Watch The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History

2025
1 Season

Whether we view it in religious, social, political, or economic terms, Christianity has deeply and integrally influenced the Western world-view. Take a penetrating look into the provocative issues of Christianity, with pivotal controversies from the most important formative era of the faith. Investigate them with the tools of the historian and resolve them with academic rigor.

The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History is a series that ran for 1 seasons (24 episodes) between May 22, 2025 and on The Great Courses

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Seasons

24. Who Chose the Books of the New Testament?

May 22, 2025

Finally, delve into the intriguing question of how the final form of the New Testament came to be

23. Do We Have the Original New Testament?

May 22, 2025

Drawing on current scholarship and methodology, learn about how books were produced, copied, and circulated in the ancient world, and the role of professional scribes in preserving literary materials. Identify the earliest surviving texts of the New Testament, their inconsistencies, and what we can say about their originality.

22. Did Early Christians Accept the Trinity?

May 22, 2025

With regard to this core Christian doctrine, learn about the earliest theological understanding of Jesus by his followers, and track changing views of Jesus

21. Is the Old Testament a Christian Book?

May 22, 2025

Investigate the place of the Jewish scriptures in the lives of Jesus and his followers and how Christian views of Jewish law changed during Paul

20. Was Christianity an Illegal Religion?

May 22, 2025

The relationship of the early Christians to the Roman state is often obscured by historical inaccuracies and misperceptions. Learn about the variety of religious practices permitted by Rome, citizens

19. What Happened to the Apostles?

May 22, 2025

Stories about the later lives of Jesus

18. Is the True Jesus in the Gnostic Gospels?

May 22, 2025

This lecture highlights striking contrasts in theological conceptions of Jesus found among early Christian groups. With regard to Jesus

17. Who Were the Original Christians?

May 22, 2025

Here, explore the diversity of Christianity in the 2nd century, when multiple groups claimed to represent the

16. Is the Book of Revelation about Our Future?

May 22, 2025

The book of Revelation stands as a provocative focal point of the New Testament. To grasp its meaning and significance, learn about the genre of ancient apocalyptic literature, Revelation

15. Does the New Testament Contain Forgeries?

May 22, 2025

False claims of authorship for religious writings were common in the early church. First, trace the phenomenon of literary forgery in the ancient world, and its broad condemnation. Then study the range of New Testament writings of questionable authorship, and consider the motives for false attribution and how they were justified.

14. Did the Disciples Write the Gospels?

May 22, 2025

The matter of the authorship of the New Testament Gospels has important ramifications for understanding the historical Jesus. Investigate the dating of the Gospels, our historical knowledge of Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke, and the question of whether they possessed the skills to have written such highly literary narratives.

13. Is Paul the Real Founder of Christianity?

May 22, 2025

This lecture digs deeply into the distinction between the teachings of Jesus and the Christian view of his death and resurrection that has defined the faith. Learn about Paul

12. Did the Jews Expect a Suffering Messiah?

May 22, 2025

In this lecture, trace the early Jewish conception of a future mashiach as a figure of power and grandeur, and the Christian view that a suffering messiah was predicted in the Jewish scriptures. Study the relevant scriptural passages and the core arguments dividing Christians and Jews on this critical issue.

11. Was Jesus Raised from the Dead?

May 22, 2025

In approaching what is perhaps the greatest Christian controversy of all, learn about ancient views of the afterlife and the meaning of resurrection in the world Jesus inhabited. Investigate scholarship on visionary experience, and the role of visions in the conviction among the first believers that Jesus was in fact resurrected.

10. Was Pontius Pilate a Secret Christian?

May 22, 2025

The ruthless Roman governor who ordered Jesus crucified has undergone a character change over the course of Christian history. Study portrayals of Pilate in Christian storytelling, the Gospels, and non-canonical writings as they seek to exonerate him from culpability in Jesus

9. Did the Jews Kill Jesus?

May 22, 2025

The issue of the Jewish role in Jesus

8. What Secrets Did Judas Betray?

May 22, 2025

For the last century, scholars have disagreed on the nature of Judas

7. Was Jesus Married?

May 22, 2025

The idea that Jesus was married is purportedly supported by statements in the Talmud on ancient Jewish life. Investigate the marriage practices of early Judaism and the social reality of celibacy. Examine the role of apocalyptic thinking in affirming a life of celibacy, as seen in the teachings of Paul, the Essenes, and Jesus himself.

6. How Close Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene?

May 22, 2025

First assess the inaccurate portrayal of Mary Magdalene in novels and film, and trace the church tradition regarding her as a prostitute. Then review the known facts concerning Jesus

5. Did Jesus Expect to See the World

May 22, 2025

Grasp how scholars and historians have approached the historical accuracy of the Gospels, and track the developing critical view of Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet. Contemplate the core tenets of Jesus

4. Is Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls?

May 22, 2025

Discover the Dead Sea Scrolls as they shed important light on the historical Jesus and on Jewish life in his time. Learn how the scrolls express the worldview of Jewish apocalypticism, shared by Jesus, which anticipated the end of the age and the establishment of a new kingdom on Earth.

3. Did Jesus Have a Twin Brother?

May 22, 2025

The question of whether Jesus had siblings divided early Christians, a controversy that survives to this day. Learn about the non-canonical Acts of Thomas and its account of the missionary Didymus Judas Thomas, portrayed as Jesus

2. Was Jesus

May 22, 2025

Belief in the virgin birth has been enormously important throughout the history of Christianity. Here, assess the theological underpinnings of this belief and the role of Mary as a divine figure. Investigate accounts of the Annunciation in Matthew and Luke, and grasp their reasons for claiming Mary conceived as a virgin.

1. Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?

May 22, 2025

Begin by considering why the controversies of early Christianity matter, and explore the critical difference between the perspective of the historian and the perspective of faith. Then grapple with the controversy over where Jesus was born, the historical indications, and the faith-based motives for affirming Bethlehem as his birthplace.

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Where to Watch The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History

The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History is available for streaming on the The Great Courses website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History on demand at Apple TV Channels, Prime Video and Amazon.