Also of Interest to Professors from Brazos Press
Strange Religion How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling Nijay K. Gupta The first Christians were weird. Within Roman society, they stood out for the oddness of their beliefs and practices. They believed unusual things, worshiped God in strange ways, and lived a unique lifestyle. They practiced a whole new way of thinking about and doing religion that would have been seen as bizarre and dangerous when compared to Roman religion and most other religions of the ancient world. New Testament scholar Nijay Gupta traces the emerging Christian faith in its Roman context in this accessible and engaging book. Christianity would have been seen as radical in the Roman world, but some found this new religion attractive and compelling. The first Christians dared to be different, pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable, transformed how people thought about reli- gion, and started a movement that grew like wildfire. Brought to life with numerous images, Strange Religion shows how the example of the earliest Christians can offer today’s believers encouragement and hope. It will appeal to students, professors, pastors, and all readers interested in early Christianity. CONTENTS PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1. Roman Religion and the Pax Deorum : Keeping Peace with the Gods 2. “Believers”: The First Christians and the Transformation of Religion 3. A Dangerous and Strange Religion: Christianity as a Superstition PART 2: WHAT THE FIRST CHRISTIANS BELIEVED 4. What the First Christians Believed 5. Cult without Smoke and Blood: Strange Worship 6. Possessed by the Spirit of God 7. Beginning at the End of All Things: A Strange Reckoning of Time PART 3: HOW THE FIRST CHRISTIANS WORSHIPED 8. A Household of Faith: The Family Practices of the Early Christians 9. A Priest-God and a Priestly People: Church as a Liturgical Community
t
FEBRUARY 2024 • 240 pp. • paper • $18.99 • 9781587435171
Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, Durham University) is professor of New Tes- tament at Northern Seminary. He is cohost of the Slow Theology podcast, founder of the Crux Sola blog, and has written numerous books, including A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies , 15 New Testament Words of Life , and commentaries on Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He is also the coeditor, with Scot McKnight, of The State of New Testament Studies , and a senior translator for the New Living Translation.
ALSO BY THE AUTHOR A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES 9780801097577 • $24.99p
PART 4: HOW THE FIRST CHRISTIANS LIVED 10. Dangerous Contact: Becoming Godlike 11. To Treat All as Equal 12. The Christians Were Not Perfect Putting It All Together Indexes
60
Visit BrazosPress.com for information on Brazos Press titles.
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease