Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity

Paul and the Gospels

Peter Richardson, David Granskou, Peter Richardson, David Granskou

• Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
• Year: 2006
• eBook ISBN: 9780889206311
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The period since the close of World War II has been agonizingly introspective—not least because of the pain of reassessing Christianity's attitude to Judaism. The early Christian materials have often been examined to assess their role in the long-standing negative attitude of Christians to Jews. The motivation for the early church's sometimes harsh attitude was partly theological—it needed to define itself over against its parent—and partly sociological—it needed to make clear the line that divided the fledgling group of Christian believers fromt he group with which it was most likely to be confused. This collection of studies emphasizes the context and history of early Christianity in reconsidering many of the classic passages that have contributed to the development of anti-Judaism in Christianity. The volume opens with an essay that clearly delineates the state of the question of anti-Judaism in early Christianity. Then follow discussions of specific passages in the writings of Paul as well as the Gospels.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Notes on Contributors
• Introduction
• 1 Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity: The State of the Question
• 2 Paul Ahead of His Time: 1 Thess. 2:13-16
• 3 Paul and the Law in Galatians 2-3
• 4 On the Absence of "Anti-Judaism" in 1 Corinthians
• 5 Paul on the Law, His Opponents, and the Jewish People in Philippians 3 and 2 Corinthians 11
• 6 The Rhetorical Function of the Jews in Romans
• 7 The Trial of Jesus as Jewish-Christian Polarization: Blasphemy and Polemic in Mark's Gospel
• 8 Anti-Judaism and the Passion Narrative in Luke and Acts
• 9 The Jews and the Death of Jesus in Acts
• 10 Anti-Judaic Sentiments in the Passion Narrative According to Matthew
• 11 The Setting of Matthean Anti-Judaism
• 12 Anti-Judaism in the Passion Accounts of the Fourth Gospel
• Index nominorum
• Index locorum