Search for "brodie"

Making of a Mythicist, Act 5, Scene 1 (Explaining Christian Origins Without Jesus)

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. This post begins with the final section of Brodie’s book, Part V, Glimmers of Shadowed Reality: Some steps towards clarifying Christianity’s origin and meaning. In this final section Thomas Brodie attempts to offer an explanation for … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist, Act 5, Scene 1 (Explaining Christian Origins Without Jesus)”

Paul’s Letters As Sources for Acts (Acts Seminar Report)

The Acts Seminar Report (Acts and Christian Beginnings) maintains that, contrary to the view that has long been widely held among biblical scholars, the author of Acts (with the routine caveats we call him Luke) did know and use the letters of Paul. I begin with some comments by one of the Acts Seminar Fellows, … Continue reading “Paul’s Letters As Sources for Acts (Acts Seminar Report)”

Top Ten Findings of the Acts Seminar

The Acts Seminar was a Westar Institute sequel to the Jesus Seminar. It met between March 2000 and March 2011. It was charged with the task to develop methods for determining the reliability of Acts and produce a comprehensive guide to Acts as history. (Acts and Christian Beginnings: The Acts Seminar Report, p. 1) The … Continue reading “Top Ten Findings of the Acts Seminar”

Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Jesus in Greco-Roman Sources & General Conclusions

. Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. This post concludes chapter 17 where Brodie is analysing John Meier’s work, A Marginal Jew, as representative of the best that has been produced by notable scholars on the historical Jesus. Brodie’s discussion of the … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Jesus in Greco-Roman Sources & General Conclusions”

Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . The Evidence of Josephus

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. In chapter 17 Brodie is analysing John Meier’s work, A Marginal Jew, as representative of the best that has been produced by notable scholars on the historical Jesus. We saw from the opening post on Brodie’s … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . The Evidence of Josephus”

Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Was Jesus a Carpenter?

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. In chapter 17 Brodie is analysing John Meier’s work, A Marginal Jew, as representative of the best that has been produced by notable scholars on the historical Jesus. Brodie subtitles this section with: Sceptics See Only … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Was Jesus a Carpenter?”

Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Did Jesus Model Himself on Elijah?

. Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. . Brodie is analysing John Meier’s work, A Marginal Jew, as representative of the best that has been produced by notable scholars on the historical Jesus. Having begun by identifying the two key problems of … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Did Jesus Model Himself on Elijah?”

Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Unreliable Criteria

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. (I am breaking up Brodie’s chapter 17 into a series of smaller posts, and adding more of my own commentary in the process. I hope I keep the distinction between my own thoughts and Brodie’s clear.) … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Unreliable Criteria”

Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 6 (Two Key Problems with Historical Jesus Studies)

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. Chapter 17 A MARGINAL JEW: RETHINKING THE HISTORICAL JESUS — THE MONUMENTAL WORK OF JOHN P. MEIER Thomas Brodie selects for discussion John Meier’s work, A Marginal Jew, as representative of the best work that has … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 6 (Two Key Problems with Historical Jesus Studies)”

Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 5 (How Paul Was Made)

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. Chapter 16 PAUL: THE PENNY FINALLY DROPS The last post in this series concluded with If Brodie’s analyses are correct then it is clear that the epistles and Luke cannot be taken at face value in … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 5 (How Paul Was Made)”

The Propaganda War Against Mythicism

As their weapon of choice against the Christ Myth hypothesis (“mythicism”), theologians, religion and Biblical scholars appear from where I stand to regularly deploy the instruments of propaganda. The motivations appear to me to be to maintain their status and reputation in a society infested with critical and anti-establishment influences, and their control over the … Continue reading “The Propaganda War Against Mythicism”

Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 4 (The Crumbling Evidence for Paul)

Continuing the series on Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery, archived here. . Chapter 15 PAUL’S BIOGRAPHY – INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT . Chapter 15 of Thomas Brodie’s discovery memoir (Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discovery) surveys what can happen when one applies comparative literary … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 4 (The Crumbling Evidence for Paul)”

Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 3 (Deeps Below, Storms Ahead)

Chapter 14 THE SHIPPING FORECAST: DEEPS BELOW AND A STORM AHEAD . Chapter 14 of Thomas Brodie’s Memoir of a Discovery is probably one of the volume’s most significant and it is to be regretted that some of Brodie’s critics have so totally avoided its message. This chapter strikes at the heart of what most … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 3 (Deeps Below, Storms Ahead)”

Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 2 (“What Is Rule One?”)

Chapter 13 The Quest for History: Rule One . The theme of chapter 13 in Thomas Brodie’s Beyond the Quest for the Historical Jesus: Memoir of a Discover syncs well with a recurring theme on this blog. I have posted on it repeatedly and alluded to it constantly. I even posted on the contents of … Continue reading “Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 2 (“What Is Rule One?”)”

"I think you have a high quality blog that provides a positive public service by discussing academic topics within a wider audience."

— Russell Gmirkin, – October 2016
"Fantastic. I’m so glad you’re helping to spread these ideas!"

Nancy Fraser - June 2019 (personal email)
"Neil, You’ve done a clean job in your posting on ‘Jesus the Healer’. It reflects well on you. Best, John"

— John Moles, September 2011 (personal email)
This is superb work, Neil, and reminds me of Albert Schweitzer’s work from a century ago. . . . .

I commend you for being the first to even TRY to translate Bruno Bauer’s brilliant Kritik der Evangelien und Geschichte ihres Ursprungs, which is now more than 150 years old.

. . . . .Thank you for your historic effort.

-- Paul Trejo, M.A., - November 2022
Editor, An English Edition of Bruno Bauer’s 1843 Christianity Exposed
"Neil, in my mature judgement (I am now an old man), this fine 4-part study is a brilliant reworking, an instructive restatement of Hayden White’s Metahistory (and his subsequent writings). Your critique of certain historiographic representations as imbedded in the case study of the “scientistic”, “empirical” Richard Carrier provides a solid starting point for the more honest “fictive” reading of the New Testament that you encourage. Your last paragraph is a very intelligent call to sensitive readers of these texts. I suspect a whole generation of biblical students has been educated without the insights provided by the incomparable White. Bravo!"

-- Timothy Bagley, - November 2024
"I’d like to thank you for this very nice representation of what I was trying to show in the book. It’s always gratifying when a reader zeroes in on exactly those aspects I thought were most interesting and most central to my argument. Thank you for this careful and engaged reading of my work – much appreciated!"

— Eva Mroczek, – June 2017
"Note that I do not use the term ‘amateur’ pejoratively. . . . In fact, Godfrey is extremely well read and his librarian skills have brought many important academic works to my attention."

Raphael Lataster - August 2019
"I’ve even been cited by atheists with approval (which I really don’t know how to take, so thanks, I think, but I’m not sure, Vrider (even though I feel like I need to take a shower now))."

-- Jim West, – September 2010
"Thanks much for this book review. I think it expands, and contributes to, the effort in honouring Thomas that we with Lukasz originally had in mind with this volume. Best, Emanuel"

-- Emanuel Pfoh - August 2020
"By the way, my thanks to Neil for an ongoing superb job of exposing Jim’s review for what it is: a farcical and none too effective exercise in mythicism assassination, nothing to do with rational, let alone unbiased, scholarship. I’m also happy to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due."

— Earl Doherty, June 2011
"I have found your website really valuable as an interpretive filter for Biblical scholarship, especially the origins of Christianity and historicity of Jesus issue. Your clarity of expression, fair comments and personal insights are much valued. I refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book purchases. So, please continue to delve deeply and share this intellectual sustenance with your grateful readers."

— Mary Booker, – February 2020 (personal email)
"For an excellent example of generally high-quality scholarship by someone who isn’t a biblical studies professor, see Neil Godfrey’s work posted on the website vridar.org."

— Tom Dykstra, – JOCABS 2015
"I still wonder at all the material you turn out for Vridar. The more I read your stuff (and I still do, of course), the more I realize how much we all owe you. Your voice is unique."

— Earl Doherty, November 2013 (personal email)
"Here I give an admittedly subjective short list, in random order, of useful, high level and regularly updated weblogs on the study of the Old Testament . . . ‘Vridar: Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science’ (http://vridar.org/) by Neil Godfrey"

-- Klaas Spronk, - Bibliotheca Orientalis LXXI, 3/4 (2014)
https://earlywritings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=145080#p145080
Neil made a good synthesis of the work without being an “expert” of the field.

-- Enrico Tuccinardi, - October 2022
"These reviews of yours are so bloody weird!"

— James Crossley, – April 2010
"Vridar is consistently thought-provoking, well-informed, and asking the right questions. There are intelligent, thoughtful comments and commenters regularly offering productive discussion. Books and publications are covered with a range of perspectives with attempts at fair and accurate representation of others’ arguments and content (where there are occasional and inevitable missteps on that I notice Neil making corrections and apologies where warranted, which wins points with me). Please carry on."

— Gregory Doudna, – January 2019
"Neil, this is actually rather useful. Good job."

— R. Joseph Hoffmann, – June 2014
"Thanks for your very elaborate review! I realized that I hadn’t added your blog to our blogroll. This oversight has been corrected. Looking forward to more segments."

— Anthony Le Donne, – September 2009
It is worth saying another word of appreciation here for Neil Godfrey's effort to make Bruno Bauer accessible in English.

-- Peter Kirby, - May 2023
"I want to say here that this site is so resourceful and highly on top of the most modern scholarship in the areas discussed here. . . I know of no other site which offers a wide range of topics related to careful critical analysis of historically and scripturally related issues."

-- Martin Lewadny, - March 2009
"Neil, for what it is worth it is obvious to me that if you had earlier in life tracked into a graduate program at one of the world’s leading research universities you would be one of the world’s formidable ones. You are doing essentially the same quality now (apart from the philology and languages) except mostly sticking to commenting on others’ work as informed comment/discussion."

— Gregory Doudna, – January 2019
"Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at Vridar . . . happen to be some of the most astute and well-read amateurs you can read on the internet on the subject of biblical historicity. I call them amateurs only for the reason that they don’t have, so far as I know, advanced degrees in the subject. But I have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship. I don’t always agree with them, but I respect their work."

— Richard Carrier, – March 2014
"Many thanks for this post, and for the quality of your blog."

— Philippe Wajdenbaum, – November 2018
"Thanks for this detailed interaction! I’ll try to offer something more substantial than 'Thank you' in response at some point, but I didn’t want to wait . . . to express appreciation for your detailed interaction with what I’ve written!"

— James McGrath, – June 2009
"I always enjoy reading Neil’s blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest."

— April DeConick, – November 2007
Congratulations, Vridar, . . . I declare, Vridar, your own hard work translating Bruno Bauer will make a major difference in future studies of Bruno Bauer and the evolution of Hegel’s philosophy of religion.

-- Paul Trejo, - April 2023
"I find your blog most interesting and appreciate your ongoing effort to keep to the evidence for the issues discussed!"

-- Thomas L. Thompson, - April 2020
"Very good. This post is going straight to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival."

—N.T. Wrong, – March 2016

Andrew Dabrowski on Do the Dead Sea Scrolls Invalidate a Hellenistic Origin of the Hebrew Books of the Bible?: “Regardless of the dating of the DSS, there must have been multiple earlier sources that were woven into the Pentateuch…” Sep 6, 15:39
Hobart Baker on That Second Question Frank Zindler Wanted to Ask Bart Ehrman: “In a recent interview, Mythicist Richard Carrier says he is presenting evidence in a forthcoming book (2025 or after) that…” Sep 5, 18:54
ABuddhist on Defending Russell Gmirkin’s Hellenistic Dating of the Old Testament – Part 3: “I have a book, entitled “Laughing at the Dao,” in which a Buddhist refuter of Daoism points out that an…” Sep 5, 16:22
Doug Kappeler on Defending Russell Gmirkin’s Hellenistic Dating of the Old Testament – Part 7: “On this expanded view of the Hellenization process in multiple directions, one is reminded of the genetic advances now untangling…” Sep 5, 14:59
Doug Kappeler on Defending Russell Gmirkin’s Hellenistic Dating of the Old Testament – Part 3: “Inspiring as always, great to see the simple logical fact-based approach expounded in light of Dever’s circular apologetics. And of…” Sep 5, 14:00
Neil Godfrey on The Simon Bar Kochba Rebellion: “I’ve left you with the last word above. As for other comments of yours I have held them back from…” Sep 5, 10:42
KuudereKun on The Simon Bar Kochba Rebellion: “I don’t have a pre existing theory that lead to these observations, I’m simply spitting them off as they come…” Sep 4, 23:08
Neil Godfrey on The Simon Bar Kochba Rebellion: “There’s a thing called “confirmation bias”. It means that when we have a suspicion or theory in our minds to…” Sep 4, 22:51
Neil Godfrey on The Simon Bar Kochba Rebellion: “A more rational question to explore would be why do we see the differences in references in various sources and…” Sep 4, 22:40

Search Results for: brodie

Making of a Mythicist, Act 5, Scene 1 (Explaining Christian Origins Without Jesus)

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Paul’s Letters As Sources for Acts (Acts Seminar Report)

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Top Ten Findings of the Acts Seminar

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Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Jesus in Greco-Roman Sources & General Conclusions

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Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . The Evidence of Josephus

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Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Was Jesus a Carpenter?

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Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Did Jesus Model Himself on Elijah?

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Making of a Mythicist — ch 17 . . . Unreliable Criteria

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Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 6 (Two Key Problems with Historical Jesus Studies)

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Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 5 (How Paul Was Made)

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The Propaganda War Against Mythicism

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Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 4 (The Crumbling Evidence for Paul)

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Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 3 (Deeps Below, Storms Ahead)

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Making of a Mythicist, Act 4, Scene 2 (“What Is Rule One?”)

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