By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-05-08T04:33:47-04:00March 11th, 2026|Tags: Christian Heresies, Christian History by the Century, Early Christian Communities, Early Church, Manichaeism, Mary|
While Nicene Christianity remained dominant in the Eastern Empire, Arian rulers governed much of the West, often tolerating Nicene Christians but maintaining separate ecclesiastical systems. Thus theological division mirrored geopolitical division.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-24T07:52:33-04:00February 18th, 2026|Tags: Christianity, Early Christian Communities, Gospel of John, Judaism|
When, how, and why did the Jesus movement—a small Jewish group born and nourished within a first-century Jewish matrix—come to be "Christianity," a religious movement that defined itself as separate from, and even in opposition to, Judaism? An interview with Dr. Adèle Reinhartz
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-10-28T15:10:31-04:00October 28th, 2025|Tags: Christianity, Church, Early Christian Communities, Early Church|
Most of what we know about early Christianity comes from Eusebius—but recent scholarship shows his story is misleading. Join us to explore dynamic new perspectives that reveal a far more diverse and complex Christian past. An interview with Dr. Lillian Larsen
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-05-26T15:45:58-04:00May 28th, 2025|Tags: Bible, Christian Canon, Early Christian Communities, Gospels, New Testament|
Communities across the ancient world contributed more to the process than we might expect. While some authoritative men offered strong opinions about which texts were useful or correct, the eventual canon reflected a broader practice of community practices.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2024-06-27T00:23:20-04:00June 26th, 2024|Tags: Early Christian Communities, Early Church, Greco-Roman, Manichaeism, Religious Boundaries|
We have a habit of confining our thinking about early Christianity only in the context of the Roman Empire. But the real maps of Christian location were far greater and much further East. Presenter: Dr. Jason BeDuhn with guest host Sara Barnacle
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-24T01:14:08-04:00March 27th, 2024|Tags: Ancient Writings, Christian Heresies, Early Christian Communities, Nag Hammadi, Noncanonical Texts, Oxyrhynchus|
Some of the earliest so-called Gnostic manuscripts ever discovered, as well as a variety of extra-canonical and magical manuscripts that challenge traditional notions of orthodoxy and heresy, came from the Oxyhrynchus garbage heap. Presenter: Adeline Harrington with host Dr. Shirley Paulson
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-03-19T02:43:41-04:00July 5th, 2023|Tags: Christianity, Early Christian Communities, Eternal Life, Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Surprising Things about Jesus|
He (Mani) saw himself as not only teaching Christianity, but THE Christianity. So, what happened historically? You have competition. You have competition between the leaders who think they are the ones who are teaching the correct version. An interview with Dr. Jason BeDuhn
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-24T00:04:55-04:00August 21st, 2022|Tags: Early Christian Communities, Early Church, Early Jesus Followers, Nag Hammadi|
This course, After Jesus Before Christianity: New Discoveries, is presented by Dr. Shirley Paulson and Dr. Deborah N. Saxon. The course is designed to help you gain a better understanding of early Jesus people by examining information from a wide variety of sources, including the book After Jesus Before Christianity.
By Dr. B. Brandon Scott|2022-03-14T18:46:08-04:00March 16th, 2022|Tags: Church, Early Christian Communities, Early Church, Gospel of Matthew, Paul|
In the King James translation of the Hebrew scripture (so-called ‘Old Testament’), the translators consistently employed the gloss ‘assembly,’ while in the New Testament they used ‘church.’
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-24T01:04:02-04:00March 2nd, 2022|Tags: 1 Timothy, Deb Saxon, Early Christian Communities, Gender Issues, Thecla|
Thecla is willing to die, but she doesn’t patiently endure violence toward her. … So that’s a very different dynamic than what is often presented as the pattern that a good submissive woman should follow. An interview with Dr. Deborah Niederer Saxon.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-07-18T19:40:34-04:00February 28th, 2022|Tags: Early Christian Communities, Early Jesus Followers|
This is the last of the four Bible and Beyond Discussion studies of the HarperOne book After Jesus Before Christianity. This discussion focuses on the 20th chapter of the book, appropriately called “Conclusion.” Presenter: Dr. Hal Taussig (with host Shirley Paulson, PhD)
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-07-19T00:08:11-04:00January 24th, 2022|Tags: Early Christian Communities, Early Jesus Followers|
For the most part, both biblical scholars and most churches have not paid attention to the almost complete lack of the word “Christian” and the complete lack of the word “Christianity” in the Bible. Presenter: Dr. Hal Taussig (with host Shirley Paulson, PhD)
