The dawn of Christianity People and gods in a time of magic and miracles

The idea of Western religion is often seen as relating directly to a creed, belief, or faith. But both religious authorities who battle false belief and the everyday religiosity of ordinary people remind one that magic and miracles loom large in the actual practice of religion. Knapp (emer., classics, Univ. of California, Berkeley) examines Christian sources to demonstrate the murky line between formal religious practice and the spiritual experience of ordinary people. Perhaps the best way to express this dichotomy is to grasp that in worship Jews and Christians are monotheists but in the everyday world the same believers are polytheists. The tension between the ideal and the reality was clear in early Christianity: how to be in the world but not of the world. Christianity for many people combined the basic human needs of polytheists with superhuman powers to cope with life. Knapp traces the nascent Christian movement in the eastern Mediterranean, where previously Jewish monotheism coexisted with polytheism mixed with magic. For the ordinary person Jesus of Nazareth appealed to people through miracles, contact with the supernatural, and rewards for this life with immortality in the next. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --G. Mick Smith, Strayer University

Knapp, professor emeritus of classics at the University of California, investigates how a small movement that arose 2,000 years ago grew into one of the world's great religions. Beginning with the life of Jesus of Nazareth, Knapp explains the social environment that allowed Christianity's prophet to appeal to Jews and polytheists alike even though they differed in a multitude of ways. Members of these groups were products of a world that seemed irrational, random, and dangerous. They adapted to this chaos by encountering the supernatural through ritual and tradition in order to inject a sense of meaning into the world around them. The miracles of Jesus of Nazareth (particularly his rising from the dead) could appeal to both groups because "people in both traditions continued to value overt displays of power in both magic and miracles as touchstones of supernatural efficacy, an efficacy they sought to access as they faced the contingencies of life." Although light on new information, this is a sound synthesis of historical data that, in broad strokes, paints the picture of how the nascent Christian movement influenced many different peoples and laid the foundations for Christianity to thrive globally. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

This foray into ancient Christianity by Knapp (classics, Univ. of California, Berkeley) is an amalgam of history, culture, and religion that intends to answer why polytheistic Greco-Romans would find appeal in a monotheistic religion. Knapp's strength is his comprehensive insight into ancient civilizations and polytheistic practices. He is on less firm ground with his assertions regarding Judaism and Christianity, often generalizing distinct points in order to reveal their larger historical impact. For example, he claims that Jews and early Christians embraced the idea of wifely subservience even though Rodney Stark's The Rise of -Christianity compellingly argues for Christianity's counter-cultural stand specifically against such issues. His claims regarding Paul and Pauline writings depend largely on the Book of Acts, written by Luke, rather than Paul's own letters (the New Testament epistles). Those interested in pursuing further research will find helpful references in the notes section, -including biblical citations. VERDICT An intriguing perspective but not an essential read on the topic.-SC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.