" (Kellia on Calvary, Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Emergence of the Christian Religion: Essays on Early Christianity (Paperback)

Early Christian Religion:
It is generally agreed between Biblical scholars that for several generations there was great variety and diversity in Early Christian thinking. As Christianity became recognized under Constantine in early fourth century, becoming the religion of the Empire under Theodosius. Christian doctrines had to be agreed and standardized throughout all the churches, which sometimes provoked debates, that lasted in some instances for several generations. The main great ecumenical councils; Nicaea, 325; Constantinople, 381; Ephesus, 431; and the schismatic council of Chalcedon, 451 have finally established the official Church versions of the doctrines of Christ and the Trinity; to differ from which was heresy.

Early Christian Thought:
From the very beginning of the Christian movement, followers of Jesus tried to make sense of the impact of Jesus of Nazareth, and began arguing about differing ways of making sense. The processes of making sense initially drew upon the ideas and narratives of contemporary Judaism, which has been already Hellenized in differing rates. Although the Jewish scriptures remained a bench mark of theological development, as time passed by, issues and concepts from the Hellenistic milieu were drawn on, though too sharp a distinction between Hebrew and Hellenic is doubtful. John's Gospel Prologue, as an example of early Christian elements previously thought to be basically Neoplatonic, are now debated to be thoroughly Jewish. Some main characters of the second/third centuries Christianity, sometimes called proto-orthodox, being the direct ancestors of the types of Christianity that got defined as Orthodox, in the fourth century. They have invested a great deal of time and toil in debates between their widely spread thoughts, pursuing an integrated interest in each other's beliefs and practices. Such concern led into councils that seem to have been finally a driver of the settling of theological thoughts and doctrinal beliefs.

Emergence of Christianity:
This collection of Birger Pearson essays helps dealing in a scholarly methodology with existing and anticipated flow of fiction style writings, literary sketches and movies from late Morton Smith popular book 'The Secret Gospel' describing a manuscript that he allegedly found in St. Saba monastery near Jerusalem, to 'The Da Vinci Code', and Bart Ehrman's turning around the rules of textual criticism, comparing the historical Jesus to the apocalyptic prophets that have appeared throughout history proclaiming the end of the age, proceeding into a series of controversial, yet popular books on 'Lost Scriptures,' and 'Lost Christianities.'

Pearson's Vignettes:
Pearsons literary sketches and essays cover a spectrum of issues from the Jesus Seminar to the sotereological philanthropy which took a main part in the development of Christianity, led by the learned Didaskaleon of Alexandria. The book is orchestrated to tackle and address concurrent problematic issues of Christian origins, as it emerged from Rabbinic Judaism, using Neoplatonic terms of Alexandria. He attempts utilizing textual and historical analysis exploring the use of terms and social practices of the Humanity loving Lord. His selection and utilization of both biblical verses in chapter 3 and 4, he masterfully links with Gnostic mythologies. he does not shy from treating the hard issue of Gnostic interpretations of the Septuagint, and explores the problem of 'Jewish Gnostic' literature, a recommended reading for the secular State university religious studies, students as well as popular fiction writers. In his concluding chapter professor Pearson reflects on the tools and methods used by scholars in their study of Christianity.

Birger A. Pearson:
Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies. University of California, Santa Barbara, and Interim Director, Religious Studies Program, University of California, Berkeley is an expert in Christian origins and early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Hellenistic religions, Gnosticism, Coptic language and literature. Professor Pearson is one of the most qualified with few others including Helmut Koester, and James Robinson, who out of their participation in the translation, study and analysis of Coptic Gnostic writings could easily discern between truth and fantasy, in the emergence case.
He wrote many valuable studies and books including 'Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions And Literature, Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt and managed 'The Roots of Egyptian Christianity' a project to foster scholarship on early Egyptian Christianity and its emergence as the religion of Egypt.