Co-Evolution of Christianity and (Rabbinic) Judaism

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COURSES > LIFELONG

Although “Christianity” is often thought of as a younger religion than “Judaism”, Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity actually co-evolved from a common Second Temple starting point and thus stand to one another as “sisters” rather than as “mother-and-daughter”.  This course will trace the parallel development of these two Abrahamic religions through an examination of a selection of primary and secondary texts in order to better understand each in its own right and in relation to the other, as well as their relationship to their common precursor.  No prior knowledge or experience of any kind is required.

Texts
  • Hebrew Bible
  • New Testament
  • Neusner, Torah from Our Sages: Pirke Avot
  • Akenson, Surpassing Wonder: The Invention of the Bible and the Talmuds
  • Shanks (ed.), Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism: A Parallel History of Their Origins and Parallel Development
  • Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture & the Faiths We Never Knew
  • The Mishnah
  • The Talmud
  • Robinson (ed.), The Nag Hammadi Library in English
  • Eusebius, History of the Church
TAUGHT: AUTUMN 2006, AUTUMN 2007