How the Gospels Became History: Jesus and Mediterranean Myths
- ISBN-10
- 0300249489
- ISBN-13
- 9780300249484
- Category
- Religion
- Pages
- 312
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2019-08-06
- Publisher
- Yale University Press
- Author
- M. David Litwa
Description
A compelling comparison of the gospels and Greco-Roman mythology which shows that the gospels were not perceived as myths, but as historical records Did the early Christians believe their myths? Like most ancient—and modern—people, early Christians made efforts to present their myths in the most believable ways. In this eye-opening work, M. David Litwa explores how and why what later became the four canonical gospels take on a historical cast that remains vitally important for many Christians today. Offering an in-depth comparison with other Greco-Roman stories that have been shaped to seem like history, Litwa shows how the evangelists responded to the pressures of Greco-Roman literary culture by using well-known historiographical tropes such as the mention of famous rulers and kings, geographical notices, the introduction of eyewitnesses, vivid presentation, alternative reports, and so on. In this way, the evangelists deliberately shaped myths about Jesus into historical discourse to maximize their believability for ancient audiences.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
An American Carpenter's Story: One baby boomers life changing spiritual journey
By William DarrochAfter just a year or so, my father saw several lots for sale in the small village of Timberlake, Ohio, just thirty minutes from Cleveland.
-
Fear of the Other: No Fear in Love
By Bishop William H. Willimon“Barack Obama,” “Hillary Clinton,” “Britney Spears,” and “Justin Timberlake” found their places somewhat to the left of the really, really good “Teresa” and ...
-
Running With The Horses: Living The Gospel
By William Mitchell... Gregory Pritchard, Robert Clarke and Donald Wester of philosophy; from the religion faculty, James Timberlake, Rowena Strickland, Dan Holcomb, ...
-
Darkness is as Light
By EDITH ADHIAMBO, ANDREA BAILEY, CHRISTINA BAKERwalked over the frost-brittled grass, my long skirt swishing it dryly. I'd come to weep below the willows, to let the sound of the stream carry my lament ...
-
Women in New Religions
By Laura VanceFrost, Gavin, and Yvonne Frost. The Good Witch's Bible. 7th ed. ... Gordon, Lynn D., ed. Gender and Higher Education in the Progressive Era.
-
The Making of a Mature Disciple
By Kenneth S. ToddKenneth S. Todd. Reasons. to. Obey. God. Let's discuss four reasons why we should obey God. The first two deal with how we personally deal with God.
-
Being God's Man by Pursuing Friendships
By Stephen Arterburn, Kenneth L. Luck, Todd WendorffGod's word is clear about the importance of godly friendships. This edition shows men how valuable those friendships are to spiritual growth.
-
English Ministry Crisis in Chinese Canadian Churches: Towards the Retention of English-Speaking Adults from Chinese Canadian Churches through Associated Parallel...
By Matthew Richard Sheldon ToddIn 2011, Thom S. Rainer published some research project results in a volume ... projecting the top challenging issue they deal with in bicultural settings ...
-
Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-Profit
By John Pearson" Based on Pearson's 48-hour Management Buckets Workshop Experience, Mastering the Management Buckets offers detailed implementation tools, including 99 practical takeaways that a leader could implement immediately, plus nine management ...
-
Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-Profit
By John Pearson" Based on Pearson's 48-hour Management Buckets Workshop Experience, Mastering the Management Buckets offers detailed implementation tools, including 99 practical takeaways that a leader could implement immediately, plus nine management ...