Season 2: Episode 34
When Christians Were Jewish
Date Aired: 09/25/2023
It’s easy to read the New Testament and come away thinking that Jesus and his disciples were in opposition to “the Jews.” But the first followers of Jesus were all fellow Jews and the early Jesus movement was very much a Jewish movement. Would the first generation of “Christians” have thought of themselves as anything other than Jewish? Our guest Paula Fredriksen says absolutely not. According to Paula, there was plenty of room in the first century for competing Jewish sects—including the Jesus movement—all arguing over the right way to be Jewish. (The fact that they were arguing, jokes Paula, is proof enough of their Jewishness.)
Listen to the episode on the Biblical Time Machine website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Disclaimer: The Society of Biblical Literature is not responsible for the content of this podcast. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Society of Biblical Literature, its members, or its staff.
