New Books Network Markus Vinzent, "Christ's Torah: The Making of the New Testament in the Second Century" (Routledge, 2023)
4 snips
Sep 6, 2025 Markus Vinzent, a historian of religion focused on early Christianity, discusses the intriguing formation of the New Testament. He dives into how early theological debates shaped its collection, including the influential roles of Marcion and John the Baptist. Vinzent examines the Beatitudes' connection to Jewish traditions and the significance of the Bar Kokhba Rispoli artifact in understanding early religious interactions. He also contrasts Marcion's version of the New Testament with the canonical texts, shedding light on the evolution of Christian doctrine and community.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Cross-Border Upbringing Shaped Perspective
- Markus Vinzent grew up on the France-Germany border and worked in multiple countries, shaping his multilingual, cross-cultural perspective.
- His time at Birmingham and King's College exposed him to diverse religious communities and influenced his research approach.
New Testament Emerged As Second-Century Collection
- The earliest known "New Testament" was a second-century curated collection credited to Marcion, not the 27-book canon we know today.
- Our surviving evidence comes from later collections and redactions, so the New Testament emerged as collections in the second century.
John The Baptist As Boundary Then Bridge
- Marcion's gospel was a single Gospel starting with adult Jesus and framed John the Baptist as the boundary between Torah and Christ's Torah.
- Later canonical gospels recast John as a bridge connecting Jewish scripture with Jesus, reversing Marcion's division.
