Christianity's Passionate Stories

On Sunday, April 11, 2004, Christians worldwide celebrated their holiest of days. This day, the faithful believe, marks the anniversary of when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead -- two days after his crucifixion in Jerusalem.

This year's Easter holy day, nearly 2000 years later, was particularly emotional because of Mel Gibson's film, The Passion Of The Christ, released in January. This intense drama attempts to depict Jesus' final 12 hours of life before his brutal death, and it has stirred viewers to both praise and criticize the film. Some moviegoers see it as a religious masterpiece, while others are appalled by its seemingly anti-Semitic overtones.

For many Americans, especially children, the spring holiday signifies the coming of the Easter Bunny, colored eggs, and jelly beans. But its deeper, and certainly original, Christian-based intention is to recognize Jesus' sacrifice of himself for others and celebrate his renewal after death.

Whether you are a Christian or not, it is important to understand this religion and its historical significance. For centuries, Christianity has directly and indirectly affected cultures, politics, and other religions. Currently, Christians are the largest religious group in the world with over 1 billion members. In the United States, roughly three-quarters of our citizens claim to hold some type of Christian-based beliefs.

Although this proportion has been falling slightly over the last several years, with the non-religious gaining ground, some of America's fundamental principles and practices are rooted in Christianity. For example, the phrase "under God," was added to the Pledge of Allegiance by Congress in 1954 and statues depicting the Ten Commandments still adorn a few government facility lawns, despite the laws that say government and religion are to remain separate.

During this week's lesson, you'll learn about Jesus and the development of Christianity through stories about society, politics, and people.

From Man to Religion

Since the Christianity began with a man and his faithful friends, begin your journey at the PBS/Frontline site, From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians.

Start learning about Jesus' Many Faces by reading some of The Testimony of New Testament Scholars. For example, browse the sections where scholars try to answer the question, What Can We Really Know About Jesus?, and explain The Historian's Task.

How are written texts used to reconstruct the life of Jesus? What complications arise in doing this? Can scholars differentiate between recorded fact and a writer's opinion? What role does interpretation play?

Now read about how He Was Born, Lived and Died a Jew, about His Social Class, and the Surprises of Sepphoris. In what ways was Jesus likely influenced by where he lived and by the people there?

Next, explore The Complexity of His Religious Identity and Jesus' Ministry and Teaching. Why do scholars believe that Jesus' teachings seem like a mix of both religious philosophy and politics?

Why did Jesus use Parables to teach, and why are they important to Christians and historical scholars? What is the difference between a similitude, a parable, and an exemplary story?

Now let's uncover A Portrait of Jesus' World. As part of The Testimony of New Testament Scholars, read about Josephus, Our Primary Source, Jews and the Roman Empire, and Temple Culture.

Why are the accounts of Josephus used as primary sources, but also mistrusted to some degree? What was the relationship between the Roman Empire and the Jews who lived in and around Judea? Why was the Temple important to the Jewish religion and the area's society in general?

Discover Judaism's First Century Diversity and the unique qualities of Galilee. Also find out what The Jewish Diaspora was and how it fueled the early spread of Christianity.

The Good News Story

So far, you've learned a lot about Jesus and have gotten a good overview of the place and people of this era and area. Now meet some of the individuals who strongly influenced the development and spread of Christianity by reading The Story of the Storytellers.

Begin with The Importance of Oral Tradition and the Emergence of the Four Gospel Canon, a way of sharing memories and then passing along to younger generations.

Why are such memories of history and tradition told as stories? What role did Paul play in the written recording of the resurrection story? Who wrote down the stories about Jesus and why? How were the four gospels accepted over other choices?

Read An Introduction to the Gospels, then learn more about the authors and their works: The Gospel of Mark, The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Luke, and The Gospel of John.

What commonalities do the four authors and gospels share? What are some differences between them?

As you'll discover, the Death and Resurrection story was especially important to these authors and to Christianity in general. In what ways do the actions of Jesus' followers, and the stories that have endured over time, offer insight into Jesus himself?

If you have time, find out more about The First Christians and investigate the answer to the question, Why Did Christianity Succeed? Also visit the Maps, Archeology & Sources section to browse the Maps of Jesus' World and A Chronology of key events.

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