When did early Christians stop considering themselves to be Jews?

by dave_g17

To my understanding, and also mentioned very briefly in this comment, early Christians considered themselves to be Jewish (or follow a sect of Judaism). When did these people no longer consider themselves to be Jewish but rather Christians? When did people begin to categorize Judaism and Christianity to be separate religions?

talondearg

The question you are asking is often called "The Parting of the Ways" in scholarship, it is quite a debated topic. Generally it depends upon the scholars perspective on 1st century Judaism.

However, there is reasonably consensus that it was a process, and some of it's major factors were as follows:

  • Sometime in the 50s AD, the so-called "Jerusalem Council" (Acts 15) agreed that Gentile believers did not have to follow the Mosaic Law as a whole.
  • Paul's Letter to the Galatians, often dated to the early 50s, shows a clear debate within the Christian community over whether Law-observance is required of believers, especially those of a Gentile background.
  • In the 60s AD, Nero at Rome blames the Great Fire on Christians, which can only occur with a clear idea that 'Christians' are an identifiable group
  • The destruction of the temple and razing of Jerusalem in 70AD fundamentally alters Judaism. From this period only Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism emerge as continuing Jewish sects.
  • The rapid growth of Gentile-constituents of the Christian movement, and the loss of distinctive Jewish identity

For my part, I would say circa 70 AD. But it's a process by which a Jewish sect that includes Gentiles becomes a distinct group that differentiates from 'Jews'. Before 70, I would say the lines are more 'blurry', but I think it's arguable they become much clearer from then on.