Wikipedia

User:Jbolden1517/CM/Chart

< User:Jbolden1517

The goal of this page is to create a chart for the Christ myth theory article. This is a community page, if you have input feel free to edit

The chart is now in the article and has had several direct edits. This page should be considered defunct.

Chart edit

The chart below describes the Christ myth theory and contrasts it with conservative Christianity and mainstream scholarship to help clarify the points of dispute. All 3 columns represent broad positions, generalizations and averages and there are exceptions to each point for virtually every author.


Orthodox Christianity Mainstream Scholarship Christ Myth theory
Jesus was both man and God incarnate in a hypostatic union [1][2] Jesus was a man who came to be seen as God[3][2] Jesus was a God who came to be seen as a man [4][2]
Gospels are a historical record written by or based on Jesus' followers [5][6] Gospels are later works based on materials written by or based on Jesus' followers[7] Gospels are works composed theologically containing little or anything that occurred in an earthly sense.[8][9][10]
The book of Acts is an accurate record of early Christian development[5][11] The book of Acts is propaganda but the basic story of the Jerusalem church spreading out under Paul is correct [12][13][14] The book of Acts is almost entirely fiction, Christianity came out of Alexandria [15]
The first Christians practiced the "Judaism" of the old testament in Palestine The first Christians were Pharisees or Essenes in Palestine[16][17] Christianity emerged from Hellenistic Judaism most likely in Alexandria.[18][19]
Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy spirit.[1][20][21] Jesus was likely born of Mary, the virgin birth was a later add on, with authors split as to the reason. [22][21] Jesus was associated with savior God's who are frequently have unusual births, so he was born of a virgin[21]
Jesus is the Logos of God through whom all things were made. [1] Jesus was a normal human being, who had no part in the creation of the universe[23] Jesus is the Logos of Yahweh, and the Logos was the mechanism certain Hellenistic Jews attributed to the creation.
Jesus rose in the 3rd day after his crucifixion in fulfillment of the scriptures.[1] Jesus died on the cross but his followers continued to have spiritual experiences and saw his resurrection as being fulfilled. He may also have believed during his life he would rise. Jesus is a creation of scriptures and thus fulfills them. Further his broader type (corn god) dies and rises again.[24][25]
Jesus would not fulfill the military mission during his life but, He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.[1] Jesus did not see the messiah as having a military role and reinterpreted these passages spiritually. He did however believe that God would provide miracles to fulfill the military function of the messiah. Salvation was understood in a non material sense by Jewish Gnosticism and this carried through to early Christianity. When later the title messiah was applied apocalyptic literature featuring Jesus (for example Revelations) was created.[26]
Non canonical works are generally 2nd and 3rd century written by heretics under the influence of Satan.[27] Non canonical works are generally 2nd and 3rd century written by heretics under the influence of Hellenism. They should not be treated as informative of anything other than alternate fringe views. Non canonical works represent different strands of Christianity and give us insights into the multiplicity of forms of early Christianity. They are authentic and should be given weight in the study of early Christianity. [28][29]
Progression of beliefs:[30]
  1. Hasidean Judaism
  2. Palestinian Judaism
  3. Jewish Christianity
  4. Orthodox Christianity
  5. Christian Gnosticism
 Progression of beliefs: [31][32][33]
  1. Hasidean Judaism
  2. Pharisaic and/or Essene Judaism
  3. Jewish Christianity
  4. Pauline Christianity
  5. Orthodox Christianity & Christian Gnosticism
 Progression of beliefs:[34]
  1. Hellenized Judaism
  2. Hellenistic Judaism
  3. Gnosticising Jews
  4. Christian Gnosticism
  5. Orthodox Christianity
Comparative mythological elements are historic fact. The existence of pre-existing myth is the result of demonic imitation[35] or divine foreshadowing[36] Myths of all types were added on to embellish Jesus' biography..[37] Hellenistic Judaism was a synthetic religion and had absorbed myths of all types, hence Jesus biography was constructed from myths of all types
Ideas originated in traditional Christianity Ideas originated in liberal Christianity[38] Ideas originated among the anti-religious: atheists, freethinkers, deists [39], often in response to the "quest for this historical Jesus" of mainstream scholarship.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Nicene Creed, 381 version with comparison to 325 apostle's creed
  2. ^ a b c S, Acharya (1999). The Christ Conspiracy. Canada: Adventures Unlimited Press. pp. 12–23. ISBN 0-932813-74-7.
  3. ^ McKnight, Scot (1996). "Who is Jesus? An Introduction to Jesus Studies". In Michael J Wilkins, J P Moreland (ed.). Jesus Under Fire. Zondervan. p. 144. ISBN 0-310-21139-5.
  4. ^ Putting the Jesus Puzzle Together in 12 Easy Pieces Earl Doherty
  5. ^ a b Pope Pius X (September 8, 1907), "Pascendi Dominici Gregis (", Vatican
  6. ^ See Biblical inerrancy for an extended discussion
  7. ^ McKnight, Scot (1996). "Who is Jesus? An Introduction to Jesus Studies". In Michael J Wilkins, J P Moreland (ed.). Jesus Under Fire. Zondervan. pp. 73–8. ISBN 0-310-21139-5.
  8. ^ Doherty(1999) Chapter 22, The Gospels as Midrash and Symbolism see also online The Evolution of Jesus of Nazareth
  9. ^ Wells(1996) Chapter 5, The Gospel of Mark: History of Dogma?
  10. ^ Murdock (1999) Throughout the book, especially p 12-23
  11. ^ See Biblical inerrancy for an extended discussion
  12. ^ See Acts_of_the_Apostles#Historicity for further details
  13. ^ Fashioning Jewish identity in medieval western Christendom, Robert Chazan page 48 online
  14. ^ McKenzie, Steven L. (2005). How to Read the Bible. NY, NY 10016: Oxford University Press US. pp. 64–5. ISBN 0195161491.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. ^ Doherty, Earl, Tracing the Christian Lineage in Alexandria
  16. ^ Asserts Pharisees,Theissen, Gerd (1998). The historical Jesus. Great Britain: Fortress Press. ISBN 0800631226. 9780800631222. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Maccoby, Hyam (1986). The Mythmaker. San Fransisco: HarperCollins. pp. 29–44. ISBN 0-76070-787-1.
  18. ^ {cite web | last = Doherty | first = Earl | authorlink = Earl Doherty | title = Tracing the Christian Lineage in Alexandria | date = | url = http://jesuspuzzle.humanists.net/supp05.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate = March 29, 2009}}
  19. ^ Friedlander, Moritz (1898 (1972)). Der vorchristliche judische Gnosticismus. Gottengen: Vandenhoeck & Roprecht reprint Farnborough: Gregg International. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) see also Pearson (1990) Chapter 1
  20. ^ Machen, J Gresham (November 1987). The Virgin Birth of Christ. James Clarke Company. p. 1. ISBN 0227676300.
  21. ^ a b c "Virgin Birth". Baker's Evangelical Dictionary. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  22. ^ Horrell, David G. (2006). An introduction to the study of Paul. T. & T. Clark Publishers. pp. 63–5. ISBN 0567040836.
  23. ^ Bromling, Brad (March 1995), "Jesus: Truly God and Truly Human", Apologetics Press :: Reason & Revelation, 15[3]: 17–20
  24. ^ Allen, Grant (1897). The Evolution of the Idea of God. New York: Henry Holt. pp. 378–408.
  25. ^ Graves, Robert (1948). [[The White Goddess|The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth]]. United Kingdom: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 157–9. ISBN 0374504938. {{cite book}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  26. ^ Case, Shirley Jackson (1912). The Historicity of Jesus. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 148. ISBN 9780598688019.
  27. ^ Saint Irenaeus Adversus Haereses online
  28. ^ The Truth at the Heart of 'The Da Vinci Code' Elaine Pagels San Jose Mercury News. online
  29. ^ For example: His Gospel was presumably the collection of sayings in use among the Pauline churches of his day. Of course the patristic writers say that Marcion mutilated Luke's version; but it is almost impossible to believe that, if he did this, so keen a critic as Marcion should have retained certain verses which made against his strong anti-Judaistic views. G. R. S. Mead, Fragments of a Faith Forgotten [1]
  30. ^ Urban, Linwood (1995). A Short History of Christian Thought (rev and expanded). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195093488.
  31. ^ Mack, Burton L. (1996). Who Wrote the New Testament?: The Making of the Christian Myth. San Francisco: HarperOne. ISBN 0060655186.
  32. ^ Carmichael, Joel (1992). The Birth of Christianity: Reality and Myth. Dorset Press. ISBN 0880297387.
  33. ^ Wilson, A.N. (1993). New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 239–56. ISBN 0449908070. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ^ Bauer, Walter (1934 (english 1964)). Rechtgläubigkeit und Ketzerei im ältesten Christentum (Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity). Germany (English from Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins): J.C.B.Mohr. ISBN 0962364274. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Justin Martyr, First apology Ch 20-5
  36. ^ C.S. Lewis, Miracle online discussion.
  37. ^ Wilson, A. N. (1998). "The School of Paul". Paul, The Mind of the Apostle. New York: W. W. Norton & Company (April 1998). pp. 229–39. ISBN 0393317609.
  38. ^ Boa, Kenneth Kenboa.org. "Letting Go:Liberal Christianity-Retreating from the Faith". Retrieved March 29, 2009. {{cite web}}: External link in |first= (help)
  39. ^ Van Voorst (2000) p 16
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Jbolden1517/CM/Chart&oldid=1168404889"