And while we’re looking at updates to recent books, R. G. Price has an informative webpage for his book Deciphering the Gospels. It’s an active page, too, meaning Price is regularly adding to it in responses to common criticisms. Click on the image to pay a visit.
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If MARK was from Paul or his sect, why does it not present Jesus as a transformed deity, as in Phil. 2:7 (“”emptied Himself, taking the form (Greek μορφὴν) of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Phil. 2:7
The Greeks used the morphe to describe the gods changed their appearance. The gods change their forms (morphe), e.g. Aphrodite, Demeter and Dionysus, even Zeus takes on the form of a swan, to seduce Leda.
The transformation of the LOGOS into flesh in JOHN is closer to Paul’s idea.
I cannot speak for R.G. Price but my own response is that the idea you are asking about points to what was believed to be a real event, a heavenly figure transforming himself into a human form in the same way Greek gods were said to do. But the Gospel of Mark does not attempt to present itself as a “true story” of such a figure from heaven, but only makes sense when read as a parable, or symbolically. I have addressed this a number of times and should make an annotated bibliography to refer to in future. If one wants to read the Gospel of Mark as a “true story” one has to continually imagine scenes and activity and words that are simply nowhere expressed in the gospel to fill in the details and make sense of the various scenarios.
The Gospel of Mark was a parable or metaphorical tale (as Price points out in his book) and therefore is not concerned with questions of the “reality” of what Paul and his followers believed about such a figure.
I look forward to posts at that blog. I enjoyed the “Jesus Evidence” article that Price wrote, it’s a great introduction to the idea of mythicism (for those who are skeptical or curious about it).
http://www.rationalrevolution.net/articles/jesus_evidence.htm
Just so you guys are aware, Steven Pinker tweeted about my book last week, which turned into an amusing thread on twitter: https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/1066575494164865025
Where is the amusing stuff? I see only hostility towards you that you do not deserve.
Haha, well, its really a reaction more to the topic than anything else. I found it amusing anyway :p
For what it is worth, I plan to buy your book – but when is the next hard copy version being released?
Actually I’m not sure what happens if you order a copy right now. The preview image on Amazon is still the first edition, but the book is printed on demand, so you may get the second edition. I really don’t know.
“Yes, because when has a self-published book by a completely unqualified nobody that goes against the consensus of scholarship ever been wrong? Yawn.”
High praise indeed, I’d stick that on the jacket! 🙂
Hi Tim!
When FtB and The Grauniad come out against you, you know you are doing something right!:-)
I have confirmed that if you order a book on Amazon now you will get the 2nd edition, even though its still showing the preview of the first edition.
Would this apply to Lulu also?
Yes.
Tom Holland has been at the bottle methinks – https://twitter.com/holland_tom/status/1067017705885261825
‘In the Shadow of the Sword’ was a fine piece of nuanced history but I was being charitable above; the bloke seems to have become another barking loon.
That’s sad but unsurprising about Tom Holland. It was clear from some of his writings and interviews in recent years that he does see Christianity as an artefact that needs defending ideologically and not just historically. As someone who has read and loved his history books I would love to address the question of historical evidence and Christian origins face-to-face with him.