Tolerance and Intolerance in Early Judaism and Christianity

Considers issues of tolerance and intolerance faced by Jews and Christians between 200 BCE and 200 CE.

Graham N. Stanton (Edited by), Guy G. Stroumsa (Edited by)

9780521590372, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 May 1998

388 pages
23.6 x 15.9 x 3.4 cm, 0.76 kg

"The scholarship of the collection is quite sound. The volume is exceptionally valuable as an introduction to the interaction of identity-formation, deviancy-control, and social engineering in the ancient world with profound applicability to the contemporary scene." Ashland Theological Journal

The essays in this book consider issues of tolerance and intolerance faced by Jews and Christians between approximately 200 BCE and 200 CE. Several chapters are concerned with many different aspects of early Jewish-Christian relationships. Five scholars, however, take a difference tack and discuss how Jews and Christians defined themselves against the pagan world. As minority groups, both Jews and Christians had to work out ways of co-existing with their Graeco-Roman neighbours. Relationships with those neighbours were often strained, but even within both Jewish and Christian circles, issues of tolerance and intolerance surfaced regularly. So it is appropriate that some other contributors should consider 'inner-Jewish' relationships, and that some should be concerned with Christian sects.

List of contributors
List of abbreviations
Introduction Graham N. Stanton
1. Intolerance and martyrdom: from Socrates to Rabbi 'Aqiva Ithamar Gruenwald
2. The other in 1 and 2 Maccabees Daniel R. Schwartz
3. The pursuit of the millennium in early Judaism Albert I. Baumgarten
4. Conservative revolution? The intolerant innovations of Qumran Michael Mach
5. Who was considered an apostate in the Jewish Diaspora? John M. G. Barclay
6. Why did Paul persecute the church? Justin Taylor
7. Paul and the limits of tolerance Stephen C. Barton
8. Philo's views on paganism Maren R. Niehoff
9. Co-existing with the enemy: Jews and pagans in the Mishnah Moshe Halbertal
10. Tertullian on idolatry and the limits of tolerance Guy G. Stroumsa
11. The threefold Christian anti-Judaism François Blanchetière
12. The intertextual polemic of the Markan vineyard parable Joel Marcus
13. Jews and Jewish Christians in the land of Israel at the time of the Bar Kochba war, with special reference to the Apocalypse of Peter Richard Bauckham
14. The Nazoreans: living at the boundary of Judaism and Christianity Martinus C. de Boer
15. Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho: group boundaries, 'proselytes' and 'God-fearers' Graham N. Stanton
16. Accusations of Jewish persecution in early Christian sources, with particular reference to Justin Martyr and the Martyrdom of Polycarp Judith M. Lieu
17. Early Christians on synagogue prayer and imprecation William Horbury
18. Messianism, Torah and early Christian tradition Andrew Chester
19. Jewish and Christian public ethics in the early Roman Empire Markus Bockmuehl
Postscript: the future of intolerance Guy G. Stroumsa
General bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Judaism [HRJ], Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]