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Introduction to New Testament (RLST 152)
The Epistle of Jude can be dated to somewhere during post-apostolic Christianity and before the formation of the Canon. It refers to the apostles as representing a prior generation, yet it quotes from texts later excluded (perhaps, for example, by 2 Peter) from the Canon. The letters of Ignatius of Antioch contain evidence of a move toward the institutionalization of early Christianity. It mentions, for example, three different church offices: bishops, presbyters, and deacons. It also heavily emphasizes the authority held by those with these titles. The Didache contains liturgical and ritual instructions for rites such as baptism, the Lord's Prayer, and the Eucharist. All these documents show the change in early Christianity toward greater church structure and institutionalization.
00:00 - Chapter 1. The Struggle to Maintain Unity in the Early Christian Social Movement
09:34 - Chapter 2. The Letter of Jude: The Move towards Institutionalization
16:07 - Chapter 3. The Letters of Ignatius and Martyrology
24:42 - Chapter 4. The Letters of Ignatius and Church Office
36:15 - Chapter 5. The Didache and the Development of Liturgy
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website:
This course was recorded in Spring 2009.
Introduction to New Testament (RLST 152)
The Epistle of Jude can be dated to somewhere during post-apostolic Christianity and before the formation of the Canon. It refers to the apostles as representing a prior generation, yet it quotes from texts later excluded (perhaps, for example, by 2 Peter) from the Canon. The letters of Ignatius of Antioch contain evidence of a move toward the institutionalization of early Christianity. It mentions, for example, three different church offices: bishops, presbyters, and deacons. It also heavily emphasizes the authority held by those with these titles. The Didache contains liturgical and ritual instructions for rites such as baptism, the Lord's Prayer, and the Eucharist. All these documents show the change in early Christianity toward greater church structure and institutionalization.
00:00 - Chapter 1. The Struggle to Maintain Unity in the Early Christian Social Movement
09:34 - Chapter 2. The Letter of Jude: The Move towards Institutionalization
16:07 - Chapter 3. The Letters of Ignatius and Martyrology
24:42 - Chapter 4. The Letters of Ignatius and Church Office
36:15 - Chapter 5. The Didache and the Development of Liturgy
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website:
This course was recorded in Spring 2009.
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What is Early Christian?Early Christianity, the period of Christianity preceding the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. This typically divides historically into the Apostolic Age and the Ante-Nicene Period (from the Apostolic Age until Nicea). The first Christians, as described in the first chapters of the Book of Acts, were all Jews either by birth or conversion and historians refer to them as Jewish Christians. The early Gospel message spread orally, probably originally in Aramaic, and later in Greek. The New Testament's Acts of the Apostles and Epistle to the Galatians record that the first Christian community centered on Jerusalem and that its leaders included Peter, James, the brother of Jesus, and John the Apostle.
What is New Testament?The New Testament is the second part of the Christian biblical canon. The first part being the Old Testament, based on the Hebrew Bible. The New Testament discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. Christians regard both the Old and New Testaments together as sacred scripture. The New Testament (in whole or in part) has frequently accompanied the spread of Christianity around the world. It reflects and serves as a source for Christian theology and morality.
Who is Dale Martin?Dale Martin (born 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. He is Woolsey Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University. He has degrees from Abilene Christian University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Yale. Martin previously taught at Rhodes College and Duke University. Martin was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009.
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