Introduction to Religion: Early Christianity and Julian of Norwich

Upcoming Course Material and Exam Logistics

Class Schedule and Reading Warnings: * On Mondays, the instructor "buys time" for extra reading since there are no physical class meetings on those days. * The reading for Monday is the Emile Durkheim text, which is described as a "not the easiest read." It represents " $100$ -year-old sociology" with technical points. * Tuesday's material is more accessible: a $20$ -minute video by Carrie Mitchell. * The Tuesday quiz will cover both Durkheim and Carrie Mitchell.
Midterm Examination Details: * The midterm is scheduled for the upcoming Wednesday. * Format: A mix of multiple choice and short essays. Multiple choice questions cover general factual data from videos like "What is Islam" and "What is Religion." * Short Essays: These form the bulk of the test. Students must provide a short answer—roughly one paragraph or about $5$ sentences—explaining the rationale behind major texts or videos. * Example Essay Question: "What did Ibn Rushd think about the relationship between religion and philosophy?" * A correct short answer is "they are in harmony," but the student must explain the rationale behind that harmony. * Scope: The test will only include topics discussed both in the text/video and in class. Tangents from class discussions will not be tested. * Preparation Strategy: Review the "Course Meetings and Videos" page and talk through the importance of each figure (e.g., Russell McCutcheon, Ibn Rushd, The Dhammapada).
Required Materials: * Students need a "blue exam book" (available at the bookstore for approximately $\$1.00$ ). * It is recommended to buy two books (one for the midterm, one for the final). * The total cost for course "books" is thus $\$2.00$ . * Time Allotted: $1$ hour and $20$ minutes, though most students finish in under an hour.

Historical Context of the Early Jesus Movement

The Problem of Presentism: * Historians face a challenge when looking at the first century without the bias of knowing the movement grows to $2,000,000,000$ people by $2026$ . * In the first century, it was unclear where the movement was going; many believed the kingdom of God would be established immediately on Earth.
Terminology and Identity: * Scholars prefer the term "Jesus movement" because the word "Christian" was not commonly used until the end of the first century. * "Christ" is the Greek word for "anointing" (literally meaning anointed by oil), translating the Hebrew term "Mashiach" or "Messiah," signifying "the chosen one."
Internal Divisions and the Pillars of Jerusalem: * The early movement was a Jewish sect focused on Jewish scriptures and the temple. * The Pillars of Jerusalem: Led by Peter (identified by Jesus as the leader of the community) and James (Jesus' brother).
Paul (Saul) and the Gentile Question: * Paul was a diaspora Jew who never met Jesus. He argued for the inclusion of Gentiles (non-Jews). * Conflict: Some argued followers must become Jewish, adopting kosher dietary laws (from Leviticus and Deuteronomy) and circumcision. * The Pauline Solution: Paul argued that Jewish prophecies were fulfilled and introduced an "allegorical reading" of scriptures, suggesting one could be "circumcised in the heart" (a spiritual, internal following of the law).
Historical Jesus Scholarship: * Scholars like Reza Aslan (author of Zealot), Crossan, and Fredriksen attempt to place biblical texts in historical contexts. * The Essenes: A radical, apocalyptic, world-denying group by the Dead Sea. John the Baptist may have been an Essene. * Political Context: Regardless of how the movement saw itself, Roman officials saw it as a political threat. The title "King of the Jews" was likely a Roman designation given to justify the execution of Jesus.

Canonization and Chronology of the New Testament

Development of the Text: * The New Testament took centuries to be "canonized" (officially agreed upon). The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) was largely set by roughly $200\text{ BCE}$ , but the New Testament canon was not finalized until the $300\text{s CE}$ .
Chronological Order of Writing: 1. Paul's Letters: Written in the $50\text{s CE}$ , a few decades after Jesus' life. They are the first Christian documents. 2. Gospel of Mark: Likely the first gospel (written between $60$ and $70\text{ CE}$ during the Zealot revolt). It is the shortest and most "Jewish" text. 3. Gospels of Matthew and Luke: Written in the $80\text{s}$ or $90\text{s CE}$ . 4. Gospel of John: Written last; philosophically complex and influenced by Greek concepts like "Logos." 5. Book of Revelation: Written in the early second century, heavily invested in apocalyptic rhetoric.
The Q Source (Quelle): * A hypothesized lost "sayings source" (German: Quelle). * Scholars believe Matthew and Luke used this source independently because they share identical passages of Jesus' sayings that are not found in Mark.
Apocrypha and Heresy: * Other gospels existed (e.g., Gospel of Thomas, Philip, Mary Magdalene, Secret Gospel of John). * Many contained Gnostic influences and were rejected as "heretical" (contradicting church teaching) by bishops like Clement or Tertullian.

Julian of Norwich and Medieval Mysticism

Biographical Context: * Julian of Norwich lived from $1342$ to $1416$ . * Her real name is unknown; "Julian" refers to Saint Julian’s Church in Norwich, England. * At age $30$ , in $1373$ , she had a series of visions while deathly ill (possibly with the Bubonic Plague).
The Concept of Mysticism: * Mysticism involves claiming direct contact with divinity. * Ineffability: A key feature where the experience cannot be fully put into words (similar to Carlos Castaneda's accounts). * Genre: Mystics often write in poetic styles, offering a "pale imitation" of the experiential encounter.
Authority and Gender: * As a woman in the $1300\text{s}$ , Julian lacked ecclesiastical authority. She frames herself as "ignorant, weak, and frail" to authorize her writing. * Rationale: If she is weak and ignorant, she could not have invented such complex theology on her own; therefore, it must have come directly from Christ. * Safety: Unlike Marguerite of Porete (burned at the stake in $1310$ for heretical mystical claims), Julian is careful to state that everything she sees validates the teachings of the Church.

Theology of Sin and Redemptive Suffering

The Three Wounds: * Influenced by Saint Cecilia, Julian prayed for three "wounds" in her lifetime: 1. The wound of compassion. 2. The wound of contrition. 3. The wound of earnest longing for God.
Sin as "Befitting": * Julian asks why God allows sin. Christ explains that Adam's original sin was the greatest, leading to all suffering. * Christ’s suffering (the Incarnation or putting on of "flesh/meat") acts as Vicarious Atonement. * Sin is described as "befitting" (Middle English: behovely). While not "good," it is necessary to reveal the depth of divine love, which would be invisible without sin to forgive.
Logic of the Devil: * Julian identifies a potential logical pitfall: if sin reveals deeper love, should one sin more to get more love? * She attributes this thought to "the devil" or "the thief." * She concludes that sin must be an authentic "failing" and a source of real suffering, not a tool for provocation.
Oscillation of Presence: * Julian experiences $20$ visions where Christ appears and disappears. * When Christ is present, she stops praying due to their union. When he is absent, she falls into despair. * This oscillation represents the condition of ordinary mortality—enduring through the perceived absence of God while sustained by the memory of His love.

Questions & Discussion

On Lobotomies and Enlightenment: * Question: Does a lobotomy lead to the loss of self/enlightenment? * Response: No. Enlightenment has an intellectual component. One must follow the Eightfold Path, which would be nearly impossible with a lobotomy. Enlightenment is more than just losing consciousness; the body may still desire things even if consciousness is altered.
On Historical Bias and Bishops: * Question: Did bishops have biases in constructing the New Testament canon? * Response: Yes. Scholars like Elaine Pagels explore the worldview of bishops who rejected Gnostic texts. The canon was a result of centuries of arguments where certain positions eventually defined church teaching.
On the Historicity of Gospel Authors: * Question: Did the Gospel writers know Jesus? * Response: While some traditions (like that of John of Zebedee) suggest they did, most biblical scholars believe the writers drew from oral tradition and were not eyewitnesses. The Greek used in the Gospel of John is significantly different from the Greek in the Book of Revelation, suggesting different authors.