The Apostles

Ernest RenanProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 629K words
Chapters: 63

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Apostles by Ernest RenanAuthor: Renan, Ernest, 1823-1892,Language: English, Class: BS: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: The Bible, Old and New Testament, Release Date: Mar 8, 2014

Editor's review

Renan's The Apostles is one installment in his series on the origins of early Christianity, focusing on how the apostolic circle organized, spread, and shaped early belief after Jesus's death. Unlike a purely theological treatise, Renan treats figures and events through historical narrative, portraying the apostles as agents with personalities, disagreements, and the limitations of their era; the prose carries the literary quality of nineteenth-century French humanistic writing. The book's value lies in offering a non-dogmatic historical perspective that lets readers see how a community of faith took shape within concrete social and psychological circumstances. It is best read within the broader context of Renan's oeuvre and with a critical eye: the historical imagination and literary embellishment are pronounced, and it should not be taken as a definitive church history. For writers on religious history, Western intellectual history, or narrative history, it is an accessible and rewarding reference text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early Christian history and the origins of religion
Readers studying nineteenth-century Western historiography of religion and intellectual history
Readers who enjoy narrative history and are comfortable with a literary approach
General readers seeking background on the apostolic tradition and the formation of the church

Not a good fit for

Believers seeking orthodox theological teaching or devotional reading
Academic researchers requiring strict empirical scholarship with full annotation
Readers with no interest in religious subjects who want light entertainment

Reading tips

Read the introduction or familiarize yourself with Renan's background first, so you do not mistake literary narrative for historical fact.
Read alongside the relevant passages of the Acts of the Apostles, noting where the author selects, omits, or embellishes.
As you read, note the author's historical judgments and literary flourishes, distinguishing evidence from imagination.
If time is limited, begin with the chapters on Paul or the Jerusalem community.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a work of theology or of history?

It is closer to historical narrative than to systematic theology. Renan treats the apostles as historical figures, attending to their actions, psychology, and historical setting, but the book carries clear literary imagination and a nineteenth-century rationalist stance. Readers should approach it as religious-historical writing while maintaining critical distance, and should not take it as doctrine or definitive fact.

Can I understand it without background knowledge of Christianity?

Yes, but some basic background helps. The book involves figures and events such as the apostles, the Jerusalem community, and Paul's missions; without any familiarity with the New Testament context, it may be hard to follow the relationships. It is advisable to first learn the basic outline of the Acts of the Apostles or prepare a list of characters to aid reading.

Is the book's stance objective and neutral?

It cannot simply be regarded as objective and neutral. Renan was a nineteenth-century French scholar whose writing carries rationalist and literary tendencies; he is skeptical of supernatural accounts while skillful at dramatizing scenes and psychology. Readers should treat the author's stance as part of understanding the text, not as undisputed historical statement.

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About the author

Ernest Renan Author · French · 1823–1892

Ernest Renan (1823–1892) was a French philosopher, Orientalist and historian of religion, born in Tréguier, Brittany, and died in Paris. He is best known for The Life of Jesus, the first volume of his History of the Origins of Christianity, which is regarded as a pioneering work in comparative religious studies. His writing combines historical scholarship with a literary style; besides his works on religious history, he left autobiographical writings such as Recollections of My Youth, as well as lectures on Rome and Christianity and on Marcus Aurelius. In 1882 he put forward the famous claim that a nation is a soul or spiritual principle, which proved widely influential; in 1878 he was elected to the Académie française. The library holds seven of his works, including French originals and English translations of the titles mentioned above.