Marcionite Christianity triumphs over other sects

What if Marcionite Christianity (i.e. Christianity without anything Jewish) became the main form of Christianity?

*Except Jesus, I assume :p

You could see somehow worse treatment of the Jews in Christian lands than OTL, which isn't a pleasant thought... But you might see better relations between Marcionite Rome and Zoroastrian Persia, especially if Manichaeism still arises and becomes dominant in the latter. In fact, in some contexts we might so Manichaeism spreading to (and remaining strong) in the Roman world, and similar Marcionite communities could appear in the Persian world.
Of course, there's also a good chance Marcionism and Manichaeism could develop antagonistic tendencies toward each other... Or that the existence of Mani would be butterflied entirely.

Gnostic sects would probably become the secondary powers within Christianity.
 
*Except Jesus, I assume :p

You could see somehow worse treatment of the Jews in Christian lands than OTL, which isn't a pleasant thought... But you might see better relations between Marcionite Rome and Zoroastrian Persia, especially if Manichaeism still arises and becomes dominant in the latter. In fact, in some contexts we might so Manichaeism spreading to (and remaining strong) in the Roman world, and similar Marcionite communities could appear in the Persian world.
Of course, there's also a good chance Marcionism and Manichaeism could develop antagonistic tendencies toward each other... Or that the existence of Mani would be butterflied entirely.

Gnostic sects would probably become the secondary powers within Christianity.
And I would follow the hell out of it. :D
 
*Except Jesus, I assume :p

You could see somehow worse treatment of the Jews in Christian lands than OTL, which isn't a pleasant thought... But you might see better relations between Marcionite Rome and Zoroastrian Persia, especially if Manichaeism still arises and becomes dominant in the latter. In fact, in some contexts we might so Manichaeism spreading to (and remaining strong) in the Roman world, and similar Marcionite communities could appear in the Persian world.
Of course, there's also a good chance Marcionism and Manichaeism could develop antagonistic tendencies toward each other... Or that the existence of Mani would be butterflied entirely.

Gnostic sects would probably become the secondary powers within Christianity.

Marcion died in 160, and Mani lived in the 3rd century, teaching mainly in the time of Shapur I.

A Marcionite Christianity would make the Sassanid Empire disappear, let alone Manichaeism.

*Digs out college textbooks*

Okay, Marcion's canon was based on Paul's letters and Luke, but not quite as we know them. Many parts were removed from Marcion's version, because he thought the Jews had corrupted the texts. Marcion's views on the Old Testament had a bit in common with some Gnostic sects, in that he thought the Old Testament God was a deceiver, and the New Testament God is the true one. Marcion's Jesus suddenly appeared as a grown man, instead of being born of Mary. The idea of a final judgment is also rejected, since Marcion believed in universal salvation.

A Marcionite timeline is possible, because Marcion had his own clergy in OTL, and was one of the first to put together a New Testament canon.

My source for Marcion is The Story of Christianity Volume 1 by Justo Gonzáles.
 
Marcion died in 160, and Mani lived in the 3rd century, teaching mainly in the time of Shapur I.

<snip>

Okay, Marcion's canon was based on Paul's letters and Luke, but not quite as we know them. Many parts were removed from Marcion's version, because he thought the Jews had corrupted the texts.

Are we SURE that was the case? Certainly this is what the later Orthodox Christians would prefer to have happened, but Marcion lived very early, before any of the surviving versions of Christianity even emerged.

I am far from an expert in early Christianity, but couldn't Marcion's versions of Luke and the Pauline epistles be the original versions, with their additional content only added later to suit the emerging Orthodoxy?

Unless Marcion himself states that he edited them, of course. I am not counting later Orthodox commentators on Marcion, who would naturally accuse him of doing that, regardless of whether he actually edited them or not.
 
Are we SURE that was the case? Certainly this is what the later Orthodox Christians would prefer to have happened, but Marcion lived very early, before any of the surviving versions of Christianity even emerged.

I am far from an expert in early Christianity, but couldn't Marcion's versions of Luke and the Pauline epistles be the original versions, with their additional content only added later to suit the emerging Orthodoxy?

Unless Marcion himself states that he edited them, of course. I am not counting later Orthodox commentators on Marcion, who would naturally accuse him of doing that, regardless of whether he actually edited them or not.

Good question. Unfortunately, Gonzáles's book doesn't seem to list its source on that particular part, as the book is more of an overview than an authoritative source. I think most sources on Marcion are from his later enemies such as Tertullian, so we can never be too sure about his life. Feel free to take some liberties with the TL as you would for all ancient history

Mark is usually considered the oldest Gospel, or at least the oldest canonical one (there's dispute over the noncanonical Gospel of Thomas's age). Secular historians tend to believe that there is a now-lost "Sayings Gospel" nicknamed "Q" that is the source for much of Matthew and Luke's content that is not present in Mark. Luke admits in the first chapter that there were many gospels floating around at the time.

Paul's "undisputed" letters (e.g. Romans, Galatians, First Thessalonians, and the Corinthians letters, and a few others) are thought to be the older than the Gospels.

The epistles tend to be the targets of "pseudepigrapha" accusations a lot more than Luke-Acts does.
 
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