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The Separation of Early Christianity from Judaism

The Separation of Early Christianity from Judaism The moving apart of early Christianity from Judaism was a gradual process of de- judaisation, with separation taking place on several levels. Chapter One looks at the spread of Christianity and the physical moving apart of Jews and Christians by observing the geographical locations of the bishops attending various councils. Chapter Two examines the question of the Jewish-Christians who attempted to be both Jewish and Christian at the same time. In Chapter Three, statements about Jews in the early church councils which reveal judaising practices have been examined. Chapter Four studies the process of juridical separation of Jews from Christians as shown by an examination of the Theodosian Code. The fifth chapter examines the Jewish roots of Christian liturgy and focuses on the element that radically differentiated Christian from Jewish liturgy - its christological focus. Chapter Six speaks of the separation of Sabbath observance from Sunday observance, outlining the struggle to prevent Christians, who were accused of judaising, from celebrating the Sabbath as well as Sunday. Chapter Seven concentrates on the separation of Passover from Easter. While Chapter Eight investigates the development of a distinctly Christian archaeology, the ninth area of separation concerns the subject of Christianity in the rabbinic writings. In the nine areas studied, two pervasive causes of separation have been identified. The first concerns the non-practice of Jewish ritual law, when Christianity became predominantly a religion of non-Jews. Christianity, in order to define itself closed its ranks to Jewish practices. The second cause leading to separation was the messianic movement centred on Jesus, and the growing emphasis on the divinity of Jesus. This was reflected in the developing Christian liturgy, in the christianisation of Passover, the Eucharist and the practice of Sunday over and above the Jewish Sabbath.

  1. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/837
Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/220806
Date January 2000
CreatorsDacy, Marianne Josephine, Dacy, Marianne Josephine
PublisherUniversity of Sydney. Semitic Studies
Source SetsAustraliasian Digital Theses Program
LanguageEnglish, en_AU
Detected LanguageEnglish
RightsCopyright Dacy, Marianne Josephine;http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/copyright.html

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