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Most antiquities scholars think that the New Testament gospels are "mythologized
history." In other words, based on the evidence available they think that around
the start of the first century a controversial Jewish rabbi named Yeshua ben
Yosef gathered a following and his life and teachings provided the seed that
grew into Christianity. At the same time, these scholars acknowledge that many
Bible stories like the virgin birth, miracles, resurrection, and women at the
tomb borrow and rework mythic themes that were common in the Ancient Near East,
much the way that screenwriters base new movies on old familiar tropes or plot
elements. In this view, a "historical Jesus" became mythologized.



For over 200 years, a wide ranging array of theologians and historians grounded
in this perspective have analyzed ancient texts, both those that made it into
the Bible and those that didn't, in attempts to excavate the man behind the
myth. Several current or recent bestsellers take this approach, distilling the
scholarship for a popular audience. Familiar titles include Zealot by Reza Aslan
and How Jesus Became God by Bart Ehrman.

By contrast, other scholars believe that the gospel stories are actually
"historicized mythology." In this view, those ancient mythic templates are
themselves the kernel. They got filled in with names, places and other real
world details as early sects of Jesus worship attempted to understand and defend
the devotional traditions they had received.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

The notion that Jesus never existed is a minority position. Of course it is!
says David Fitzgerald, the author of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus
Never Existed at All. Fitzgerald points out that for centuries all serious
scholars of Christianity were Christians themselves, and modern secular scholars
lean heavily on the groundwork that they laid in collecting, preserving, and
analyzing ancient texts. Even today most secular scholars come out of a
religious background, and many operate by default under historical presumptions
of their former faith.



Fitzgerald–who, as his book title indicates, takes the "mythical Jesus"
position–is an atheist speaker and writer, popular with secular students and
community groups. The internet phenom, Zeitgeist the Movie introduced millions
to some of the mythic roots of Christianity. But Zeitgeist and similar works
contain known errors and oversimplifications that undermine their credibility.
Fitzgerald seeks to correct that by giving young people accessible information
that is grounded in accountable scholarship.

More academic arguments in support of the Jesus Myth theory can be found in the
writings of Richard Carrier and Robert Price. Carrier, who has a Ph.D. in
ancient history uses the tools of his trade to show, among other things, how
Christianity might have gotten off the ground without a miracle. Price, by
contrast, writes from the perspective of a theologian whose biblical scholarship
ultimately formed the basis for his skepticism. It is interesting to note that
some of the harshest critics of popular Jesus myth theories like those from
Zeitgeist or Joseph Atwill (who argued that the Romans invented Jesus) are
academic Mythicists like these.

The arguments on both sides of this question—mythologized history or
historicized mythology—fill volumes, and if anything the debate seems to be
heating up rather than resolving. Since many people, both Christian and not,
find it surprising that this debate even exists—that serious scholars might
think Jesus never existed—here are some of the key points that keep the doubts
alive:

1. No first century secular evidence whatsoever exists to support the actuality
of Yeshua ben Yosef.

In the words of Bart Ehrman (who himself believes the stories were built on a
historical kernel):

> "What sorts of things do pagan authors from the time of Jesus have to say
> about him? Nothing. As odd as it may seem, there is no mention of Jesus at all
> by any of his pagan contemporaries. There are no birth records, no trial
> transcripts, no death certificates; there are no expressions of interest, no
> heated slanders, no passing references – nothing. In fact, if we broaden our
> field of concern to the years after his death – even if we include the entire
> first century of the Common Era – there is not so much as a solitary reference
> to Jesus in any non-Christian, non-Jewish source of any kind. I should stress
> that we do have a large number of documents from the time – the writings of
> poets, philosophers, historians, scientists, and government officials, for
> example, not to mention the large collection of surviving inscriptions on
> stone and private letters and legal documents on papyrus. In none of this vast
> array of surviving writings is Jesus' name ever so much as mentioned." (pp.
> 56-57)

2. The earliest New Testament writers seem ignorant of the details of Jesus'
life, which become more crystalized in later texts.



Paul seems unaware of any virgin birth, for example. No wise men, no star in the
east, no miracles. Historians have long puzzled over the "Silence of Paul" on
the most basic biographical facts and teachings of Jesus. Paul fails to cite
Jesus' authority precisely when it would make his case. What's more, he never
calls the twelve apostles Jesus' disciples; in fact, he never says Jesus HAD
disciples –or a ministry, or did miracles, or gave teachings. He virtually
refuses to disclose any other biographical detail, and the few cryptic hints he
offers aren't just vague, but contradict the gospels. The leaders of the early
Christian movement in Jerusalem like Peter and James are supposedly Jesus' own
followers and family; but Paul dismisses them as nobodies and repeatedly opposes
them for not being true Christians!

Liberal theologian Marcus Borg suggests that people read the books of the New
Testament in chronological order to see how early Christianity unfolded.




> Placing the Gospels after Paul makes it clear that as written documents they
> are not the source of early Christianity but its product. The Gospel — the
> good news — of and about Jesus existed before the Gospels. They are the
> products of early Christian communities several decades after Jesus'
> historical life and tell us how those communities saw his significance in
> their historical context.

3. Even the New Testament stories don't claim to be first-hand accounts.



We now know that the four gospels were assigned the names of the apostles
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, not written by them. To make matter sketchier,
the name designations happened sometime in second century, around 100 years or
more after Christianity supposedly began.

For a variety of reasons, the practice of pseudonymous writing was common at the
time and many contemporary documents are "signed" by famous figures. The same is
true of the New Testament epistles except for a handful of letters from Paul (6
out of 13) which are broadly thought to be genuine. But even the gospel stories
don't actually say, "I was there." Rather, they claim the existence of other
witnesses, a phenomenon familiar to anyone who has heard the phrase, my aunt
knew someone who . . . .

4. The gospels, our only accounts of a historical Jesus, contradict each other.



If you think you know the Jesus story pretty well, I suggest that you pause at
this point to test yourself with the 20 question quiz at ExChristian.net.

The gospel of Mark is thought to be the earliest existing "life of Jesus," and
linguistic analysis suggests that Luke and Matthew both simply reworked Mark and
added their own corrections and new material. But they contradict each other
and, to an even greater degree contradict the much later gospel of John, because
they were written with different objectives for different audiences. The
incompatible Easter stories offer one example of how much the stories disagree.

5. Modern scholars who claim to have uncovered the real historical Jesus depict
wildly different persons.

They include a cynic philosopher, charismatic Hasid, liberal Pharisee,
conservative rabbi, Zealot revolutionary, and nonviolent pacifist to borrow from
a much longer list assembled by Price. In his words (pp. 15-16), "The historical
Jesus (if there was one) might well have been a messianic king, or a progressive
Pharisee, or a Galilean shaman, or a magus, or a Hellenistic sage. But he cannot
very well have been all of them at the same time." John Dominic Crossan of the
Jesus Seminar grumbles that "the stunning diversity is an academic
embarrassment."

For David Fitzgerald, these issues and more lead to a conclusion that he finds
inescapable:

> Jesus appears to be an effect, not a cause, of Christianity. Paul and the rest
> of the first generation of Christians searched the Septuagint translation of
> Hebrew scriptures to create a Mystery Faith for the Jews, complete with pagan
> rituals like a Lord's Supper, Gnostic terms in his letters, and a personal
> savior god to rival those in their neighbors' longstanding Egyptian, Persian,
> Hellenistic and Roman traditions.

In a soon-to-be-released follow up to Nailed, entitled Jesus: Mything in Action,
Fitzgerald argues that the many competing versions proposed by secular scholars
are just as problematic as any "Jesus of Faith:"

> Even if one accepts that there was a real Jesus of Nazareth, the question has
> little practical meaning: Regardless of whether or not a first century rabbi
> called Yeshua ben Yosef lived, the "historical Jesus" figures so patiently
> excavated and re-assembled by secular scholars are themselves fictions.

We may never know for certain what put Christian history in motion. Only time
(or perhaps time travel) will tell.



____________________________

Author's note: Not being an insider to this debate, my own inclination is to
defer to the preponderance of relevant experts while keeping in mind that
paradigm shifts do occur. This means that until either the paradigm shift
happens or I become a relevant expert myself, I shall assume that the Jesus
stories probably had some historical kernel. That said, I find the debate
fascinating for several reasons: For one, it offers a glimpse of the methods
scholars use to analyze ancient texts. Also, despite the heated back and forth
between mythicists and historicists, their points of agreement may be more
significant than the difference between historicized mythology and mythologized
history. The presence of mythic tropes or legendary elements in the gospel
stories has been broadly accepted and documented, while the imprint of any
actual man who may have provided a historical kernel–how he may have lived, what
he may have said, and how he died–is more hazy than most people dream.

Valerie Tarico is a psychologist and writer in Seattle, Washington. She is the
author of Trusting Doubt: A Former Evangelical Looks at Old Beliefs in a New
Light and Deas and Other Imaginings, and the founder of www.WisdomCommons.org.
Subscribe to her articles at Awaypoint.Wordpress.com.


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MOBILE, ALABAMA: A former Catholic priest who gained attention for leaving his
post and departing for Italy with an 18-year-old girl has now become the subject
of a thorough investigation by local law enforcement in Mobile, Alabama.

The Mobile County Sheriff's Office is delving into the complexities of the case,
unveiling a web of letters, emotions, and theological expressions that has
captured public interest.


WHO IS ALEX CROW?

Alex Crow, 30, was officially defrocked in July by the Archdiocese of Mobile.
Ordained in June 2021, Crow's abrupt departure from his priestly duties has
prompted an investigation into his actions and motivations.




In a statement released by the Archdiocese of Mobile, it was declared that Crow
had abandoned his priestly assignment, leading to his defrocking. 

"Fr Alex Crow abandoned his assignment in the Archdiocese," the statement,
obtained by AL.com, reads. "His behavior is totally unbecoming of a priest. He
has been informed by the archbishop that he may no longer exercise ministry as a
priest, nor to tell people he is a priest, nor to dress as a priest."

Crow's departure took an even more dramatic turn as the Archdiocese reported the
circumstances of his defrocking to the Mobile County District Attorney's Office.
The exact nature of these circumstances has not been fully disclosed, but they
have added to the public interest surrounding the case.


ALEX CROW'S LETTERS

New developments have emerged with the release of letters allegedly penned by
Crow, shedding light on his relationship with the young woman.




In one of these letters, addressed to the recent graduate from McGill-Toolen
High School, Crow expressed his love and affection in theological terms.

He wrote, "You have made my life both astronomically more complicated and
incredibly better at the same time. You are his gift to me."

The letter detailed a sense of profound connection and protection, echoing a
fatherly sentiment.

Crow continued, "Before we fell in love, I promised to always care for you and
protect you, like a father. I still look at you and see a child, but in the best
way imaginable. You are mine - no one else's, and I will always be a father to
you until I die."


 

Sheriff Paul Burch revealed that this letter, sent on Valentine's Day, was
composed when the girl was a 17-year-old senior at the Catholic high school. The
letter hinted at a deeper relationship, suggesting that the two had engaged in
some form of marriage ceremony.



Crow allegedly wrote, "Now, we are in love and we are married! I've never been
in love before (and I've never been married, obviously!), and I've never felt
any of the feelings I have for you for anyone ever in my entire life."


ALEX CROW'S RATIONALE FOR LEAVING POST

The complexities continued to unfold in a second letter, this one addressed to
an individual named "Joshua." In this letter, Crow indicated that he believed
Jesus wanted him to leave, and he was complying with this directive.

He stated, "It is hard to suddenly leave everything behind, but this is what He
is demanding, and I cannot deny Him."

The second letter indicated that the young woman was also involved in this
decision to leave.

Crow wrote, "[Redacted] has been told to come with me. We know how this looks,
but we are doing what we are told. Do not worry about defending us. This is hard
for her too, but she knows she will always be safe if she does Jesus' Will."




Despite initial indications that Crow and the young woman were found in Italy
staying in separate bedrooms, and with no apparent grounds for criminal charges,
the nature the investigation has changed. The sheriff's office is now
re-evaluating the case, spurred by the emergence of the letters.

As the investigation deepens, the Mobile County District Attorney's Office is
closely collaborating with the sheriff's office to ensure the integrity of the
case, according to Law&Crime.




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