The Jesus Movement and its Expansion: Meaning and Mission Séan Freyne

Reviewed by: Veronica Lawson RSM, Australian Catholic University

Countless works have been written on the Jesus movement and its initial expansion. Few, if any, have approached the task as ‘a dialogue between spade and text’ in a sustained and comprehensive exploration of the movement from the beginnings of Judaism’s first encounter with Hellenism into, and including, the 2nd century ce. In this very accessible volume, Séan Freyne offers an engaging and insightful work that is enlightening for the academy and for a general readership alike. His intended readers are primarily interested laypeople who are seeking ‘a more informed view of Jesus and his message through a better understanding of his Jewish upbringing and practice as well as the possible impact of Greco-Roman values and lifestyles on him and his followers’ (p. 2).

Since the publication in 1980 of his monumental work on Galilee, Galilee from Alexander the Great to Hadrian, 323 BCE to 135 CE, ¹ Séan Freyne’s name has been synonymous with Galilee. The predominantly Jewish character of Galilee provided a focus for much of his scholarly work over several decades. This final work, The Jesus Movement and its Expansion, completed shortly before his death, represents the culmination of more than half a century of research and successive publications on various aspects of the Galilean context of the mission and ministry of the Jewish Galilean, Jesus of Nazareth. In this study, ‘matrix’ as an ongoing living cultural continuum, rather than ‘background’ or ‘context’, becomes Freyne’s preferred designation for the multi-faceted world of Judaism that gave birth to the Jesus movement.

The study comprises three distinct yet inter-related parts that focus in turn on matrix, ministry and mission. Chapters 1–3 address aspects of the Greco-Roman matrix, namely, the process of Hellenization from the late 4th century bce, the Roman presence in Judea from the mid-1st century bce to the mid-2nd century ce and, finally, Palestinian economy and society. Three ‘epigraphs’ taken from Mark’s gospel function powerfully as literary lenses for these first three chapters: ‘The woman was of Syro-Phoenician origin, a Greek’ (7:26); ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ (12:14); and ‘This widow has given her whole livelihood’ (12:44).

Chapter 4 skilfully situates Jesus’ birth, life, death and ministry of messianic word and deed within the matrix of Greco-Roman Judaism explored in Chapters 1–3. In this chapter, Freyne distils for the educated lay reader an astonishing number of classic debates around such topics as the connection between Jesus and John the Baptizer, the choice of Galilee for Jesus’ initial ministry in relation to the hope for a restored Israel, Jesus’ self-understanding in contra-distinction to the perception of others, the unique character of his messianic words and deeds, and the reasons for his death. At the same time, he raises some new questions around such issues as the incongruity of John the Baptist’s activity as a protest against the Jerusalem Temple and its rituals and his family connections with the Temple. As the chapter ends, the male disciples’ surprising escape from reprisals in the wake of the crucifixion is juxtaposed with the fidelity of the women who ‘remained to the end and were able to make the connection when they were surprised by the good news that God had indeed vindicated his servant’ (p. 185). Prefacing this statement with the adverb ‘fortunately’, Freyne seems to be suggesting that these women played key roles in keeping alive the memory of Jesus and enabling the mission to expand.

Chapters 5–8 draw on diverse literary and archaeological sources to offer a persuasive account of the mission and expansion of the movement from the earliest days in Jerusalem through to the late 2nd century ce. These chapters engage the vast array of earliest Christian and related literature, though with minimal focus on the Pauline corpus, a deliberate decision of the author made in light of the attention accorded to Paul’s writings in most contemporary accounts of the beginnings of the Jesus movement.

The epilogue takes up the vexed issues of inclusion and exclusion and, in particular, the shift from earliest Christianity as a thoroughly Jewish movement within Greco-Roman Palestine to Christianity in the 4th century as Christian Empire in which Christian Jews found themselves excluded as heretics, and ‘power and prestige replaced forgiveness and justice as the weightier matters of the law’ (p. 355). Characteristically, Freyne brings his work to closure on a hopeful note: his critical re-reading of the story of the Jesus movement and its expansion is offered as a way of ‘underlining the need for an ongoing search for what all religions hold in common, while also discerning those things that can distort their better insights’ (p. 355).

The Jesus Movement is an essential addition to every theological and biblical library. It is a fitting reminder of the expansive spirit of a truly great scholar and inspiring mentor to many.