2006-08-28 15:32:42 · 6 answers · asked by Porkchop Sandwiches 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
From NT scholar Paula Friedriksen:
If it weren't for the translation of the Jewish Bible into Greek, and if it weren't for Diaspora Jewish communities living in synagogues, rimming the edge of the Mediterranean, Christianity could not have spread. But Christianity [is] an interpretation of the idea of Israel. And the way Christianity is able to spread as it does is through the lifelines of these Diaspora synagogues. The language of the movement, as soon as we have actual evidence from [it], is Greek. The Bible it refers to is the Greek Bible. The communities that serve as the matrix for the message are synagogue communities, and we get stories in Matthew or stories in John about this particular community being kicked out of the other synagogues. So what do they do? They form their own group. Business as usual, again.
But I think it's really because there is an international population that resonates with these great religious ideas of God as the Creator, of righteousness pouring down like waters, of a Kingdom of God and what that would mean in terms of the way a community socially constitutes itself ... it's because of that, because of Diaspora Judaism, which is extremely well established, that Christianity itself, as a new and constantly improvising form of Judaism, is able to spread as it does throughout the Roman world.
2006-08-28 18:05:02 · answer #1 · answered by Ponderingwisdom 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Revolt by Jews in Jerusalem, AD 66 or so, was crushed by Romans, no doubt leading to diaspora of X-ians along w/ others.
Roman roads probably facilitated its dispersion more than anything, though!
NOTE, though, that it wasn't until 325AD, at Council of Nicea, that current orthodox Gospel canon was agreed. Therefore, what we know as "The Gospels" is a very LATE fabrication, representing only a very narrow portion of the total early (and authoritative) Xian writings.
2006-08-28 22:42:51 · answer #2 · answered by postquantum 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The destruction of the temple and the dispersion of the Jews contributed greatly to the growth of Christianity. Without the temple and the priest leadership many Jews found it easy to leave the old religion behind and convert.
2006-08-28 22:41:30 · answer #3 · answered by October 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Considering the Jews outright rejected and still reject the gospels not sure what you are talking about. The real question should be if the Jews didn't reject Paul's religion would he have tried to spread it to the gentiles at all.
2006-08-28 22:36:17 · answer #4 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It didn't.
2006-08-28 22:34:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
huh?
2006-08-28 22:37:33 · answer #6 · answered by dirtyhungrythirsty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋