THE JESUS PUZZLE
Was There No Historical Jesus?
Earl Doherty
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March 24, 2008: Reader Feedback

Rfset28.htm: (Responses to Ben, Doug, Tim, Keith, Jim, Michael, Warwick). Also available through Reader Feedback Index: Rfindex.htm

December 25, 2007: Supplementary Article No. 15

"Born of Woman"? Reexamining Galatians 4:4: A fresh and surprising look at perhaps the most cited passage by apologists to 'prove' that Jesus was regarded by Paul as a human man. This article examines "born of woman, born under the Law" from two points of view: that it was authentic to Paul, and that it was an interpolation. In neither case do we need to interpret the phrase as a reference to an historical man, either in the recent known past or in some unknown past, but tracing the phrase's appearance, and non-appearance, through the record of two centuries brings us closer to choosing interpolation as the more likely option.

November 26, 2007: Supplementary Article No. 14

The Cosmic Christ of the Epistle to the Hebrews: A thorough and comprehensive study in three parts of a key document of the New Testament, one which has suffered the most misinterpretation by traditional scholarship and the one best positioned to demonstrate that cultic Christianity began with an entirely mythical Son of God. Includes material on the background derivation of this mythical Son in the Redeemer Mythology of the time (both Greco-Roman and Jewish), detailed examination of modern scholarship on the document, and a thorough dissection of the dramatic "smoking gun" verse of 8:4, in which the writer tells us that Jesus was never on earth.

June 23, 2007: Book Review

The Pre-Nicene New Testament: Fifty-four Formative Texts by Robert M. Price, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 2006. A monumental work offering new translations and commentaries on all 27 books of the New Testament plus 27 other books covering a wide range of non-canonical writings, both orthodox and unorthodox. A dramatic and eye-opening presentation of the diverse state of early Christianity.

April 25, 2007: Responding to Critiques of the Mythicist Case

Chris Zeichman - A response to his "Fear and Loathing in a Lost Gospel: Earl Doherty and the Case of Q", a critique of my approach to Q in The Jesus Puzzle. This is a lengthy rebuttal (over 26,000 words), not only because there is so much to refute in Zeichman's critique, but because it has given me the opportunity to develop further my argument that no historical Jesus lies at the root of the Q document and the Q movement. There is a lot of new material on the question in this article, making it an important contribution to my presentation of the mythicist case.

April 10, 2007: Supplementary Articles Nos. 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D

The Mystery Cults and Christianity: A comprehensive set of 4 articles (totalling 60,000 words) surveying the major Graeco-Roman mystery cults and addressing all aspects of the question of comparing them with ancient Christianity. Are such comparisons legitimate? Did Paul borrow (even if unconsciously) from theological and ritual aspects of the cults in fashioning his interpretation of rites like baptism, as well as his views of Christ and how he interacted with believers? To what extent did the Gospel writers consciously imitate Greek and other savior god myths and ancient world hero traditions in fashioning their tale of Jesus of Nazareth? How do modern scholars deal with the similar concepts and story-elements between the mysteries and Christianity, and are their objections valid? Examining apologetic-oriented scholars such as Walter Burkert, Everett Ferguson, Jonathan Z. Smith, Hugo Rahner, and Gunter Wagner.

February 11, 2007: Reader Feedback

Rfset27.htm: (Responses to Javier, Chris, John, Frederick, Bart, Philip, Frank, Joey, Nyk). Also available through Reader Feedback Index (with individual links): Rfindex.htm

July 15, 2006: Responding to Critiques of the Mythicist Case

Alleged Scholarly Refutations of the Mythicist Case - Part One / Part Two / Part Three
The first ever response to a century of attempted refutations of the Jesus Myth theory, covering books and book chapters by Shirley J. Case (1912), Maurice Goguel (1926), R. T. France (1985), Graham Stanton (1986), Robert Van Voorst (2000) and others. Also addressed are comments contained in the Internet article "A History of Scholarly Refutations of the Jesus Myth" by Christopher Price.

March 5, 2006: Reader Feedback

Rfset26.htm: (Responses to Robert, Brendan, Mac, Rob, Dan, Reg, Malachi, Carla, Brian). Also available through Reader Feedback Index (with individual links): Rfindex.htm

December 17, 2005: Responding to Critiques of the Mythicist Case

Mike Licona - A response to his review of Brian Flemming's documentary film and DVD "The God Who Wasn't There." The DVD included several on-camera and telephone interviews, one of the latter being with myself. Here I address Licona's arguments against Flemming, atheism and the Jesus Myth theory. Included is an Addendum of my posting on the IIDB about the recent refusal of the Fourth R, the magazine of the Jesus Seminar, to discuss the Jesus Myth theory.

October 10, 2005: Responding to Critiques of the Mythicist Case

GakuseiDon - Part Two: Following my response to his critique on my Second Century Apologists chapter of The Jesus Puzzle, GDon presented a rebuttal. This is my rebuttal in turn.

September 12, 2005: Reader Feedback

Rfset25.htm: (Responses to Brad, Bruce, Dmitry, Kevin, Gordon, Connor, Nigel, Robert, Doug, Jason). Also available through Reader Feedback Index (with individual links): Rfindex.htm

August 9, 2005: Responding to Critiques of the Mythicist Case

GakuseiDon: An Australian apologist who frequents the Internet Infidels Biblical Criticism and History forum has posted a critique of my chapter "Jesus in the Christian Apologists" from The Jesus Puzzle. This is a reply to that critique.

June 19, 2005: "A Magdalene Triptych" - a three-part book review of

- The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
- The Da Vinci Fraud, by Robert Price
- The Secret Magdalene, an historical novel by Ki Longfellow

March 16, 2005: New Series: Responding to Critiques of the Mythicist Case

Bernard Muller (Part One): Several critiques of The Jesus Puzzle, book and website, have been posted on the Internet over the last few years. (I have already responded to that of J. P. Holding.) This new series of articles will address the most significant of these, beginning with Bernard Muller.

Bernard Muller (Part Two)

Bernard Muller (Part Three)

February 7, 2005: Book Reviews: The Case for the Jesus Myth

THE PAGAN CHRIST: Recovering the Lost Light by Tom Harpur, Thomas Allen Publishers, Toronto 2004. The Toronto Star religion writer underwent an epiphany when reading the works of Gerald Massey and Alvin Boyd Kuhn, discovering that the Jesus story is another version of more ancient myths. My response to the author's recasting of his own faith makes this book review equally relevant to The Age of Reason website.

November 7, 2004:

The Age of Reason website has been revamped in response to the re-election of George W. Bush to the presidency of the United States. It will be primarily devoted to the issue of the great divide and conflict between Religion and Rationality in our current society, and will feature news, articles and comments both by myself and other contributors.

November 7, 2004: Reader Feedback

Rfset24.htm: (Responses to Doug, R.C., Mario, Pat, Raymond, Eric, Bryan, Dick, Frank)
Also available through Reader Feedback Index (with individual links): Rfindex.htm
Including an extended initial section of letters and responses on the subject of Religion and Rationality.

July 11, 2004: Reader Feedback

Rfset23.htm: (Responses to Brian, Matthew, Gerald, Bruce, Lowell, Ray, Major, Mike)
Also available through Reader Feedback Index (with individual links): Rfindex.htm
Including an extended initial section of letters and responses on the subject of religion and rationality.

March 12, 2004: A review of the most controversial film of the year

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. This review by Earl Doherty focuses not on the question of Jesus' existence, but on the nature of Christian soteriology (theory of salvation) which Gibson's film highlights in a way he would not have intended. On the Age of Reason website. (Comments are welcome for the Age of Reason Reader Feedback.)

March 7, 2004: Book Reviews: The Case for the Jesus Myth

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING SON OF MAN by Robert M. Price, Prometheus Books, 2003
A tour-de-force in critical scholarship of the Gospels. Price demonstrates that the four Gospels were an exercise in storytelling, employing midrash on the Hebrew bible to create the events of Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection, with no perceivable connection to history. If you read only one book on New Testament research this year, it has to be this one.

December 5, 2003: Special Feature

Challenging Doherty: Critiquing the Mythicist Case (including a response to Dr. Paula Fredriksen's comments on my first website article)

November 28, 2003: Reader Feedback

Rfset22.htm: (Responses to Brian, Rick, Gerry, Julian, Malcolm)
Also available through Reader Feedback Index (with individual links): Rfindex.htm

July 5, 2003: Book Reviews: The Case for the Jesus Myth
 
        THE JESUS THE JEWS NEVER KNEW by Frank R. Zindler, American Atheist Press, 2003
        A review of the latest book in the Jesus mythicist arsenal, being a study of the alleged references to Jesus in the Jewish Talmuds, in early historians and commentators such as Josephus and Philo, and a definitive study of the Sepher Toldoth Yeshu. "The fourth pillar" in the case against the non-existence of Jesus. Highly recommended.

. . . . .

SPECIAL FEATURE

An in-depth review and commentary on the most important body of historical fiction ever produced: Vardis Fisher's "Testament of Man." This monumental series of eleven novels by an American rationalist author of the mid-20th century traces the development of religious and social ideas from the dawn of human intelligence two million years ago to the Christian Middle Ages. On the Age of Reason website.
Vardis Fisher's "Testament of Man"

Available as a full-length book, 272 pages, with revisions, expanded Notes and Index.
For description, contents and reviews, plus how to purchase, see:
CHALLENGING THE VERDICT: A Cross-Examination of Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ

For complete reviews on Amazon.com, see: CTV Reviews
To read extensive excerpts from the book, see: Challenging the Verdict

April 9, 1999: SPECIAL ITEM