Paul of Tarsus: The Origins of Christianity in Jewish Context Illustration from Melchior Lotter’s Bible (Sweden, 1524). Source: Wikimedia Commons. Credited with the popularization of Christianity, Saul (later Paul) of Tarsus was influential in mediating Jewish ideas to an increasingly Gentile audience. Combining appealing concepts such as life after death and a personal Deity with a relaxed approach to the requirements of Rabbinic Judaism, the former Pharisee succeeded in spreading Christianity well beyond its narrow origins among a small group of Jews in Jerusalem to become a massively powerful world religion, albeit distant from its Jewish origins. NEXT WEEK: Sherira Gaon and the Jews of Babylon [youtube=http://youtu.be/oLSELg4TNPU] Share this:TwitterTumblrFacebookLinkedInEmailRedditLike this:Like Loading...