"Often described as a 'revealed religion,' Christianity did not arise in a vacuum. It took several centuries to constitute what became Christian dogma, or the essential concepts and rituals that Christians follow today. The word "varieties" in the title reflects the fact that there was no central authority for three hundred years (such as the Vatican which evolved in the fifth century). Dozens of Christian communities worked out their own systems, often in competition with each other. Throughout the Roman Empire there were ...
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"Often described as a 'revealed religion,' Christianity did not arise in a vacuum. It took several centuries to constitute what became Christian dogma, or the essential concepts and rituals that Christians follow today. The word "varieties" in the title reflects the fact that there was no central authority for three hundred years (such as the Vatican which evolved in the fifth century). Dozens of Christian communities worked out their own systems, often in competition with each other. Throughout the Roman Empire there were groups collectively known as Jewish-Christians, Gentile-Christians, "proto-orthodox," Ebionites, Martyrs, Mandaeans, Encratites, Gnostics, Montanists, Manicheans, Arians, and Nestorians, to name only some of the largest. At the same time, the Christian equivalent of Greek philosophical schools emerged ("catechism schools") in various cities under the auspices of a master teacher. Dominating the views of these diverse groups was the continuing concern for the relationship between "body and society." How to relate religious beliefs and concepts to everyday life? In an age of diversity and diverse religious views, there has recently been an increased publication of historical surveys of Christianity in late antiquity. People are interested in the roots of church and state relations and especially the social and religious construction of gender identity and roles. What can this history teach us about these concepts in the modern world? Then as now various Christian communities struggled with changes over the decades, reinterpreting both Scripture and traditions as updated versions to provide meaning in their contemporary societies"
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