The Ebionites for Beginners

Understanding the Jewish Christians Who Followed Jesus and Kept the Law

Most books on early Christianity tell a familiar story. Jesus preached. The Church emerged. Doctrine settled.

But beneath that tidy narrative lies a forgotten movement that never believed it had left Judaism at all—and its story changes how everything looks.

The Ebionites for Beginners reveals the world of the Jewish Christians who followed Jesus as Messiah while continuing to keep the Law of Moses. Long before creeds and councils defined belief, these communities lived at the crossroads of Torah, monotheism, and faith in Jesus. Their existence raises uncomfortable questions about what “original Christianity” really was—and why certain voices survived while others disappeared.

This book draws you into one of the most overlooked chapters of religious history, showing how early Christianity was shaped not only by belief, but by conflict, power, and identity.

You’ll discover:

• Who the Ebionites were and why later Christians labeled them heretical
• How they understood Jesus as Messiah without redefining God
• Why Torah observance remained central to their faith and daily life
• The deep tensions with Paul and the rise of Gentile Christianity
• How orthodoxy was formed—and what was left behind in the process
• What modern scholarship can and cannot say about these early believers

Written for curious readers with no prior background, this book explains complex ideas clearly, without jargon or sensationalism. It separates evidence from myth, history from assumption, and invites you to see early Christianity as a living, contested movement rather than a finished product handed down intact.

If you’ve ever wondered how Christianity’s Jewish roots were negotiated, why certain beliefs became dominant, or what other paths early Jesus-followers once walked, this book will reshape your understanding.

Add The Ebionites for Beginners to your cart today and explore a forgotten community whose story still echoes through Christian history.