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Another quick thought - There is scarce little in the teachings of Jesus that isn't also found in earlier traditions. It isn't that Jesus was saying anything terribly innovative, but more that Christianity succeeded (in its pre-Constantine days) because it sought to bring its ethic to a broader community, essentially making the in-group more diverse and inclusive. There was a price for admission (exclusivity; you couldn't be Christian and still belong to your former religion) but Christianity succeeded in the ancient marketplace of religions (and boy was that a buyer's market!) in part by breaking down some social barriers, at least within its own house.
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