In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Caleb Maskell (Associate National Director of Theology and Education) talks with return guest Nijay Gupta about his new book Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling. They discuss the hierarchy of the Roman gods, the dynamics of Roman faith, and how the infrastructure of Roman life was disrupted when Christians showed up. Nijay also describes how Jesus broke the mold of religious culture and disrupted dynamics of power and control. 

Nijay K. Gupta is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He has written several books including A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Paul and the Language of Faith, 15 New Testament Words of Life, and Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He is a senior translator of the New Living Translation and co-hosts the Slow Theology Podcast with Dr. A.J. Swoboda.

Show Notes: 

Strange Religion by Nijay Gupta

Tell Her Story by Nijay Gupta

Vineyard History and Identity Resources: 

The Way It Was by Carol Wimber 

The Quest For The Radical Middle by Bill Jackson 

Empowered Evangelicals by Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson

“I’m a Fool For Christ”– John Wimber’s testimony