Eusebius's Christian Library and the Construction of "Hebrews," "Jews," and "Hellenistic Judaism"

Authors

  • Jeremy M. Schott University of North Carolina-Charlotte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr2-2-510

Keywords:

Eusebius, Hellenistic Judaism, Caesarea

Abstract

This article approaches the idea of "Judeo-Christianity" at an oblique angle. For scholars of late antiquity, the idea of "Hellenistic Judaism" shares some of the problems that scholars of modernity have identified in "Judeo-Christianity." Each of these terms makes explicit and implicit claims about history; each also uses Judaism to reify a particular understanding of Christianity. This article examines the role of the fourth-century bishop and polymath Eusebius of Caesarea, and his famed library, in the creation of “Hellenistic Judaism.” Eusebius drew a distinction between an ancient "Hebrew" theological tradition and a wider "Judaism." Echoing certain modern constructions of "Judeo-Christianity," Eusebius contended that the "Hebrew-Christian" tradition represented the most universal, civilized, and transcendent form of religion.

Author Biography

Jeremy M. Schott, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Associate Professor

Department of Religious Studies

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Published

2012-09-12

How to Cite

Schott, J. M. (2012). Eusebius’s Christian Library and the Construction of "Hebrews," "Jews," and "Hellenistic Judaism". Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception, 2(2), 265–80. https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr2-2-510

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2012): Special Issue: Revisiting the "Judeo-Christian" Tradition

Section

Articles

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