Publisher's Synopsis
The present volume offers a glimpse at one currently thriving expression of the distinguished history of religions school approach to the New Testament and early Christian literature. Begun circa 1884 at the University of Gottingen and pioneered by scholars such as Albert Eichhorn, Wilhelm Bousset, Johannes Weiss, and William Wrede, today applications of this approach are diverse. In North America, the University of Chicago has long been a hub of this type of investigation. Over the last century, many of these studies have produced groundbreaking results. Essays in this collection apply this method to a range of topics and themes demonstrating its enduring value.