Benjamin Schließer

Benjamin Schliesser is Professor of New Testament Literature and Theology at the University of Bern. His research focuses on the letters and theology of Paul, early Christian identity discourse, and the social history of the New Testament. He leads the research project ECCLESIAE on the formation of urban Christ-groups in the Roman Empire. His recent publications include a monograph on doubt and skepticism in early Christianity (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022) and a co-edited compendium on the concept of the “spirit” (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2025). He serves on the editorial board of New Testament Studies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) and is co-editor of the book series “Early Christian Centers” and “History of Biblical Exegesis” (both published in Tübingen by Mohr Siebeck).

Urban Christ Groups in the First Century: The City as a Catalyst for Innovation and Distinction

The goal of the project is to produce a monograph examining how Christ-groups formed a distinctive “social imaginary” that was both intertwined with and distinct from that of other actors in urban society. On the one hand, they were shaped by broader religious and cultural trends, such as the growing emphasis on group-based sociality, the appeal of monotheism, increasing intellectualization, and the pursuit of personal ethical frameworks and existential stability. On the other hand, they displayed a range of innovative and distinct features—social, ethical, ideological, and communicative. These included, among others, their concrete social organization, patterns of membership and participation, authority structures, group identity and ethos, worldview and theological convictions, and modes of communication—all central traits of an “emergent religion.” Crucially, the study avoids an essentialist notion of “early Christianity” by attending to the diversity of “urban Christianities” and their local specificities. Cities, after all, provided fertile ground for unconventional departures from prevailing cultural norms and for the growth of dynamic subcultures. The book project is part of the Swiss National Science Foundation project “ECCLESIAE – Early Christian Centers: Local Expressions, Social Identities, and Actor Engagement” (2021–2025) (www.earlychristiancenters.com).