The Gospel and the Greeks: Did the New Testament Borrow from Pagan Thought?

by Ronald H. Nash

Overview

Examines contemporary claims for Christian dependence on Hellenistic philosophy, Greco-Roman mystery religions, and Gnosticism. He finds the case for dependence in the strong sense tenuous.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780875525594
Publisher:	Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Publication date:	02/06/2003
Series:	The Student Library
Edition description:	2ND
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ronald H. Nash was professor of Christian philosophy at Southern Baptist Seminary. He authored more than thirty books and lectured at more than fifty colleges and universities in the United States, Great Britain, and the former Soviet Union.

Table of Contents

1.	Introduction	1
Part 1	Hellenistic Philosophy
2.	Philosophy from Plato to Middle Platonism	19
3.	Paul and Platonism	48
4.	Stoicism and the New Testament	57
5.	The Christian Logos	70
6.	The Book of Hebrews: A Test Case	78
Part 2	The Mystery Religions
7.	The Mystery Religions: An Overview	105
8.	The Specific Mystery Religions	121
9.	The Mystery Religions and the Christian Sacraments	139
10.	The Mystery Religions and Essential Christian Beliefs	150
11.	Paul and the Mystery Religions	171
Part 3	Christianity and Gnosticism
12.	The Importance of the Gnostic Question	191
13.	The Nature of Gnosticism	200
14.	Bultmann's Gnostic Thesis	211
15.	The Hermetic Writings and Paul	226
16.	Pre-Christian Gnosticism?	236
17.	Conclusion	247
	References	255
	For Further Reading	284
	Index of Persons	287
	Index of Subjects	291

What People are Saying About This

Edwin Yamauchi

Professor Nash has written a lucid and superb book, which will prove especially useful to students in colleges and universities who still hear some ill-founded comparisons between the pagan mystery religions and Christianity from their professors. (Edwin Yamauchi, Professor, History Department, Miami University)

Editorial Reviews

A lucid and superb book.

Edwin Yamauchi

An excellent apologetic . . . showing the insuperable problems of viewing Christianity as an outgrowth of Greek philosophy, the Hellenistic mystery religions, or gnosticism.

Robert C. Newman

Not content with refuting unsound arguments, Nash makes positive contributions to the subject under discussion.

F.F. Bruce

Not content with refuting unsound arguments, Nash makes positive contributions to the subject under discussion.

F. F. Bruce