Three Powers in Heaven: The Emergence of Theology and the Parting of the Ways (Synkrisis)

**A fresh look at how Christianity and Judaism became two distinct religions through the parting of their intellectual traditions** How, when, and why did Christianity and Judaism become separate religions? This book reinterprets the parting of the ways between Jews and Christians in late antiquity as a split between two intellectual traditions, a split that took place in the context of Christian theological debates. By demonstrating that the constitution of communal borders coincided with the elaboration of different ways of producing religious knowledge, Emanuel Fiano shows that Christian theological controversies, often thought to teach us nothing beyond the history of dogma, can cast light on the broader religious landscape of late antiquity. Fiano marks not only a historical but also a methodological intervention in the study of the parting of the ways and in the study of late ancient religion more broadly. In his thought-provoking book we observe Christianity fall away from Judaism through the constitution of its own intellectual tradition, sustained by new practices for religious inquiry. A fresh look at how Christianity and Judaism became two distinct religions through the parting of their intellectual traditions How, when, and why did Christianity and Judaism diverge into separate religions? Emanuel Fiano reinterprets the parting of the ways between Jews and Christians as a split between two intellectual traditions, a split that emerged within the context of ancient debates about Jesus's relationship to God and the world. Fiano explores how Christianity moved away from Judaism through the development of new practices for religious inquiry. By demonstrating that the constitution of communal borders coincided with the elaboration of different methods for producing religious knowledge, the author shows that Christian theological controversies, often thought to teach us nothing beyond the history of dogma, can cast light on the broader religious landscape of late antiquity. Three Powers in Heaven thus marks not only a historical but also a methodological intervention in the study of the parting of the ways and in scholarship on ancient religion. Contents Acknowledgments Author’s Note Introduction 1. A Tale of Two Heretics 2. Credal Culture 3. Theological Labeling 4. Ortholalia 5. The Ends of Dialogue Conclusion List of Abbreviations Notes List of Editions of Ancient Sources Bibliography Index of Subjects Index of Ancient Sources Index of Modern Authors