What Made Early Christianity Different?
Distinctive Features of Early Christianity
L. W. Hurtado
Lecture 1: “Introduction: The Study of Early Christianity as a Historical Development”
The purpose of the lectures isn’t apologetics but to try to do justice to some features of early
Christianity that were genuinely noteworthy historically in the ancient Roman setting. Without
denying similarities and connections with that setting, I want to underscore also that there were
features that distinguished early Christianity. I review briefly the origins of modern historical
approaches to early Christianity, and offer a justification and proposal for how a historical approach
can be productive.
Lecture 2: “An Unusual Pattern of Belief and Devotional Practice”
Early Christians were expected to avoid, or in the case of gentiles to renounce, the worship of the
many deities and divine heroes of the Roman period. In this, they followed the exclusivist stance of
Roman-era Judaism, often referred to as “monotheistic.” In the eyes of most people of the Roman
period, however, this was impious, “atheism,” and socially objectionable. But, along with worship of
the one God of the biblical tradition, Christians also treated belief in, and reverence for, Jesus as
mandatory, producing a distinctive “dyadic” pattern of belief and devotion. This drew criticism from
pagans (for failing to honour the gods, and for reverencing a figure they regarded as unworthy) and
from many Jews (for appearing to compromise the exclusive reverence due God alone).
Lecture 3: “A Different Kind of Religious Identity”
Typically, gods and religion were connected with specific peoples, nations and locales. One
reverenced the deities of one’s nation, people and/or city. In the Roman period there were also new
religious options, such as the so-called “mystery religions” (e.g., the Isis-cult or Mithras-cult) that
spread trans-locally, and one could adopt these voluntarily. But these were not in competition with
one’s native gods and religious life; they were simply additional religious options. Early Christianity
demanded exclusive commitment to the one God and to Christ, and one’s entire religious identity,
thus, was to be based on this commitment. Moreover, Christians in any given site, and of various
ethnic origins, were encouraged to think of themselves as genuinely connected with all Christians in
other sites and ethnicities, as all members of one family or body. We have no real parallel in that time.
Lecture 4: “A Bookish Religion”
Texts were central in the young Christian movement from its inception. What became the “Old
Testament” were the initial scriptures in which believers found predictions and other resources for
formulating their faith. But very quickly Christians also produced their own texts. Scholars
commonly believe that there were lists of Jesus’ sayings, perhaps early “passion narratives,” and other
texts that no longer are extant. Paul’s letters are the earliest extant texts, written ca. 50-60 AD, and by
ca. 100 AD or so were being treated as scriptures in various Christian circles. The four Gospels form
a remarkable body of texts without real parallels in the time. Early Christianity was exceptionally
productive of texts, also copying and disseminating them (we know of a few hundred composed
within the first three centuries). Texts were sometimes a part of other religious options as well, but,
with the possible exception of ancient Judaism, no other group or tradition seems to have been so
given to the production, copying, distribution and reading of texts as central activities. Early
Christian books were also distinctive in the preferred bookform (codex) and in the use of “nomina
sacra” as earmarks of Christian faith/piety.