The Pseudepigraphal Letters to the Thessalonians

Marlene Cr semann examines the Thessalonian letters in the context of Jewish-Christian social history. Due to the individual character of 1 Thessalonians Cr semann comes to the conclusion that it is post-apostolic epistolary communication, questioning whether it is a letter of Paul and indeed whether it is an early letter. This analysis adds weight to the traditional thesis that the letter is somewhat out of place and may be a later work by another author.

Cr semann then shows that 2 Thessalonians by contrast revokes the far-reaching social separation from Judaism that characterizes 1 Thessalonians, and thus aims socio-historically for a solidarity with the entire Jewish people. Thus, Cr semann argues, the discussion about a \"divergence of the ways of Christians and Jews\" in early Christian times needs to be realigned.