The Advent of Christianity and the Conflict between Church and State
I Religious and Political Context
A Religious space hollowed out by end of independent city-state
B Competitors for space: neo-Platonism, philosophies of conduct, mysteries
C Blurring between mortal & immortal (mysteries), human & divine (emperors)
D Jewish context
1Mosaic monotheism and the prophetic tradition
2 Talmudic tradition: Pharisees (belief in immortality) vs. Sadducees
3 Roman occupation & expectation of a Messiah (Zealots, Essenes)
II Jesus and His Message, 4 BCE-29 AD (carpenter’s son in Bethlehem/Nazareth)
A The person and his message
1 Fulfillment of spirit of Mosaic law, & prophetic tradition
2 Ambiguous but radical character of message: very different res gestae
3 Choice of twelve disciples and imminent coming of kingdom of God
4 Special place for poor, marginal, disreputable, women & children
5 Special relation to Yahweh: “son of man,” “son of God,” “Messiah”
6 History: Jesus’ res gestae: death & resurrection as part of message
B The medium of the message of someone who wrote nothing
1 Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) & later John
2 Priority of Paul’s letters to churches over Gospels, Acts & Revelation
3 Role of human agency in Christian theology of “inspiration”
4 Other sources (Dead Sea Scrolls) & quest for “historical” Jesus
III Paul and the articulation of “Christianity”: (Paul of Tarsus as St. Paul)
A Retention Belief in Yahweh, Creation, a “Fall,” in Sin, and Mosaic Law
B Meaning of death: fulfillment of law by sacrificial atonement and grace
C From Jewish sect to proselytizing religion: Pentecost & conflict with Peter
D Formations of Cells of Believers, or Church, & of Doctrine, or Theology
IV Comparison & contrast between Christianity & competitors
A With mysteries
1 Similar sacramental community, dying & rising god, immortality
2 Difference in doctrine, trans-local structure, single death & resurrection
3 Inclusion (women and no initiation fees) & doctrinal exclusion
B With Hellenistic Philosophy
1 Common trend to monotheism, universality, & theological philosophy
2 Gulf between God & nature, value of body, the particular, and history
3 Reason within Faith; Christian combination of universality & exclusion
C With emperors: a “filius dei” margins of society & with new kingdom at hand
V Negative political implications and conflict with the Empire (sporadic persecution)
A Reversal of values vis-à-vis powers & principalities (Book of Revelation)
B Combination of proselytism & universality & Judaism’s exclusivity
C Hierarchical organization of “church” (priests, bishops) along parallel lines
VI Positive political implications
A Christianization of Empire under Constantine & Theodosius I (392 AD)
B Church councils: Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus, Chalcedon
C Plurality (Trinity) within the divinity and representative democracy