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24. Who Chose the Books of the New Testament?
May 22, 2025
Finally, delve into the intriguing question of how the final form of the New Testament came to be
23. Do We Have the Original New Testament?
May 22, 2025
Drawing on current scholarship and methodology, learn about how books were produced, copied, and circulated in the ancient world, and the role of professional scribes in preserving literary materials. Identify the earliest surviving texts of the New Testament, their inconsistencies, and what we can say about their originality.
22. Did Early Christians Accept the Trinity?
May 22, 2025
With regard to this core Christian doctrine, learn about the earliest theological understanding of Jesus by his followers, and track changing views of Jesus
21. Is the Old Testament a Christian Book?
May 22, 2025
Investigate the place of the Jewish scriptures in the lives of Jesus and his followers and how Christian views of Jewish law changed during Paul
20. Was Christianity an Illegal Religion?
May 22, 2025
The relationship of the early Christians to the Roman state is often obscured by historical inaccuracies and misperceptions. Learn about the variety of religious practices permitted by Rome, citizens
19. What Happened to the Apostles?
May 22, 2025
Stories about the later lives of Jesus
18. Is the True Jesus in the Gnostic Gospels?
May 22, 2025
This lecture highlights striking contrasts in theological conceptions of Jesus found among early Christian groups. With regard to Jesus
17. Who Were the Original Christians?
May 22, 2025
Here, explore the diversity of Christianity in the 2nd century, when multiple groups claimed to represent the
16. Is the Book of Revelation about Our Future?
May 22, 2025
The book of Revelation stands as a provocative focal point of the New Testament. To grasp its meaning and significance, learn about the genre of ancient apocalyptic literature, Revelation
15. Does the New Testament Contain Forgeries?
May 22, 2025
False claims of authorship for religious writings were common in the early church. First, trace the phenomenon of literary forgery in the ancient world, and its broad condemnation. Then study the range of New Testament writings of questionable authorship, and consider the motives for false attribution and how they were justified.
14. Did the Disciples Write the Gospels?
May 22, 2025
The matter of the authorship of the New Testament Gospels has important ramifications for understanding the historical Jesus. Investigate the dating of the Gospels, our historical knowledge of Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke, and the question of whether they possessed the skills to have written such highly literary narratives.
13. Is Paul the Real Founder of Christianity?
May 22, 2025
This lecture digs deeply into the distinction between the teachings of Jesus and the Christian view of his death and resurrection that has defined the faith. Learn about Paul
12. Did the Jews Expect a Suffering Messiah?
May 22, 2025
In this lecture, trace the early Jewish conception of a future mashiach as a figure of power and grandeur, and the Christian view that a suffering messiah was predicted in the Jewish scriptures. Study the relevant scriptural ages and the core arguments dividing Christians and Jews on this critical issue.
11. Was Jesus Raised from the Dead?
May 22, 2025
In approaching what is perhaps the greatest Christian controversy of all, learn about ancient views of the afterlife and the meaning of resurrection in the world Jesus inhabited. Investigate scholarship on visionary experience, and the role of visions in the conviction among the first believers that Jesus was in fact resurrected.
10. Was Pontius Pilate a Secret Christian?
May 22, 2025
The ruthless Roman governor who ordered Jesus crucified has undergone a character change over the course of Christian history. Study portrayals of Pilate in Christian storytelling, the Gospels, and non-canonical writings as they seek to exonerate him from culpability in Jesus
9. Did the Jews Kill Jesus?
May 22, 2025
The issue of the Jewish role in Jesus
8. What Secrets Did Judas Betray?
May 22, 2025
For the last century, scholars have disagreed on the nature of Judas
7. Was Jesus Married?
May 22, 2025
The idea that Jesus was married is purportedly ed by statements in the Talmud on ancient Jewish life. Investigate the marriage practices of early Judaism and the social reality of celibacy. Examine the role of apocalyptic thinking in affirming a life of celibacy, as seen in the teachings of Paul, the Essenes, and Jesus himself.
6. How Close Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene?
May 22, 2025
First assess the inaccurate portrayal of Mary Magdalene in novels and film, and trace the church tradition regarding her as a prostitute. Then review the known facts concerning Jesus
5. Did Jesus Expect to See the World
May 22, 2025
Grasp how scholars and historians have approached the historical accuracy of the Gospels, and track the developing critical view of Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet. Contemplate the core tenets of Jesus
4. Is Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls?
May 22, 2025
Discover the Dead Sea Scrolls as they shed important light on the historical Jesus and on Jewish life in his time. Learn how the scrolls express the worldview of Jewish apocalypticism, shared by Jesus, which anticipated the end of the age and the establishment of a new kingdom on Earth.
3. Did Jesus Have a Twin Brother?
May 22, 2025
The question of whether Jesus had siblings divided early Christians, a controversy that survives to this day. Learn about the non-canonical Acts of Thomas and its of the missionary Didymus Judas Thomas, portrayed as Jesus
2. Was Jesus
May 22, 2025
Belief in the virgin birth has been enormously important throughout the history of Christianity. Here, assess the theological underpinnings of this belief and the role of Mary as a divine figure. Investigate s of the Annunciation in Matthew and Luke, and grasp their reasons for claiming Mary conceived as a virgin.
1. Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
May 22, 2025
Begin by considering why the controversies of early Christianity matter, and explore the critical difference between the perspective of the historian and the perspective of faith. Then grapple with the controversy over where Jesus was born, the historical indications, and the faith-based motives for affirming Bethlehem as his birthplace.
Description
Where to Watch The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History
The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History is available for streaming on the The Great Courses website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History on demand at Amazon Prime and Amazon.
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Premiere DateMay 22, 2025
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