Resetting the Origins of Christianity

In his book Resetting the Origins of Christianity: A New Theory of Sources and Beginnings, Markus Vinzent embarks on an extensive journey examining manuscripts from antiquity used throughout the centuries to explain the founding and initial growth of the Christian movement. While thought-provoking and insightful, the technical nature of this book may prove challenging to some readers, especially those lacking a formal background in Christian history and ecclesiology. Throughout the book, Vinzent presumes familiarity of obscure historical events and writings not well-known in the public sphere. Despite its complexity, anyone with an interest in the origins of Christianity will find his overall research approach a fascinating exploration that reshapes commonly held assumptions.

Vinzent begins by asking the reader to consider the manner in which the history of Christianity has been recorded and shaped. In the preface, he notes that any historical account has a subjective component because no author can help but insert “his or her own views and interests into the final product” (vii). In order to alleviate some of these preconceived notions, Vinzent believes it is prudent to reconstruct the history of Christianity beginning with writings from the Medieval period and work backwards toward those texts written during the early years of the Church’s founding. Throughout the book, Vinzent rejects the notion that there can be a single narrative to explain of the origin of Christianity. Rather, following his analysis of manuscripts authored by respected Church scholars and theologians, he argues for a more complex historical paradigm that challenges our common perceptions of how Christianity developed and evolved.

Although the historical accuracy of scriptural texts and early accounts of Christianity have been widely debated, Vinzent believes the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In other words, the literary works found in scripture are not to be taken as entirely factual accounts nor are they to be viewed as works of fiction. “History, as I have tried to show, is much more retrospection than reception, and accordingly more retrospective reconstruction than reproduction. . . the historian is an actor in and of the story of history, not a passive listener to stories told,” he writes (4-5). He supports this argument that any author’s personal experience heavily influences how historical accounts are constructed by stating that “the best we can do is to bring our own subjectivity into conversation with that of the authors of our sources and their readers” (5). Once Vinzent articulates this central premise of his research, he begins to critically examine specific writings by esteemed theologians and historians to support his position on the origins of Christianity. 

Vinzent likens his task to that of an archeologist excavating the various layers of historical sites. Beginning with the early Middle Ages, he analyzes the writings of St. Gregory of Tours, as well as those of Orosius, whose literary works were popular in the Middle Ages. Like Gregory, Orosius was heavily influenced by his own experience of the world. For example, it is interesting to note the centrality of the Roman Empire in Orosius’ account of the origins of Christianity, even to the point of arguing that “Christ is the Roman citizen” (30). Through his scholarly research, Vinzent illustrates how these historical writings were more about confronting heresies, controversies, or volatile political climates than the role of Jesus Christ and the mission of his Apostles and their followers.

Moving from the Middle Ages to the next layer of historical manuscripts, Vinzent travels back to the 6^th, 5^th, and 4^th centuries to analyze the works of Eusebius, Iulius Africanus, Origen, and Tertullian. Continuing his analogy of uncovering layers during an archaeological dig, Vinzent argues that later authors relied on these earlier sources for much of their materials. Since these original authors were influenced by their experiences and later authors were affected by their surroundings, it becomes even more difficult for scholars to arrive at an accurate account of the origins of Christianity, free of accumulating layers of interpretation.

While Vinzent engages in an in-depth analysis of historical manuscripts dating from the Middle Ages down to the 2^nd century, he also focuses his attention on how Jewish and Christian scriptures were understood, and how certain manuscripts were accepted into the canon while others were rejected. Fascinatingly, he argues that prior to the writings of Irenaeus, who wrote in the early 200s, historians never made reference to the four canonical gospels in their written accounts. In fact, Vinzent argues that “the existence of several competing accounts of Jesus’ life caused a problem for Christian readers and inspired them to seek out alternative solutions” (157).  These so-called “solutions” resulted in theologians taking the liberty to write their own versions of Jesus’ origins and detail his earthly life. Vinzent stresses the point that the New Testament that we know today was never understood as an “indisputable authority on the beginnings of Christianity” (157). Even the four Gospels and the writings of Paul, for Vinzent, require a more critical examination.

As Vinzent illustrates the complexity of understanding the role of the canonical Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the writings of Paul, he conveys the extremely important influence that Marcion of Sinope had upon the development of these historical texts. Marcion taught that the God who sent Jesus Christ into the world was different from the God of the Old Testament who created the universe. Because of the circulation of Marcion’s texts, which were deemed heretical, leaders such as Ireanus and Tertullian were charged with ensuring that manuscripts that validated authentic and sound Christian doctrine were preserved, and it is these texts that became part of the canon of Christian scriptures.

Although Resetting the Origins of Christianity can be challenging and often difficult to grasp for readers not deeply entrenched in Christian history, it does contain some thought-provoking perspectives on the beginnings Christianity. Because Vinzent successfully argues for the complexity of the origins of Christianity, it is a book worth reading. 

Bernadette McMasters Kime is the director of Worship and Sacraments, Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and an adjunct instructor for the Saint Meinrad Seminary Permanent Diaconate Formation Program. 

Bernadette Kime

Date Of Review:

February 27, 2024