REL 211 - Jews, Pagans And Christians

Institution:

University of Rochester

Subject:

Description:

This course is an advanced seminar which focuses on religious conflict among Jews, Pagans, and Christians in the ancient world. We begin by examining the status of Jews in the Greco-Roman world and by investigating pagan responses (negative and positive) to Judaism. We study the rise of a new Jewish movement in the first century, namely, the Jesus Movement and focus on the development of the conflict between Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus. The Jesus Movement eventually separates itself from its Jewish origins and emerges, as Christianity, as a significant new religious group in the ancient world. How do Christians distinguish themselves from Jews in the eyes of pagans? How do Jews respond to the challenges presented by the emergence of Christianity? Why is Christianity perceived as such a threat by the Romans? We will explore all of these questions as well as the difficult issues of the nature of religious conflict, the problem of religious polemic, and the origins of anti-semitism.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.rochester.edu

Phone Number:

(888) 822-2256

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.