RELG175

This course will offer a general introduction to the history of Christianity in the first two centuries of the Common Era, tracing the evolution of the movement from its beginnings as a sect within Second Temple Judaism to its emergence as a distinct religion in the Greco-Roman world. The course will also examine the role of major figures, beliefs, practices, phenomena and developments during the first two centuries. Special attention will be given to (1) the social, political, religious, and, philosophical milieu in which Christianity emerged, (2) the scholarly quest for 'historical Jesus,' (3) the significance of Paul and the growth of the movement (4) the relationship between Judaism and Christianity and (5) the various sects and conflicts in the first two centuries.