In the newly published volume — Varieties of Jesus Mythicism: Did He Even Exist? — you will find that the two closing chapters were written by Neil and me. Neil’s essay, entitled “A Rejoinder to James McGrath’s Case for Jesus” forms the penultimate chapter. Mine, “‘Everything Is Wrong with This’: The Legacy of Maurice Casey,” come in last. Our essays don’t necessarily advocate for mythicism (in any of its varieties), but instead, focus on the mistakes people have made and continue to make when arguing for the historicity of Jesus.
We’ll have more to say about it in the future. But for now, if you’re interested, the book is available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
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Tim Widowfield
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Brilliant – can’t wait to read your respective chapters!
And I suspect you two will enjoy mine as well (“Why Mythicsim Matters”)
-D
I just got the Kindle version. There isn’t a table of contents, unfortunately, but I scrolled through the chapters quickly to get a feel. It looks interesting, except for Atwill. Really? He’s included? Nevertheless, there are chapters by Fitzgerald, both Price’s (Robert and RG), DOHERTY!! (yay!!!), Huller plus a few others I’m less familiar with, and you and Neil. It should keep me out of trouble for a few days. ;-D
Later,
I just want to make the following note. I wrote my contribution for this shortly after the publication of Deciphering the Gospels, and before I got deep into the research for the new book I’m working on now. My views have changed significantly since I wrote the contribution for this book. I don’t think what I wrote for this is particularly problematic, but it doesn’t really reflect my current views on the Gospel origins. That’s fine, because I qualified my proposition: “The case I’ve laid out may not be entirely correct in every detail, but what is important here is that nothing about this model is outlandish or even novel.”
I stand by that. I don’t think what I laid out is correct, but it also wasn’t outlandish. For those who haven’t or won’t read it, I basically laid out a case for Mark having been written by an associate of Paul’s and for the other Gospels being derived from Mark through mundane ways and for rather obscure reasons. I would say now that I don’t think the writer of Mark was an associate of Paul’s, and that we have a much better understanding of the motivations behind the writing of Matthew, Luke and John than what I understood when I wrote that. I now view Matthew and Luke as having been derived from Marcion’s Gospel and written in opposition to Marcionism. John appears to be a “Gnostic”/Valentinian Gospel that was appropriated and revised into an orthodox form. So this views Matthew, Luke and John as appropriations of “heretical Gospels”. I still view Mark as the first of the recognizable Gospels, preceding Marcion’s Gospel.
Anyway, just wanted to put that out there. I haven’t received my copy yet so I haven’t read the other contributions yet.
Thanks again to John and Dr. Price for the opportunity.
Dear R.G., I read my Kindle copy of your contribution to John’s book. I’m eager to read what you now say are your thoughts on the origin of MARK. Can you email that to me at moore.bob[at]gmail.com ?
In the tradition of good old Gerardus Bolland, I shamelessly reject as profoundly uncritical all versions which require or promote the belief in Markan priority or a historical Paul, let alone pre-70 Palestinian roots of Christianity.
I suppose this renders the whole book unreadable for me.
I’ve ordered my copy. I’m looking forward to reading it while sitting beside the Christmas tree.
• 1Heidegger1! (29 May 2022). “The Christ Myth Theory”. Internet Infidels Discussion Board.