The history of the New Testament refers both to the story told in its texts and to the history of those texts themselves: how were they composed, transmitted, and recognized as canonical? This dual perspective is indispensable for reading the Bible in depth.
On the content side, this section covers the narrative arc of the New Testament: from the nativity accounts to the first Christian communities, by way of the ministry of Jesus, his Passion, his Resurrection, and the mission of the apostles. On the side of the formation of the text, it addresses questions of authorship, sources, dating, and editorial context.
It is also an opportunity to explore the links between the New Testament and its environment: the relationship between Judaism and nascent Christianity, the influence of the Greco-Roman context, and contemporary debates on the historical reliability of the accounts. A complete journey for anyone who wants to understand where this foundational corpus comes from.
← Historical and cultural context of the New Testament
The article explores the role of the chief priests under the Roman occupation, focusing on Annas and Caiaphas, and the entanglements between religious and political power. The…