ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Although early Judaism was a diverse movement, the vast majority of Jews at the time would have agreed on a set of core convictions, including the persuasion that non-Jews could not simply join the people of Israel as non-Jews. Rather, they had to become Jews. During the two or three decades after...

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Main Author: C. Stenschke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of the Free State 2021-06-01
Series:Acta Theologica
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Online Access:https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/5409
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author C. Stenschke
author_facet C. Stenschke
author_sort C. Stenschke
collection DOAJ
description Although early Judaism was a diverse movement, the vast majority of Jews at the time would have agreed on a set of core convictions, including the persuasion that non-Jews could not simply join the people of Israel as non-Jews. Rather, they had to become Jews. During the two or three decades after the ministry of Jesus, one early Jewish group – at least some of its members! – denounced this consensus and started to accept non-Jews, based on their belief in Jesus as Messiah. According to Acts, the change came about not by theoretical reflection, but by a new “praxis” – a new praxis not by people, but by God who accepted non-Jews as non-Jews. Theoretical reflection followed, in order to understand what had happened and to draw out the implications for non-Jews and Jews. While some early followers of Christ “integrated praxis and theory”, others drew different conclusions. This article uses the theme of integrating theory and praxis to shed light on developments in early Christianity.
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spelling doaj-art-be23bfa16cb0420c83b093163f6922e82025-02-11T09:37:15ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892021-06-0110.38140/at.vi.5409ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITYC. Stenschke0Biblisch-Theologische Akademie Although early Judaism was a diverse movement, the vast majority of Jews at the time would have agreed on a set of core convictions, including the persuasion that non-Jews could not simply join the people of Israel as non-Jews. Rather, they had to become Jews. During the two or three decades after the ministry of Jesus, one early Jewish group – at least some of its members! – denounced this consensus and started to accept non-Jews, based on their belief in Jesus as Messiah. According to Acts, the change came about not by theoretical reflection, but by a new “praxis” – a new praxis not by people, but by God who accepted non-Jews as non-Jews. Theoretical reflection followed, in order to understand what had happened and to draw out the implications for non-Jews and Jews. While some early followers of Christ “integrated praxis and theory”, others drew different conclusions. This article uses the theme of integrating theory and praxis to shed light on developments in early Christianity. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/5409TheoryPraxisBook of ActsGentile Mission
spellingShingle C. Stenschke
ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Acta Theologica
Theory
Praxis
Book of Acts
Gentile Mission
title ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
title_full ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
title_fullStr ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
title_full_unstemmed ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
title_short ACTS: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRAXIS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
title_sort acts integrating theory and praxis in early christianity
topic Theory
Praxis
Book of Acts
Gentile Mission
url https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/5409
work_keys_str_mv AT cstenschke actsintegratingtheoryandpraxisinearlychristianity