Overview

Did Jesus exist? In recent years there has been a massive upsurge in public discussion of the view that Jesus did not exist. This view first found a voice in the 19th century, when Christian views were no longer taken for granted. Some way into the 20th century, this school of thought was largely thought to have been utterly refuted by the results of respectable critical scholarship (from both secular and religious scholars). Now, many unprofessional scholars and bloggers ('mythicists'), are gaining an increasingly large following for a view many think to be unsupportable. It is starting to influence the academy, more than that it is starting to influence the views of the public about a crucial historical figure. Maurice Casey, one of the most important Historical Jesus scholars of his generation takes the 'mythicists' to task in this landmark publication. Casey argues neither from a religious respective, nor from that of a committed atheist. Rather he seeks to provide a clear view of what can be said about Jesus, and of what can't.

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9780567294586

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The book may prove useful to non-specialists confronted by the bewildering claim that Jesus never existed. -- Jason Maston, Highland Theological College University of the Highlands & Islands, UK * Theological Book Review * After much online polemic levelled at academic attempts to reconstruct the life and teaching of Jesus, Maurice Casey, a leading expert in historical Jesus studies and Christian origins, has responded with equal ferocity. Casey not only challenges some bizarre misreadings of critical scholarship he also brings his expertise and experience to analyses of a range of ancient sources. What is distinctively new about this book, and of significance for future research on strands within the phenomenon of “mythicism” is his examination of Christian “fundamentalist” backgrounds of certain conspiracy theorists who retain all the hallmarks of “fundamentalism” by a staunch refusal to listen to positions with which they do not agree and which they relentlessly misrepresent. This book will certainly generate some heated debate! * James Crossley, University of Sheffield, UK * In his latest book, Maurice Casey brings his great expertise in historical Jesus studies to bear on the phenomenon of mythicism, the claim that Jesus of Nazareth never existed. Although mythicism is universally rejected by professional historians, it is surprisingly popular on the internet and in a small number of self-published books. Casey's book offers both the scholarly detail needed to deal with the subject seriously, and the sarcastic wit appropriate to the character of the phenomenon. The result is not only informative but also entertaining. Casey's book provides a clear and sufficiently detailed explanation of what mainstream scholarly conclusions are, why and how they are reached, and why professions in the field all but universally find the denialist alternative not merely unpersuasive, but failing to even implement the appropriate methods of scholarly investigation and argument. * James F. McGrath, Butler University, USA *

Maurice Casey strategically lays out his research on the existence of Jesus as a historical person against arguments made by mythicists, or those who do not believe Jesus ever lived. Casey brings to his study a unique depth of knowledge about the Bible, the time in which it was written, and the Aramaic language the book provides a wealth of powerful arguments and background information, all of value to the interested reader readers will be rewarded with an abundance of thought-provoking information by which to better understand the biblical context and reasons to believe Jesus is a person, not a myth. -Melody Diehl Detar, Catholic Library World Casey has accomplished [his] purpose with a thorough and rigorous examination of the arguments of his opponents, and with enough wit and flair to make the process far less tedious than such thorough examinations usually are a masterful and masterfully executed piece of critical scholarship -Nathan LaMontagne, Catholic University of America, Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Author Information

Maurice Casey is Professor of New Testament Languages and Literature at the University of Nottingham, UK. He has published extensively on the Son of Man problem, and more generally on reconstructing Aramaic traditions about Jesus from the Greek Gospels.

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