Judaism and Christianity in the age of Constantine history, Messiah, Israel, and the initial confrontation - Neusner, Jacob (University of Chicago Press, 1987)
Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-235) and indexes
With the conversion of Constantine in AD 312, Christianity began a period of political and cultural dominance that it would enjoy until the twentieth century. Jacob Neusner contradicts the prevailing view that following Christianity's ascendancy, Judaism continued to evolve in isolation. He argues that because of the political need to defend its claims to religious authenticity, Judaism was forced to review itself in the context of a triumphant Christianity. The definition of issues long discussed in Judaism?the meaning of history, the coming of the Messiah, and the political identity of Israe