Neither Jew Nor Greek

This book brings James Dunns magisterial Christianity in the Making trilogy to a close.Neither Jew nor Greek covers the period following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 c.e. and running through the second century, when the still-new Jesus movement firmed up its distinctive identity markers and the structures on which it would establish its growing appeal in the following decades and centuries. Dunn examines in depth the major factors that shaped first-generation Christianity and beyond, exploring the parting of the ways between Christianity and Judaism, the Hellenization of Christianity, and responses to Gnosticism. He mines all the first- and second-century sources, including the New Testament Gospels and such apostolic fathers as Ignatius, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus. Comprehensively covering an important, complex era in early Christianity that is often overlooked,Neither Jew nor Greek is a landmark contribution to the field.

A ground-breaking study in the formation of early Christian identity, by one of the world's leading scholars.In Neither Jew Nor Greek, Judith Lieu explores the formation and shaping of early Christian identity within Judaism and within the wider Graeco-Roman world in the period before 200 C.E. Lieu particularly examines the way that literary texts presented early Christianity. She combines this with interdisciplinary historical investigation and interaction with scholarship on Judaism in late Antiquity and on the Graeco-Roman world.The result is a highly significant contribution to four of the key questions in current New Testament scholarship: how did early Christian identity come to be formed? How should we best describe and understand the processes by which the Christian movement became separate from its Jewish origins? Was there anything special or different about the way women entered Judaism and early Christianity? How did martyrdom contribute to the construction of early Christian identity? The chapters in this volume have become classics in the study of the New Testament and for this Cornerstones edition Lieu provides a new introduction placing them within the academic debate as it is now.

In recent years, Protestant churches and denominations have become increasingly concerned with issues of racial diversity and reconciliation. Recent scholarship has examined this growing awareness, but has seldom attended to issues of diversity on the campuses and seminaries that educate the leaders of these churches and denominations: campuses and seminaries which have, historically, enrolled fewer students of color than nonsectarian institutions. George Yancey explores the methods that Protestant colleges and universities use to promote racial diversity, as well as the attitudes of the white and non-white students on their campuses. He shows that certain measures, such as diversity courses and student-led multicultural organizations, are more effective for promoting than multicultural and anti-racism programs. He also shows that the presence of faculty of color supports efforts towards racial diversity on Protestant campuses. Neither Jew Nor Gentile not only documents which institutional measures are effective, but shows how and why they work. Yancey finds that efforts to encourage interracial communication and unity promote a positive atmosphere more effectively than measures that emphasize differences among racial groups, and that dialogue among racial groups appears to be essential for the development of a positive racial atmosphere on campus. He outlines ways of cultivating such a dialogue and offers advice to educators on handling issues of racial diversity. While Neither Jew Nor Gentile focuses on Protestant campuses, this study will benefit all educators who seek to understand and foster racial diversity on their campuses.

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The Ground Is Moving The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in the summer of 2020 shocked the nation. As riots rocked American cities, Christians affirmed from the pulpit and in social media that “black lives matter” and that racial justice “is a gospel issue.” But what if there is more to the social justice movement than those Christians understand? Even worse: What if they’ve been duped into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God? In this powerful book, Voddie Baucham, a preacher, professor, and cultural apologist, explains the sinister worldview behind the social justice movement and Critical Race Theory—revealing how it already has infiltrated some seminaries, leading to internal denominational conflict, canceled careers, and lost livelihoods. Like a fault line, it threatens American culture in general—and the evangelical church in particular. Whether you’re a layperson who has woken up in a strange new world and wonders how to engage sensitively and effectively in the conversation on race or a pastor who is grappling with a polarized congregation, this book offers the clarity and understanding to either hold your ground or reclaim it.

What did Paul mean when he declared that there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor male and female' (Galatians 3:28)? While many modern readers understand these words as a statement about human equality, this study shows that it in fact reflects ancient ideas about an ideal or utopian community. With this declaration, Paul contributed to the cultural conversation of his time about such a community. The three pairs that Paul brings together in this formula all played a role in first-century conceptions of what an ideal world would look like. Such conceptions were influenced by cosmopolitanism; the philosophical idea prevalent at the time, that all people were fundamentally connected and could all live in a unified society. Understanding Paul's thought in the context of these contemporary ideals helps to clarify his attitude towards each of the three pairs in his letters. Like other ancient utopian thinkers, Paul imagined the ideal community to be based on mutual dependence and egalitarian relationships.

An intensive study of the meaning and significance of Galatians 3:28, which is often cited as a critical text in the debate on the biblical teaching of gender roles.