A Christian Response by Stephen J. Bedard
One of the best refutations of the Jesus Myth Theory is book that does not even address the JMT directly but is still devastating to it. This is Mystery Cults of the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden. Religion in the Greco-Roman world took various forms. There was the formal worship of the Olympian gods that … Read More “Mystery Cults of the Ancient World – Review” »
When it comes to responding to the Jesus Myth Theory, two of the main ways is to increase your understanding of mythology and of the Bible. Both are very important as in my experience, Mythicists tend to misrepresent both. When it comes to mythology, I generally recommend classics textbooks or other books on mythology by … Read More “Classical Mythology: Images & Insights” »
One of the most prominent Jesus Mythicists is Richard Carrier. He is one of the few Mythicists with a PhD is a relevant field. Christopher M. Hansen reviews his book, Jesus From Outer Space in the McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry. Hansen has some valid criticisms of Carrier’s book.
Oriental Mythology is the second of the four volume The Masks of God written by Joseph Campbell. Campbell in general, and this series in particular, is very popular among Jesus Mythicists. Campbell, a literary scholar, sought to find the commonality among all of the worlds myths. He believed that there was a monomyth, a common … Read More “The Masks of God: Oriental Mythology” »
One of the parts of the Jesus Myth Theory is that the (supposed) similarities to pagan myths argues against the historicity of the events being described. There are two completely separate categories: myth and history. You can only be one or the other. But is it as clear as that? Did the ancients understand their … Read More “Did the Greeks Believe in Their Myths?” »
J. Warner Wallace is unique among Christian apologists. Pretty much anyone can do their homework and come up with a decent argument for the existence of God or the resurrection of Jesus. But Wallace brings his background as a cold case detective to his apologetics and this makes his work particularly compelling. This does not … Read More “Person of Interest – Review” »
I have recently gone through the Dictionary of the Ancient Greek World by David Sacks. This is an extremely helpful resource for anyone interested in the world of ancient Greece. The entries are not overly long or technical but they do reflect solid scholarship. The dictionary is published by Oxford University Press and so it … Read More “Dictionary of the Ancient Greek World – Review” »
One of the the biggest problems with the Jesus Myth Theory is not just a misunderstanding of the Bible but a misunderstanding of how history was done in the ancient world. That is why I recommend A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography. This reference volume is not written by Christians (that I know of) … Read More “A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography” »
I believe the starting point for responding to the Jesus Myth Theory is an understanding of both historical Jesus studies and ancient mythology. One tool for you may be Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction. I like the Very Short Introduction series. I’ve read a number of them and look for them whenever I’m in … Read More “Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction” »
A recently finished reading The Jesus Mysteries: Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God? by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. First the good part. The book is interesting and the authors are obviously very passionate about their subject. Also, unlike Tom Harpur’s Pagan Christ, which basically makes the same claims, this book is very well … Read More “Jesus Mysteries” »
