This book tackles a central problem of Jewish and comparative religious history: proselytization and the origins of mission in the Early Church. Why did some individuals in the first four centuries of the Christian era believe it desirable to persuade as many outsiders to join their religious group, while others did not? In this book, the author offers a radical new explanation of the origins of mission in this period, arguing that mission is not an inherent
religious instinct, that in antiquity it was found only sporadically among Jews and pagans, and that even Christians rarely stressed its importance in the early centuries. In the
first half of the book, Dr Goodman makes a detailed and radical re-evaluation of the evidence for Jewish missionary attitudes in the late Second Temple and Talmudic periods, overturning many commonly held assumptions about the history of Judaism, in particular the view that Jews proselytized energetically in the first century AD. This leads him on to take issue with the common notion that the early Christian mission to the gentiles imitated or competed with contemporary Jews. Finally, the
author puts forward some novel suggestions as to how the Jewish background to Christianity may nonetheless have contributed to the enthusiastic adoption of universal proselytization by some followers of
Jesus in the apostolic age.
Industry Reviews
'interesting and scholarly book'
Hyam Maccoby, Manna, Winter 1995
'interesting and scholarly book'
Hyam Maccoby, Manna, Winter 1995
`an important and stimulating book on an important subject. It will be widely read and widely studied'
Journal of Jewish Studies
`A thoroughgoing presentation of a particular thesis ... namely that it is Christianity that introduces into the ancient world the idea of a proselytic mission ... Martin Goodman's book constitutes a weighty challenge to a number of assumptions that have undergirded the study of religion in the ancient world, particularly relating to Judaism and Christianity. Because of its erudition, its breadth of reference, and its clarity of expression, it will become
the classic statement of a particular thesis.'
Reviews in Religion and Theology
`The eight chapters were first presented as the Wilde Lectures at Oxford, and the book maintains the tone of the original setting: annotation is spare, the text flows smoothly, citations in foreign languages are absent, extended discussions of a technical nature are seldom present ... the lightness of the volume enhances its accessibility and readability ... The author's erudition and perspicacity are evident on every page ... this is an important and
stimulating book on an important subject. It will be widely read and widely cited ... it will become a standard treatment, a book to be read with gratitude to the author and profit to the reader.'
Journal of Jewish Studies
`A probing analysis of the Jewish origins of early Christian attitudes toward mission and proselytizing.'
Missiology
`The particular advantage of this book lies in the change of perspective which it provides...combines a stringent argumentation with a thorough discussion of the relevant texts'
Catherine Heszer, Kings College, Cambridge
`Vigorous and stimulating book ... Goodman is a scrupulous scholar who makes his points step by step without concealing obvious counter-arguments.'
The Heythrop Journal
Brief summary of the argument cannot do justice to the qualities of this short but important book...There is an argument, and it is carried through with relentless vigour and with great fairness, and this reader at least was converted, eventually, from a position of mild scepticism to something approaching acceptance...We must be grateful to Martin Goodman for laying some new foundations, even while hacking away at some old ones. His book is intentionally
provocative in places, and should stimulate a debate.
`Goodman has given a fresh, creative look at the reasons for the growth of the Christian missionary movement.'
Virgil A. Olson, Missiology, Oct '96
`Goodman's book is a very learned attempt to examine once more the evidence of mission and conversion within a broader context. It is always fascinating to read Goodman's studies, and his provocative ideas will no doubt further stimulate the debate about mission.'
Doron Mendels, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Scripta Classica Israelita
`these lectures offer a wealth of information and a reliable, complex, and detailed picture'
K.-W. Niebuhr, Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 47, No. 1, Apr. '96
`Path-breaking volume ... No review will do justice to the riches of this provocative monograph.'
Journal of Early Christian Studies
`This is an important book.'
The Journal of Religion
`Goodman's approach has produced a study which at the same time is enlightening in itself and offers a basis for further study; his new directions for thought on this issue will provoke much further work by those who accept his views and those who do not.'
Ancient History Bulletin
