After Jesus, Before Christianity

A Historical Exploration of the First Two Centuries of Jesus Movements

By: Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, Hal Taussig, The Westar Institute

Narrated by: Cindy Kay

From the creative minds of the scholarly group behind the groundbreaking Jesus Seminar comes this provocative and eye-opening look at the roots of Christianity that offers a thoughtful reconsideration of the first two centuries of the Jesus movement, transforming our understanding of the religion and its early dissemination.

Christianity has endured for more than two millennia and is practiced by billions worldwide today. Yet that longevity has created difficulties for scholars tracing the religion’s roots, distorting much of the historical investigation into the first two centuries of the Jesus movement. But what if Christianity died in the fourth or fifth centuries after it began? How would that change how historians see and understand its first two hundred years?

Considering these questions, three Bible scholars from the Westar Institute summarize the work of the Christianity Seminar and its efforts to offer a new way of thinking about Christianity and its roots. Synthesizing the institute’s most recent scholarship - bringing together the many archaeological and textual discoveries over the last 20 years - they have found:

• There were multiple Jesus movements, not a singular one, before the fourth century
• There was nothing called Christianity until the third century
• There was much more flexibility and diversity within Jesus’s movement before it became centralized in Rome, not only regarding the Bible and religious doctrine, but also understandings of gender, sexuality and morality.

Exciting and revolutionary, After Jesus, Before Christianity provides fresh insights into the real history behind how the Jesus movement became Christianity.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

©2021 Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, Hal Taussig, The Westar Institute (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Wow!!!

After Jesus, Before Christianity” by Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott, Hal Taussig, and The Westar Institute is an extraordinary work that delves into the complex and fascinating period following Jesus’ life and before the solidification of what we know today as Christianity. This book has profoundly deepened my understanding of the early Jesus movement, and it has illuminated aspects of history and theology that are often overlooked or misunderstood.

The authors do an incredible job of bringing this pivotal era to life, combining rigorous scholarship with accessible language. Their collective insights help to unravel the social, cultural, and political dynamics of the time, shedding light on the diverse and vibrant communities that shaped the early faith. I particularly appreciated how the book challenges conventional narratives, encouraging readers to reconsider what they think they know about the origins of Christianity.

What I found most compelling was the way the authors weave together historical context with theological reflection, providing a nuanced picture of a world in transition. The Westar Institute’s involvement ensures that the research is top-notch, and the collaboration between Vearncombe, Scott, and Taussig brings a richness to the discussion that is truly enlightening.

Thank you to the authors and The Westar Institute for your hard work and dedication in bringing this important scholarship to the public. Your work has helped me—and I’m sure many others—to explore these critical years with fresh eyes and deeper appreciation. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the roots of Christian history and theology.

A new essential resource

An excellent resource for anyone studying the history of early Christianities. I highly recommend it.

Fascinating

This book made me think, soothed my soul, and reignited my excitement for Christianity. I'd recommend it to anyone, highly.

Ancient texts speak for themselves

Encyclopedic in scope, rigorous referencing, careful scholarship. Listened three times; now I'm reading the book.

Few new findings with new research resources

More hypothetical than proof driven, but interesting in some ways. The entire historical and researched stories of the first through the sixth centuries of the Jesus people, the evolution of the texts, the creeds and the Empire of the Church is a hot mess. After all the years of research and writing it appears that there is less and less to discuss. The "proof models" required in science are not available to this form of historical research and writings, which produce lots of opinions. However, opinions are often useful.

Informative & Important!

A book for our times. Unlike the negative reviewer, one doesn’t have to be woke to benefit from this scholarship. I recommend it highly.

whiny, woke pabulum

... And Tedious, to boot.
I counted at least 2 chapters bellyaching about those awful Romans expressing their dominance
With violence .
(no mention of roads, aquaducts, prolonged peace..)
chapter 8 was all about queerness and chapter 15, whilst ostensibly about gnosticism, went off on a 10 minute Rant about penguins.
yes. penguins.
( i like penguins, but.. By this time, I was only listening to the first half of the chapters, it was so painful)
ch 16 was mostly gender bending nonsense..
Chapter 17 was a number of strained interpretations of biblical stories to suit modern political themes.
ch 18 Was more bad scholarship, again about those nasty Romans.
I am a big fan of this subject comma having read most of bart ermann's books and tables books on paul. But this It was too much for me and I tuned out

My awakening

This is a must read for all seeking truth and understanding of our past and how it may have impacted our current day. Christianity is surely not the way our ancestors thought the future would be. It's time to change the frequency and wake up.

thought provoking

glad to have listened. scholarship always is a place of many life giving discoveries and land mines! but loving Jesus and the way(s) he leads us to live serving each other is light!

Very interesting

It challenges ideas that you may have had about truth about Jesus and the simplicity of knowing what Jesus himself may have had. Anyone interested in exploring Christianity should read this.