Kingdom and Community: The Social World of Early Christianity (Prentice-Hall Studies in Religion Series)

Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 3
Acknowledgments......Page 5
Contents......Page 7
Series Foreword......Page 9
Preface......Page 11
1. Introduction......Page 15
THEOLOGY AND HISTORY IN THE STUDY OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY......Page 18
RELIGION AND SOCIAL WORLDS......Page 23
NOTES......Page 28
2. The End of Time and the Rise of Community......Page 33
EARLIEST CHRISTIANITY AS A MILLENARIAN MOVEMENT......Page 34
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AND THE THEORY OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE......Page 51
THE ATTAINMENT OF MILLENNIAL BLISS THROUGH MYTH: THE BOOK OF REVELATION......Page 63
NOTES......Page 71
3. The Quest for Legitimacy and Consolidation......Page 80
THE QUESTION OF LEGITIMACY......Page 82
ORTHODOXY AND HERESY......Page 90
NOTES......Page 102
4. Religion and Society in the Early Roman Empire......Page 107
THE ROMAN SOCIAL ORDER......Page 110
EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND THE ROMAN SOCIAL ORDER......Page 120
NOTES......Page 122
5. The Success of Christianity......Page 128
THE PROBLEM OF PERSPECTIVE......Page 129
EXTERNAL FACTORS......Page 136
INTERNAL FACTORS......Page 143
CHRISTIANITY AND ITS COMPETITORS......Page 146
RESULTS......Page 154
NOTES......Page 156
Index......Page 163
Back Cover......Page 173