Table of Contents

PrefaceIntroduction Chapter 1. Early Christians and Christianity in the Eyes of Non-ChristiansChapter 2. A New Kind of FaithChapter 3. A Different IdentityChapter 4. A "Bookish" ReligionChapter 5. A New Way to Live ConclusionAppendixNotesIndex of Ancient SourcesIndex of Subjects and Modern Authors

About the Author

Larry W Hurtado is Emeritus Professor of New Testament Language, Literature & Theology in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Born in Kansas City (Missouri), he now lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews

...An admirable discussion of early Christianity partly directed towards an educated lay readership, and one that will invite reactions from scholars of the ancient world and the early church. In moving away from looking simply at Constantine and the victory of Christianity, Hurtado is encouraging us to look deeper and to return to those early writings that shape the Christian faith.--Anthony Smart "Vigilae Christianae"

...Hurtado's work is not only of historical importance, but also helps Christians today better understand their identity in an increasingly pluralistic world that is decreasingly open to the exclusivist claims of Christian faith.--Greg Thellman "Kairos"

An excellent supplement for students and teachers of early Christianity.--Najeeb Haddad "Catholic Biblical Quarterly"

An important scholarly look at the birth of Christianity within the Roman embrace.--Paula Fredriksen, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University "Library Journal"

Clearly argued and carefully researched.--George Leonidas Parsenios "Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology"

D estroyer of the gods is a quick and fascinating read. Professor Hurtado's book allows Christians to explore how a distinctive identity has always been deemed a threat, so that they may better identify how they will practice their faith at a time when this practice is becoming increasingly distinct. The book may be read, however, by non-Christians as well, to explore the dynamics of the collisions between any culture rooted in earthly power and those (of any faith) who profess to set limits on such power in the service of a higher Power.--Karl C. Schaffenburg "University Bookman"

D estroyer of the gods is a very clear and readable book and is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand issues dealt with in early Christian writers, particularly Paul's letters. I thoroughly recommend it to students of the New Testament and more widely as a reminder that there is a cost to a church which stands out in its social and cultural setting.--Tim Gill "ANVIL: Journal of Theology and Mission"

D estroyer of the gods is a welcome and important book as it challenges what seems by now have become the mainstream, at least in late antique studies, namely highlighting the similarities between Christianity and other ancient religions and stressing the embeddedness of Christians in the Greco-Roman world.--Maijastina Kahlos "PLEKOS"

D estroyer of the Gods is an intriguing and wide-ranging examination of several key features of Christianity that distinguished it from the various religious beliefs and practices common in Greco-Roman society...Given its effectiveness in introducing readers to the distinct aspects of the Christian faith, the volume would serve as a valuable supplementary text for undergraduate or graduate courses in either New Testament or Church History.--Benjamin Laird "Southeastern Theological Review"

Highly recommended for use in local churches and undergraduate courses.--Ron Lindo "Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry"

Hurtado, emeritus professor of New Testament language, literature, and theology in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, discusses the history and evolution of ecumenical Christian practices in this elegantly straightforward book...Hurtado does an excellent job of walking readers through...how very odd early Christianity was for its place and time and how it came to overturn and replace ancient systems and beliefs. Hurtado writes with a measured tone and learned authority. Those wishing to know more about early Christianity will find much here.--Karl C. Schaffenburg "Publishers Weekly"

Hurtado's book, written to appeal to a wide audience, explains just how odd and objectionable Jesus' followers, their counter-establishment church, and even their writings looked during the first three centuries of the Christian movement.--Ronald P. Byars "The Christian Century"

Hurtado's clear and well-reasoned voice serves as an authoritative guide through the tangle of earliest Christianity in its Roman environment. From Roman accounts of early Christian oddity to early Christian book culture, Hurtado collects arcane pieces of knowledge that could well serve as material for pub quizzes and amasses them into a plausible and largely compelling analysis. It remains to be seen how someone else will take his work and build upon it.--Jonathon Lookadoo "Marginalia Review of Books"

In Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World, Larry W. Hurtado provides an in-depth survey of the features that made early Christianity unusual in the Roman world. Hurtado's exploration of the distinctive features of early Christianity is informative, exciting to read, and enlightening.--Steven Shisley "Reading Religion"

Larry Hurtado...reminds us that early Christianity emerged as a profoundly countercultural movement, one that could never be mistaken as mirroring the values of its environment.--Ronald P. Byars "Presbyterian Outlook"

One does not need a modern point of departure to appreciate Hurtado's work as a historian of antiquity.--Michael Peppard "America Magazine"

The volume is well written, contains extensive endnotes, and avoids jargon. Hurtado's erudition will reward the reader, especially undergraduates and scholars with little or no previous knowledge of scholarship on early Christianity.--Nickolas P. Roubekas "Religious Studies Review"

Valuable reading at any level of education.--Edwin Judge "Ancient History: Resources for Teachers"

Whether one applauds or disdains the values of contemporary Western culture, what we assume to be good, true, and normal has been shaped to a surprising degree by early Christianity. Demolishing taken-for-granted assumptions about what religion was, is, and can be, Hurtado's provocative exploration deserves a broad audience.--Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University "OnScript"