In its Roman-era setting, for example, Christianity was so different that critics of the time referred to it as a "superstition" (meaning a bogus or …

- Larry Hurtado

I think that Rodney Stark puts his foot wrong on some things where he simply wasn't sufficiently current on scholarly developments.

- Larry Hurtado

Justin Martyr says that he was impressed in his study of the Old Testament, at the seriousness and contents of these writings, and became convinced t…

- Larry Hurtado

I think Rodney Stark makes a substantial contribution to the study of early Christianity in posing the kinds of questions that he pursues (which refl…

- Larry Hurtado

Early Christianity, like Roman-era philosophical traditions, laid emphasis on everyday behavior, about how to live your life.

- Larry Hurtado

"Religions" of the Roman world varied. Most of it was ritual practices. There were periodic occasions when cities honored their guardian deities with…

- Larry Hurtado

[Christians] practiced moderation and chastity in marriage, for example, and Galen was puzzled at how they were able to do so. His comments are a kin…

- Larry Hurtado

Galen recognized, with some considerable puzzlement it seems, that Christians exhibited the virtues that he associated with the discipline of philoso…

- Larry Hurtado

Studies of the people named and described in earliest Christian texts show that, right from the earliest years, they included craftsmen, merchants, a…

- Larry Hurtado