Earl Doherty

Why are the events of the Gospel story, and its central character Jesus of Nazareth, not found in the New Testament epistles? Why does Paul's divine Christ seem to have no connection to the Gospel Jesus, but closely resembles the many pagan savior gods of the time who lived only in myth? Why, given the spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire in the first century, did only one Christian community compose a story of Jesus' life and death-the Gospel of Mark-while every other Gospel simply copied and reworked the first one? Why is every detail in the Gospel story of Jesus' trial and crucifixion drawn from passages in the Old Testament? The answer to these and other questions surrounding the New Testament will come as a shock to those who imagine that the origins of Christianity and the figure of Jesus are securely represented by Christian tradition and the Gospels. With the arrival of the third millennium, the time has come to face the stunning realization that for the last 1900 years, Christianity has revered a founder and icon of the faith who probably never existed… (more)

The author uses a courtroom cross-examination method in answer to Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ. He addresses Strobel's points one by one, and uses the same experts Strobel consulted. One by one, he demonstrates the weakness of the arguments made by the experts, and concludes that the evidence does not support the resurrection, and may not even support the historical Jesus. The author writes in lucid prose, and includes a glossary at the front of the book for those who are new to theological works, so the reader will be able to understand words like kerygma, Parousia, and soteriology. This is a wonderful feature, even for those of us who have been reading this sort of work for a while, because it helps us to have the words solidly in our head when we begin reading. For those who have never read any theological argumentation before, it can make the book less forbidding and more user friendly. I highly recommend this book, and intend to offer it to everyone who insists on lending me any of the works of Lee Strobel. I've read Strobel; this book is a good answer to the oddly simple arguments dressed up in sophisticated clothes that tend to populate his works.… (more)