: ▁The ▁First ▁Christians ▁( 1 9 9 8 ), ▁based ▁heavily ▁on ▁her ▁book ▁From ▁Jesus ▁to ▁Christ : ▁The ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ▁Im ages ▁of ▁Jesus . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Fred ri ks en ▁earned ▁her ▁B . A . ▁degree ▁with ▁Ph i ▁B eta ▁K appa ▁in ▁Religion ▁and ▁History ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁from ▁the ▁W elles ley ▁College ▁and ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁got ▁a ▁di pl oma ▁in ▁the ology ▁from ▁Oxford ▁University . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁she ▁earned ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁religion ▁from ▁Pr inc eton ▁University ▁and ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁was ▁the ▁Andrew ▁W . ▁M ell on ▁Post do ctor al ▁Fellow ▁at ▁the ▁Stan ford ▁University . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁Fred ri ks en ▁began ▁her ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁lect urer ▁at ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Religion ▁of ▁Pr inc eton ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁fac ulty ▁member ▁at ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Relig ious ▁Studies ▁at ▁Stan ford ▁University . ▁She ▁re located ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley , ▁where ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁she ▁was ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁History ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁associate ▁professor ▁at ▁the