The Englewood Review of Books
Best Books of 2024
Advent Calendar
December 1
The Englewood Review of Books
Strange Religion:
How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling
Nijay Gupta
Paperback: Brazos Press, 2024
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“Overall, this is an excellent book in every way. It stands in the tradition of classic works from scholars of a generation ago, namely The First Urban Christians by Wayne Meeks (1983) and Early Christians Speak (1981), and provides an overarching insight into the cultural context in which Christianity was birthed. … The value of this book is that Gupta brings primary Greco-Roman sources into conversation with the Christian witness found in the New Testament. He does this in order to articulate how Christian views of conversion, doctrine, worship and discipleship compared and contrasted with those of their Greco-Roman neighbors. It is sociological; however there is a hint of historical study—if only to avoid the undertones of critiquing the contemporary church (both rightly and wrongly). Yet, in doing so, it is difficult to not “read between the lines” and hear a note of contemporary critique here and there or how to engage these ancient views and practices today—especially in the sections that focus on politics, family life and gender equality.”
- Rob O’Lynn,
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