JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY IN THE AGE OF CONSTANTINE: History, Messiah, Isreal and the Initial Confrontation

Year 1987
Pages 264
Binding Hardcover

Worth buying if: You want concise scholarship on Constantine’s impact on Christian institutions.

Skip it if: You prefer richly footnoted primary-source editions over synthetic interpretation.

Exact edition: Hardcover · ISBN-13 9780226576527. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.

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Summary

In Judaism and Christianity in the Age of Constantine, Jacob Neusner traces theological and social clashes—messianic expectations, claims about Israel, and institutional shifts—between late antique Jews and Christian communities as Constantine reshaped imperial religion.

Why this book now

Neusner’s 1987 study remains crucial for readers tracing roots of religious identity and political theology amid current debates about religion and state.

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1-sentence hook

Jacob Neusner reexamines how Judaism and Christianity collided over messiah claims and Israel during Constantine’s rise.

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Best for readers who...

Good fit if you want...

  • You want concise scholarship on Constantine’s impact on Christian institutions.
  • You’re interested in messianic debates and how 'Israel' was contested in late antiquity.

Maybe skip if...

  • You prefer richly footnoted primary-source editions over synthetic interpretation.
  • You expect a modern theological defense of Judaism or Christianity rather than historical analysis.
  • You only want something with very current references and examples.

Mood / Vibe Tags

scholarly analytical historic Medium length Older edition

Decided it fits?

Exact edition: Hardcover · ISBN-13 9780226576527

Worth buying if: You want concise scholarship on Constantine’s impact on Christian institutions.

Skip it if: You prefer richly footnoted primary-source editions over synthetic interpretation.

Buy Hardcover on Amazon

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Reader guide

Cues to help you decide faster.

Reading commitment

Light Short sit-downs

About 264 compact pages of learned analysis—suitable for focused academic reading across a few sittings or for seminar preparation.

What stands out here

This University of Chicago Press edition foregrounds Neusner’s comparative argument about messiah, Israel, and institutional confrontation in late antiquity.

Best way to approach it

Read with attention to Neusner’s thesis-driven chapters and expect to pause for reflection on cited historical claims and theological terminology.

Hardcover: ISBN-13 9780226576527

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.