There are some people who strongly embrace the Jesus Myth Theory even though the majority of people do not. I realize that this is not just a numbers game. Having said that, the numbers do say something.
But what I want to focus on is the kind of people who either reject or accept the Jesus Myth.
Who rejects the Jesus Myth?
Mythicists are quick to tell us that some of the most vocal proponents for a historical Jesus are pastors and seminary professors. This makes sense and they obviously have some bias in that. There would be some career implications if the claimed that Jesus never existed.
But what other kinds of professions generally reject the Jesus Myth?
- Historians
- Classicists
- Egyptologists
- Scholars of Judaism
- Archaeologists
- Religious Studies Scholars
None of these disciplines require a belief in a historical Jesus, and by far, people in these disciplines accept that Jesus existed.
Who accepts the Jesus Myth?
The Jesus Myth Theory did not begin with biblical scholars or historians but with independent philosophers embracing the secularization of France in wake of the revolution.
Today, if a supporter of the Jesus Myth Theory is an academic of any type, they are often an independent scholar. By that I mean that they write and research on their topic but do not teach in a recognized university.
There are are also people who are scholars in areas that are not directly related to the Jesus Myth Theory but have an interest in this topic and so use their research skills for this purpose.
The majority of Mythicists are laypeople who are attracted to the theory for various reasons. They may be atheists but many of some sort of spiritual beliefs. They may be bloggers, vloggers, or podcasters.
Now none of this means that laypeople have nothing intelligent to say. I will even admit that laypeople and scholars in other areas may have insight missed by professional scholars in the relevant areas.
But these things are worth taking into account.
