Alan F. Segal

Alan F. Segal (1938-2011) was a prominent American scholar of religion, specializing in rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and the interaction between the two. He held the Rebecca Flower Professor of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University. Segal's academic contributions focused primarily on the development of early Jewish and Christian mysticism, the historical Jesus, and the origins of Christianity within its Jewish context.

His work often explored the social and religious forces shaping these movements, emphasizing the fluidity and complexity of identity formation during the first century. A significant portion of his research dealt with the figure of Paul the Apostle, examining his Jewish identity and the relationship between his theology and Jewish tradition.

Segal's publications include influential books such as Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports About Christianity and Gnosticism (1977), which explores the early rabbinic understanding of Christianity and Gnosticism, and Paul the Convert: The Apostolate and Apostasy of Saul of Tarsus (1990), a groundbreaking analysis of Paul's conversion experience. He also authored Rebecca's Children: Judaism and Christianity in the Roman World (1986), which provides a broad overview of the historical interactions between Judaism and Christianity in the Roman Empire. His works are considered essential reading for scholars in the fields of Jewish studies, early Christianity, and New Testament studies.

Segal received his PhD from Yale University and taught at Princeton University before joining Barnard College. His scholarship continues to influence the study of early Judaism and Christianity, encouraging a more nuanced and historically informed understanding of their intertwined origins.