+1 862 207 3288 Please write a 3-5 page essay (double-spaced, Times New Roman font) on ONE of the two options below.
Please note that Option 2 is a creative option, but the point of the paper is the same, regardless of
the topic that you select: as a historian, your job is to analyze and understand people other than
yourself, regardless of whether you agree with them (and, in particular, their beliefs!) or not.
In this essay you will be demonstrating your ability to write a well-developed, logically organized
analytical essay that relies on critical thinking skills. You will convey that you understand the
difference between primary and secondary sources as you analyze and interpret them. (COLAs 7 & 8)
According to the theologian N.T. Wright, the Apostle Paul is a historically significant figure, because
he combines three different identities in himself: a Hellenistic Jew, a Christian, and a Roman citizen.
While Paul was certainly not the only one living in the Roman empire and juggling multiple ethnic,
religious, and civic identities, he is one of the best documented, thanks to his writings, which
survive as part of the New Testament.
For this paper, please read read Leviticus chapters 1-7; Acts of the Apostles (all); and Paul’s
epistles 1 Corinthians and Galatians (all of these readings are available in any standard Bible). Based
on these sources, textbooks, and class materials ONLY (NO OUTSIDE RESOURCES, please!), please respond
to ONE of the following questions in a well-organized 3-5 page essay:
1. What was the relationship between Judaism and early Christianity?
2. How did Christianity spread in the Roman Empire?
3. What was the relationship between Romans and early Christians?
4. What were the problems with which early churches had to deal? How did they address these problems?
Please make sure that your essay has a clear introduction with a thesis statement (your argument), body
paragraphs with examples from the historical sources to back up your argument, and a conclusion.
