Tuesday, November 11, 2014

In what ways was early Christianity shaped and defined by Hebrew and Greco-Roman influences?"Christianity synthesized both the Hebrew and the...

Great question. The most obvious point is that the Jews
and those of a Greco-Roman culture antedate Christianity. Hence, when Christianity came
into being, many Jews, Greek and Roman embraced Christianity, but they also brought in
their past beliefs and practices. So, there was borrowing and  influence. Let me give a
few examples. First, the Jewish bible became the basis of the Christian bible. This
point cannot be minimized. Second, Greek philosophy was imported into the church in many
ways. There is very strong platonic strand of thought within Christianity. The same can
be said of Aristotle's thoughts. Third, keep in mind that many of the leaders of the
early church - like Paul - were people who were steeped in the world of Judaism and
Rome. Paul was a Jewish Roman citizen, who became a Christian.

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