Honestly with Bari Weiss The Birth of Christianity
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Dec 24, 2025 
Paula Fredriksen, a distinguished historian of early Christianity, delves into the complex origins of Christianity. She reveals how the first followers of Jesus saw themselves not as founders of a new religion but as Jews awaiting a Messiah. Fredriksen discusses the interplay of cultural expectations, the evolution from intra-Jewish debates to anti-Judaism, and how early narratives contributed to modern antisemitism. She highlights the enduring significance of understanding Jesus' Jewish identity and explores the historical implications of these beliefs.
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Theology Linked Jewish Exile To Guilt
- Christian rhetoric linked Jewish exile and landlessness to punishment for killing Christ.
- That theological framing later fed anti-Zionist arguments denying Jewish statehood.
Anti-Zionism Often Masks Anti-Judaism
- Modern anti-Zionism often overlaps with ancient anti-Judaism because Jews everywhere are conflated with the state of Israel.
- That conflation makes Jews worldwide targets regardless of local context.
'Jesus Was A Palestinian' Is Historically Misleading
- Calling 'Jesus a Palestinian' erases his Jewish identity and plays into narratives that deny Jewish claims.
- Paula Fredriksen stresses this is historically inaccurate and politically loaded.
