When did Christianity Separate from Judaism?

by fulltimestudent 16 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  fulltimestudent

  This is a subject of some importance, the view of the witnesses, likely inherited from Franz's influence, seems to be that early Christianity developed as a separate religion to the Jews.

  The view of most contemporary scholars is that the separation occurred slowly, and that influential early Christians (e.g. such as Paul, Peter, John and James) still saw themselves as Jews.

  To those of us that are no longer Christians (and, most ex-witnesses here, seem to gradually move to that position) this is not an important issue.

  But to an organisation that claims it has "the truth," surely it should know the truth about its origins. Yet the evidence is that the modern day religion of Jehovah's witnesses, does not know the "truth" concerning the origins of early Christianity.

  For those who seek to know more about the separation of early Christianity from Judaism, this Bible Archeological Society publication will help analyse the evidence.

  
  
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  fulltimestudent

  The chapter headings are described here:

  Partings—How Judaism & Christianity Became Two - Softcover

  NEW FROM BAS!

  Partings—How Judaism and Christianity Became Two

  Edited by Hershel Shanks

  Click here to purchase the hardcover version.

  The Parting of the Ways between Judaism and Christianity was not one, but many. It occurred in different ways in different places and in different times. Never before has this multi-faceted process been documented so engagingly and so authoritatively by so many eminent scholars from the United States, England, Israel and elsewhere as in this new book from the Biblical Archaeology Society.

  Anyone interested in this fascinating topic will find this carefully edited, insightful volume as engaging as a novel. Written by world authorities, it’s a unique resource easily understood by both the student and interested layperson. Just take a look at the chapter titles below and the famous authors who wrote them.

  I. The Jewish Jesus Movement
  Geza Vermes
  II. From the Crucifixion to the End of the First Century
  James D.G. Dunn
  III. The Godfearers: From the Gospels to Aphrodisias
  Bruce Chilton
  IV. The Christian Flight to Pella? The Archaeological Picture
  Pamela Watson
  V. Parting in Palestine
  Joan Taylor
  VI. Christianity in Antioch: Partings in Roman Syria
  Annette Yoshiko Reed and Lily Vuong
  VII. Living Side by Side in Galilee
  Eric M. Meyers
  VIII. Jews and Christians at Rome: An Early Parting of the Ways
  Margaret H. Williams
  IX. Christianity’s Rise After Judaism’s Demise in Early Egypt
  Robert A. Kraft and AnneMarie Luijendijk
  X. Ebionites and Nazoraeans: Christians or Jews?
  Matt A. Jackson-McCabe
  XI. In Between: Jewish-Christians and the Curse of the Heretics
  Shaye J.D. Cohen
  XII. The Complexities of Rejections and Attraction, Herein of Love and Hate
  Steven Fine
  XIII. From Sabbath to Sunday: Why, How and When?
  Lawrence T. Geraty
  XIV. Social Organization and Parting in East and West
  Arye Edrei and Doron Mendels
  XV. Did They Ever Part?
  James H. Charlesworth

  416 pp., 8 pp. of color plates, 48 b&w illustrations,
  13 color illustrations (all on color plates), 8 maps

  More Information at:

  http://store.bib-arch.org/prodinfo.asp?number=7HP1
  
  
  
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  Village Idiot

  The Watchtower, like all fundamentalist Christian religions, view this issue as arising from "Higher Criticism" of the Bible which contradicts their basic premise that the Bible is the literal and true word of God. Jehovah's Witnesses don't even know the truth about the origin of their own religion let alone Christianity.
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  WTWizard

  Judaism is the root of both Christi-SCAM-ity and Islam. Both have a bogus history of ancient Israel in their anterior portions of their holy documents (yet, as they foist it on us as genuine and carry many of these traits into the present, they are stuck with it). The whole Nazarene thing was about Israel--how many times have you heard of Jesus preaching in other regions?

  With Islam, that ties in with Jesus as a prophet. They too tie in with a similar belief system of Judaism, tying into it. It's just that Islam believes in doing good works in the name of Allah, while Christi-SCAM-ity relies wholly on Jesus dying for our "sins". Both programs glorify poverty and denounce people for their natural desires. Both believe that indulgence is a sin, and both seek to repress sexuality. And both hate women.

  From what I would assume that Cornelius was supposed to be the first full Gentile to become a Christian, that would have been the separation. Once Paul decided that it was not necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised to become Christians, the separation was complete. I believe this happened with the Inquisition when they forced Christi-SCAM-ity on Europe under torture threats. The cat lick church did that, and that's when I believe the whole LIE-ble was written.
  
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  kaik

  Generally the break between Judaism and Christianity started with Paul, because Judaism does not teach Original Sin, or atonement of anyone else sin. Paul preached it that Jesus sacrifice was necessary and Judaism was obsolete so the new belief does not need upholding old laws. If he died during the Nero's time, this split in the theology was definitive as it is impossible to reconcile both faiths. Certainly the split was completed after the sack of Jerusalem and destruction of Judea which had profound effect on forming cultural identity of Jews versus Christians.
  
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  cofty

  Thank you FTS that sounds like a really interesting read.

  It is a very common misunderstanding among JWs and christians in general that the early christians were not Jews.
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  EdenOne

  The history regarding the Ebionites and the Nazorean groups should be of great interest, because they represent the best glimpse we got into the earlier core group of jewish folowers of Jesus, led or inspired by James, the Just and the descendants of one of Jesus' brothers, Joses. If we are to understand better what Jesus was and make an educated guess at what were his teachings and his world view, that's where we have to focus.

  Although stretching a bit some conclusions, and not an easy reading, I recommend Robert Eisenman's "James, The Brother Of Jesus"; also the excellent work of James D. Tabor: "Paul and Jesus - How The Apostle Transformed Christianity". They should persuade you that the Jesus movement was not about starting a new religion separated from judaism, but it was Paul that took it in that direction.

  Eden
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  Vidiot

  fulltimestudent - "When did Christianity separate from Judaism?"

  When did Homo neanderthalis and Homo sapiens each separate from Homo heidelbergensis?

  Religions evolve over time, just like everything else.

  I doubt one single generation (overlapping or otherwise) could be definitively pinpointed as the "tipping point" between the two.
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  fulltimestudent

  Vidiot- I agree, and I noted last semester that it was likely a gradual process and that some scholars were talking about 200 years, and not the JW idea of an immediate split

  Anyway, someone has gone to a lot of trouble with this "Evolutionery Tree of Myth and Religion:"

  
  

  reference: http://rahoorkhuit93.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/timeline-myth-religion.jpg
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  HowTheBibleWasCreated

  The problem with this questions is it's not valid... Judiasm was split into four different main cults...Christianity started from Judaism mixed with Greek and Roman ideas and with the destruction of Jerusalem.

  Later Gentiles joined starting Gnostic cults of Christianity and divorcing Judaism....

  Later still Jewish Christians pulled Christianity back in their favor and...

  Yeah... this went on until at least the fourth century and even in some degree today.