Gospel and the Greeks: Did the New Testament Borrow from Pagan Thought?
Did early Christianity borrow essential beliefs and practices from pagan religions and philosophies of the time? No, answers Ronald Nash in this compelling case for the uniqueness of Christian teaching. Part 1 investigates possible influences of Hellenistic philosophy on the New Testament; part 2, the relationship of early Christianity to the pagan mystery religions; and part 3, the relationship between early Christianity and Gnosticism. First released in 1992, The Gospel and the Greeks has...
Search in google:
If Christianity borrowed many of its basic beliefs from pagan systems of thought, as some modern scholars have declared, it is not what its adherents claim it to be. The Gospel and the Greeks examines the proposition that Christianity is dependent upon a number of Hellenistic philosophies, the Greco-Roman mystery religions, and Gnosticism. Dr. Nash's arguments for the uniqueness of Christianity are constructed with great care, and his conclusions are convincing.
1.Introduction1Part 1Hellenistic Philosophy2.Philosophy from Plato to Middle Platonism193.Paul and Platonism484.Stoicism and the New Testament575.The Christian Logos706.The Book of Hebrews: A Test Case78Part 2The Mystery Religions7.The Mystery Religions: An Overview1058.The Specific Mystery Religions1219.The Mystery Religions and the Christian Sacraments13910.The Mystery Religions and Essential Christian Beliefs15011.Paul and the Mystery Religions171Part 3Christianity and Gnosticism12.The Importance of the Gnostic Question19113.The Nature of Gnosticism20014.Bultmann's Gnostic Thesis21115.The Hermetic Writings and Paul22616.Pre-Christian Gnosticism?23617.Conclusion247References255For Further Reading284Index of Persons287Index of Subjects291
