The Christ Files
eBook - ePub

The Christ Files

How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus

  1. 128 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Christ Files

How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus

About this book

Uniquely among the world’s religions, the central claims of Christianity concern not just timeless spiritual truths, but tangible historical events. At the heart of the of the Christian faith are things that are meant to have happened in Palestine between 5 BC and AD 30. It’s as if Christianity happily places its head on the chopping block of public scrutiny and invites anyone who wants to come and take a swing. Some of Christianity’s claims are so spectacular that they provoke a firestorm of questions, scrutiny, debate, and misinformation whenever they are discussed. The popularity of The Da Vinci Code and the frequent airing of TV documentaries delving into the darker uncertainties of Christianity show that such skepticism flourishes in the Western world today. In The Christ Files you will learn how historians know what they know about Jesus. Historian John Dickson embraces the need to examine Christianity’s claims in the light of history, opening readers to a wealth of ancient sources and explaining how mainstream scholars—whether or not they claim Christian faith personally—reach their conclusions. Christianity arrived on the historical scene at a time of great literary activity. While many texts penned by ancient philosophers, historians, poets, and playwrights can reliably inform us about Jesus himself and about the culture in which he lived, others are not so credible. Dickson skillfully highlights both types of sources along with the historical methods used to study Christianity’s claims. He also shows how historians asses the reliability of available data, and provides an honest but informed perspective on where historical issues are clear-cut and where personal faith comes into play. The Christ Files is a must-read for those looking to expand their understanding of early Christianity and the life of Jesus.

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Yes, you can access The Christ Files by John Dickson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Religion. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Publisher
Zondervan
Year
2010
eBook ISBN
9780310889755

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Introduction: The Da Vinci Code Factor?
  8. Chapter 1: The Game of Scholarship: How to Read Between the Headlines
  9. Chapter 2: Secret Gospels: Jesus In the Gnostic Writings
  10. Chapter 3: The Troublemaker: Jesus In Ancient Pagan Writings
  11. Chapter 4: Deceiver and Magician: Jesus In Ancient Jewish Writings
  12. Chapter 5: Behind the New Testament: Earliest Christian Sources
  13. Chapter 6: Before the Gospels: Jesus In Oral Tradition
  14. Chapter 7: Jesus In Context: Background Sources for the Study of Jesus
  15. Conclusion: Reading the Gospels Seriously
  16. Discussion Guide for the Four-Session Video Curriculum
  17. Notes