What made the first Christians so different from their surrounding culture? How did their worship differ from the way the average Roman citizen viewed the gods? Why did the early church view themselves as a family and why is that so significant? We’ll discuss these questions and more with our guest Dr. Nijay Gupta around his new book, Strange Religion: How the First Christians were Weird, Dangerous and Compelling.
Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, Durham University) is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He is cohost of the Slow Theology podcast, founder of the Crux Sola blog, and has written numerous books, including Tell Her Story, A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies, 15 New Testament Words of Life, and commentaries on Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Scott Rae is professor of Christian ethics and dean of the faculty at Talbot School of Theology. A noted Christian scholar and ethicist, Scott is the author of such books as Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics; Business for the Common Good; and Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics. He has a Ph.D. and M.A. in social ethics from the University of Southern California, a Th.M. in Old Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.A.S. in economics from Southern Methodist University. He has served in a variety of teaching and leadership roles, including a term as president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2015. Along with Sean McDowell (Ph.D.), Scott co-hosts the Think Biblically podcast at Biola University.
Sean McDowell (Ph.D.) is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the Church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Sean travels throughout the United States and abroad, speaking at camps, churches, schools, universities, and conferences. He is the co-host for the Think Biblically podcast, and he has authored or edited over twenty books, including Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships In A Confused Culture and So The Next Generation Will Know (with J. Warner Wallace). Sean hosts one of the leading apologetics blogs at seanmcdowell.org, and he hosts some great conversations on his YouTube channel. Sean and his wife, Stephanie, have three children and live in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Biola University
