From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians

From DocuWiki

1 General Information
2 Cover
3 Information
- 3.1 Part 1
- 3.2 Part 2
4 Screenshots
5 Technical Specs
6 Links

[edit] General Information

History Documentary hosted by Will Lyman, published by PBS broadcasted as part of PBS Frontline series in 1998 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

How did Jesus of Nazareth become the Christ of the Christian tradition? And why did the early Christian communities develop different theological images of Jesus? In her exciting book, Paula Fredriksen answers these questions by placing the various canonical images of Jesus within their historical contexts. FRONTLINE discusses Jesus' ministry, the circumstances of his crucifixion, and social and religious problems facing early churches.

[edit] Part 1

"Pax Romana"

The first hour examines how Judaism and Roman rule, Pax Romana or "Roman peace," shaped Jesus' life. Jesus was an ordinary Jewish resident of this time, but new archaeological findings show that he was probably not the humble village peasant often portrayed.

“A Light to the Nations”

The second hour explores the period after the crucifixion of Jesus and traces the beginnings of the Jesus Movement, in those early years before it was called Christianity.

[edit] Part 2

“Let the Reader Understand”

The first hour follows the story of the first attempts to write the life of Jesus-the Gospels. They were products of social and religious reconstruction in the period after the war, ranging from roughly 70 to after 100 c.e. The program looks at how these stories were passed down before they were written and how the writing of each Gospel reflects the experiences and circumstances of early Christians.

“Kingdoms in Conflict”

The second hour follows Christianity as it separated from Judaism. The Christian Movement would face new challenges-both internal and external as it grew throughout the Roman Empire. At times there were heated debates-about beliefs, worship, and even about Jesus himself. At other times, faced by external threats, the Christian Movement pulled together. In the end, what started as a small sect of Judaism became a significant part of the population, enough so that a new Roman emperor, Constantine, decided that they should be part of the official religion of Rome.