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A small donation will help us continue to do great things for the cause of secularism. Things like <a href="https://infidels.org/secular-web/resources/freethinker-podcast/">Freethinker Podcast</a>, <a href="https://secularwebkids.freethinkers.org/">Secular Web Kids</a>, the <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/">Secular Frontier</a>, the <a href="https://infidels.org/library/">Secular Web Library</a>, the <a href="https://infidels.org/library/kiosk/">Secular Web Kiosk</a> and the new <a href="https://infidels.org/category/publications/">print publications</a>.</span> <a id="ii-donorbar-click" href="https://infidels.org/support-us/">Donation Options</a> </div> <div id="internet-infidels-linkbar"> <a href="https://infidels.org/">Secular Web</a> <a href="https://secularweb.org/">Portal</a> <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/">Secular Frontier</a> <a href="https://iidb.org/">IIDB</a> </div> <div id="container"> <main id="content" role="main"> <header class="header"> <h1 class="entry-title author" itemprop="name">John MacDonald</h1> <div class="archive-meta" itemprop="description"> </div> <hr /> </header> <div class="entry-content" itemprop="mainContentOfPage"> <article id="post-42152" class="post-42152 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/2-2-response-to-richard-carrier-and-the-christ-myth-theory/" title="(2/2) Response To Richard Carrier And The Christ Myth Theory" rel="bookmark">(2/2) Response To Richard Carrier And The Christ Myth Theory</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 11, 2024" title="December 11, 2024" >December 11, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>Appendix: Response to Richard Carrier’s Review (2024) In the few years since I wrote this essay there have been developments in what scholars call ‘the quest for the historical Jesus.’ One of the main contentions is that if we do not get more rigorous in uncovering the Jesus of history, the idea that Jesus never existed or <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/2-2-response-to-richard-carrier-and-the-christ-myth-theory/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (2/2) Response To Richard Carrier And The Christ Myth Theory</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42151" class="post-42151 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/response-to-richard-carrier-and-the-christ-myth-theory/" title="Response To Richard Carrier And The Christ Myth Theory" rel="bookmark">Response To Richard Carrier And The Christ Myth Theory</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 11, 2024" title="December 11, 2024" >December 11, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>A couple of years ago I published a critique of the Christ Myth Theory, which Richard Carrier responded to. Well, hit the refresh button because I’ve updated the essay with an Appendix that responds to Carrier. Check it out HERE! Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional)</p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42134" class="post-42134 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/recent-online-debates-on-the-christ-myth-theory/" title="Recent Online Debates on The Christ Myth Theory" rel="bookmark">Recent Online Debates on The Christ Myth Theory</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 7, 2024" title="December 7, 2024" >December 7, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>Over the last few days, these two debates on the historicity of Jesus have popped up: I just watched Richard Carrier’s friend Godless Engineer interview Jacob Berman on the Christ Myth theory. I liked it very much and Berman said he thought some of the best evidence for the historical Jesus is 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 where <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/recent-online-debates-on-the-christ-myth-theory/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> Recent Online Debates on The Christ Myth Theory</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42115" class="post-42115 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/complete-index-blogging-the-next-quest-of-the-historical-jesus-anthology-of-essays/" title="Complete Index Blogging The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus Anthology Of Essays" rel="bookmark">Complete Index Blogging The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus Anthology Of Essays</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 2, 2024" title="December 2, 2024" >December 2, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>(2) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Reception History by Halvor Moxnes (3) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Beyond The Jewish Jesus Debate by Adele Reinhartz (4) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Biography by Helen K. Bond (5) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Beyond What is Behind by Chris <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/complete-index-blogging-the-next-quest-of-the-historical-jesus-anthology-of-essays/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> Complete Index Blogging The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus Anthology Of Essays</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42113" class="post-42113 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/24-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-violence-and-trauma-by-nathan-shedd/" title="(24) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Violence and Trauma by Nathan Shedd" rel="bookmark">(24) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Violence and Trauma by Nathan Shedd</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 2, 2024" title="December 2, 2024" >December 2, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>As is clear from the genealogies of Jesus, both of which belong to Joseph, Jesus is adopted into Joseph’s bloodline (since he isn’t Jesus’ biological father), just as the new believer is adopted into the family of God through Jesus who Paul calls the first born of many brethren. Jesus’ death is a literary pair <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/24-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-violence-and-trauma-by-nathan-shedd/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (24) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Violence and Trauma by Nathan Shedd</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42111" class="post-42111 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/23-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-apocalypticism-and-millenarianism-by-james-crossley/" title="(23) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: APOCALYPTICISM AND MILLENARIANISM by James Crossley" rel="bookmark">(23) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: APOCALYPTICISM AND MILLENARIANISM by James Crossley</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 2, 2024" title="December 2, 2024" >December 2, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>APOCALYPTICISM AND MILLENARIANISM reflect the idea that the end of the age is at hand and would be followed by a judgment. This was the type of thing Jesus and John the Baptist were preaching. The world in which Jesus grew up that gave birth to this worldview was a time of anxiety and instability. <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/23-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-apocalypticism-and-millenarianism-by-james-crossley/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (23) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: APOCALYPTICISM AND MILLENARIANISM by James Crossley</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42110" class="post-42110 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/22-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-spirit-world-by-giovanni-b-bazzana/" title="(22) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Spirit World by Giovanni B. Bazzana" rel="bookmark">(22) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Spirit World by Giovanni B. Bazzana</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 2, 2024" title="December 2, 2024" >December 2, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>As I note in my essay A Critique of the Penal Substitution Interpretation of the Cross of Christ , an extremely important aspect of the resurrection is that Christ as a spirit, Christ in you, could now possess the believer in a positive way as booster, the resister of Satan par excellence and greatly aid <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/22-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-spirit-world-by-giovanni-b-bazzana/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (22) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Spirit World by Giovanni B. Bazzana</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42106" class="post-42106 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/21-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-sexuality-by-amy-jill-levine/" title="(21) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Sexuality by Amy-Jill Levine" rel="bookmark">(21) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Sexuality by Amy-Jill Levine</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 1, 2024" title="December 1, 2024" >December 1, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>In previous posts I noted how in Mark we have the satire of how the crafty Jewish leaders were manipulating scripture and tradition to invent a case against Jesus. Matthew shows something similar in one of Satan’s temptations of Jesus misusing scripture. In a later addition to the gospel of John, we see this same <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/21-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-sexuality-by-amy-jill-levine/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (21) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Sexuality by Amy-Jill Levine</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42104" class="post-42104 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/20-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-death-and-martyrdom-by-michael-barber/" title="(20) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Death and Martyrdom by Michael Barber" rel="bookmark">(20) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Death and Martyrdom by Michael Barber</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="December 1, 2024" title="December 1, 2024" >December 1, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>I’m a little out of order today, Barber’s essay being near the end of the book, but there were some things that are worth addressing now so here we go! Jesus predicting his passion and resurrection is multiply attested to throughout scripture.  However, as Ehrman points out these run contrary to the fact that Mark, <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/12/20-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-death-and-martyrdom-by-michael-barber/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (20) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Death and Martyrdom by Michael Barber</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <article id="post-42101" class="post-42101 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-uncategorized"> <header> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/11/19-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-galilee-and-jerusalem-by-tucker-ferda/" title="(19) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Galilee and Jerusalem by Tucker Ferda" rel="bookmark">(19) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Galilee and Jerusalem by Tucker Ferda</a> </h2><div class="entry-meta"> <span class="author vcard"><span><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/" title="Posts by John MacDonald" rel="author">John MacDonald</a></span></span> <span class="meta-sep"> | </span> <time class="entry-date" datetime="November 30, 2024" title="November 30, 2024" >November 30, 2024</time> </div> </header> <div class="entry-summary"> <span itemprop="description"><p>Did Jerusalem reflect the final destination for Jesus’ ministry.  Ferda marshals a number of points in the affirmative: And why did Jesus go up to Jerusalem? Ferda offers some possibilities: Responding to Ferda, I would say the popular interpretation of Jesus’ death which assumes a pagan understanding of a payment to assuage the wrath of <a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/11/19-the-next-quest-for-the-historical-jesus-galilee-and-jerusalem-by-tucker-ferda/" class="more-link">…<span class="screen-reader-text"> (19) The Next Quest For The Historical Jesus: Galilee and Jerusalem by Tucker Ferda</span></a></p> </span> </div> </article> <nav class="navigation posts-navigation" aria-label="Posts"> <h2 class="screen-reader-text">Posts navigation</h2> <div class="nav-links"><div class="nav-previous"><a href="https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/author/darthpausanias/page/2/" >[<span class="meta-nav">←</span> older]</a></div></div> </nav></div> </main> <aside id="sidebar" role="complementary"> <div id="primary" class="widget-area"> <div class="xoxo"> <div id="block-7" class="widget-container widget_block"><p> <div 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