The Wild Wild West of Early Christianity: Disputes Over Jesus, Doctrine, and Everything Else

Watch Dr. Fredriksen’s live AMA, originally held in the Biblical Studies Academy on May 25. Sign up at https://bartehrman.com/bsa to access the recording.


Episode Outline:
00:00 — Introduction: Ancient Christianity was never unified
01:41 — How Paula Fredrickson entered the study of early Christianity
03:12 — Why “Christianities” is plural
04:31 — Why this book revisits the first 500 years
06:32 — Religious diversity among ancient pagans and Jews
13:11 — Diversity inside the New Testament itself
18:20 — Non-canonical texts and lost Christian writings
20:36 — Why early Church Fathers resisted diversity
25:14 — Constantine and the push toward unity
27:25 — Why early Christian diversity matters today

Episode Description:

In this episode, host Megan Lewis sits down with renowned historical scholar Dr. Paula Fredriksen to explore the fascinating diversity that shaped early Christianity. Drawing from Dr. Fredriksen’s latest book, Ancient Christianities: The First 500 Years, the conversation uncovers just how varied early Christian beliefs, practices, and communities truly were, challenging the notion that Christianity began as a single, unified tradition.

Ancient Christianity was anything but monolithic. That’s the message Dr. Paula Fredriksen, acclaimed historian and professor, brings to this week’s episode. Host Megan Lewis and Dr. Fredriksen launch into a wide-ranging discussion sparked by Dr. Fredriksen’s new book, which aims to dismantle long-standing myths about Christianity’s first five centuries.

Unpacking Myths: Christianity’s Supposed Unity

The episode opens by reflecting on the common modern misconception that Christianity has always been one unified faith, both in theology and in practice. Dr. Fredriksen sets the record straight: even the New Testament itself is a snapshot of diversity, an anthology compiled in the 4th century rather than a record of a singular tradition.

Their conversation journeys through:

* Dr. Fredriksen’s Own Path to Early Christian Studies: A “happy accident” led her from medieval Christianity backward through history, until she found herself intrigued by the origins of Christianity and its relationship with the imperial Roman state.

* The Cultural Melting Pot of the Ancient Mediterranean: Both “paganism” (the dominant Mediterranean religious culture) and Judaism were far from homogenous. Pagan cities had local, family, and national gods; Jewish communities split along linguistic lines (Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek), worshipping with different scriptures.

* Jewish Adaptation and Tension: Jews negotiated their faith in a world dominated by city-gods, leading to a tradition of improvisation that sometimes created social or religious conflict, but also fertile ground for cooperation.

The New Testament as a Testament of Diversity

The discussion digs deep into the New Testament’s contents, not as a monolithic book, but as a collection of texts full of competing interpretations:

* Paul’s Letters: Paul’s earliest writings already bristle with hints of diversity and disagreement—he complains of “false brethren” and rival apostles, highlighting that debates over issues like circumcision and table fellowship were the norm from the start.

* The Gospels’ Contradictions: The nativity and resurrection stories in Matthew and Luke simply do not align, offering mutually exclusive accounts—clear evidence of multiple traditions coexisting and even conflicting.

* Non-Canonical and Lost Texts: Beyond the New Testament, a wealth of “extra-canonical” or so-called heretical writings (such as those found at Nag Hammadi) attest to still more Christianities, “outlaw texts” that persisted and sometimes thrived even as church authorities condemned them.

Why Did Diversity Matter, and Why Was It Suppressed?

Dr. Fredriksen and Megan discuss the “grumpiness” of early church fathers like Irenaeus and Tertullian, whose efforts to define orthodoxy reflected a deep anxiety about diversity. The episode examines:

* Institutional Pressures: After Constantine’s conversion, the stakes of unity rose dramatically. Christian leaders, now with imperial backing, had both practical (financial, political) and theological motives to enforce uniformity.

Also watch these episodes:

How Wild Can it Get? The Diversity of Early Christianity
How Wild Can it Get? The Diversity of Early Christianity

Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief
Decoding Gnosticism: Secrets of a Heretical Christian Belief

Did Constantine Really Convert?
Did Constantine Really Convert?