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Exploring Our Matrix

The Blog of Dr. James F. McGrath, associate professor of religion at Butler University.

Discussion of Mythicism SpreadsYesterday

The discussion of mythicism that has been taking place mostly here and at Vridar has now spread to at least two discussion boards: Think Atheist and the Freethought and Rationalism Discussion Board.

I think I have enough to deal with in terms of the discussion here, but if any readers are members of either site, you may want to join in the discussions there.

All I'll say for now is that I encourage the atheists and freethinkers at these forums to live up to their principles and reputations. You rightly stand against pseudoscience in favor of mainstream science. Don't be easily duped into discarding mainstream scholarship in history because a few fringe folks have made a plausible sounding case that appeals to what you'd like to be true. You know better than that. Inform yourselves about rigorous mainstream scholarship in history just as you'd want creationists to do with the natural sciences. It's the right thing to do, and you know it. By all means, make up your own minds. But don't just listen to fringe views expressed on the internet and in self-published books. You know where that road leads, and have surely criticized others for following that path. I don't ask for any sort of special hearing for any particular viewpoint. I just ask you to be true to your principles!

A Conservative Religious Viewpoint On AbstinenceYesterday

HT Unorthodoxology

Top 50 Biblical History BlogsYesterday

A Blog Of Biblical Proportions has posted a list of the Top 50 Biblical History Blogs. Exploring Our Matrix is #6 on the list - but that's just because New Testament is first and each group is listed in alphabetical order. If only I had thought to call my blog something about aardvarks...  :-)

It's Monday But Evolution Sunday's ComingYesterday

Some may have already celebrated Evolution Sunday yesterday, since there is quite a bit of flexibility as to when one tackles the topic. The point of the event is for churches to actually address the subject head on. Most churches and other religious institutions will hold it next weekend.

Around the blogs and internet relevant resources and posts are beginning to appear. Read the Spirit has a lot of relevant links. Bob Cornwall re-shared a sermon. Some resources from the NY Times from last year are still available. There are some Unitarian Universalist worship materials for the occasion.

Mythicist MisunderstandingFebruary 6

I've long been perplexed by the frequent complaint from mythicists (i.e. those who claim that Jesus was a purely invented figure, not even based on a real historical human individual) that those working on the historical Jesus simply assume as a presupposition that Jesus existed, rather than addressing the question directly.

I think such individuals are looking for a demonstration by historians, in the introductory part of their book about Jesus, "proving" he existed, before going on to discuss anything he may have said or done. That this is what is meant seems clear because one may cite a saying or incident that is generally considered authentic, only to be met with the retort, "But how do you know he even existed?"

Such objections reflect a serious misunderstanding of the historical enterprise. I think it is safe to say that there is no historical figure from the past that we know existed apart from evidence for actual things he or she said or did. We know George Washington existed because he wrote documents, because he served as President of the United States, because he slept here or there. There is no such thing as proof of a historical person's existence in the abstract or at a theoretical level. There is simply evidence of activity, of speech, of things said or done, of interaction with others.

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