The First Followers of Jesus: A Sociological Analysis of the Earliest Christianity

by Gerd Theissen

Publisher:

SCM Press

, 1978

Overview

This fascinating new study examines the way in which early Christianity developed from Jesus lifetime until its spread into the Greek world. While source material relating to this subject is so scant many tools of sociology are unusable, Gerd Theissen shows that the asking of sociological questions can shed new light on familiar evidence.

In a clear, easy-to-follow text, Theissen looks at typical social behavior of first-century Christians—both those who traveled to preach the gospel and the communities that received it. He also considers the economic, political, and cultural influences society had on the early church, and vice versa.

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Key Features

• Examines Christianity’s development in the first century Greek world
• Analyzes the social behavior of first-century Christians
• Explores how Greek societies and the early church influenced each other

Contents

• Aims and Methods of a Sociology of the Jesus Movement
• The Role of the Wandering Charismatics
• The Role of Sympathizers in the Local Communities
• The Role of the Son of Man
• Socio-Economic Factors
• Socio-Ecological Factors
• Socio-Political Factors
• Socio-Cultural Factors
• The Functional Outline of the Jesus Movement
• Functional Effects

Product Details

• Title: The First Followers of Jesus: A Sociological Analysis of the Earliest Christianity
• Author: Gerd Theissen
• Publisher: SCM Press
• Print Publication Date: 1978
• Logos Release Date: 2015
• Pages: 131
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Christian sociology › History--Early church, ca. 30-600
• Resource ID: LLS:SCMFRSTFLLWRSJSS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-14T02:23:09Z

About Gerd Theissen

Gerd Theissen is a professor of New Testament at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and the author of The Religion of the Earliest Churches and The Shadow of the Galilean. He is a coauthor of The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide and coeditor of The Social Setting of Jesus and the Gospels.

Sample Pages from The First Followers of Jesus: A Sociological Analysis of the Earliest Christianity