The Christ Files

What is unique about Christianity from an historical perspective?

· The central claims of Christianity can be checked out- such as the resurrection and the accounts of Jesus’ life.

· There is tangible historical evidence.

What types of academic research into Christianity are usually reported by the media? Why do you think this is?

· Sensational and scandalous claims made by scholars sceptical about Christianity. This is because the people are more interested in these controversial issues more than the research carried out to defend Christianity.

When were the Gnostic Gospels written and what was their focus?

· During second and third centuries.

· The focus is on Gnosticism. They were written by Christian cult groups. They mainly consist of discussions on the post-resurrection of Jesus; nearly no information about the accounts of Jesus’ life before Easter. The Gospels were fundamentally based on the belief that you needed ‘special knowledge’ to go to heaven.

Some people claim, on the basis of the Gospel of Phillip that Jesus married Mary Magdeline. On what basis do they reach this conclusion and why do mainstream scholars challenge this thinking?

· Because of the missing word, which they assume to be ‘mouth’.

· The mainstream scholars are challenging this idea as the word may not have been ‘mouth’ and even if it was, it does not necessarily place Jesus as a romantic as in the olden times it was a tradition to kiss the disciples.

What did Celsus in the late second century claim and how do his claims aid the case for Christianity?

· He wrote “True Doctrine”

· He wrote two controversial plays in the late second century.

· He claimed that Jesus’ birth was suspicious; he stated that Jesus was the ‘illegitimate’ birth from his mother and a Roman soldier. He also declared that the miracles were Egyptian sorcery.

Who was Tacitus, when did he write and how is his writing helpful to the Christian cause?

· He was a Roman historian; he wrote in 114 CE.

· His disdain about Christianity did not prevent from showing accurate details of Jesus’ life. He told the audience where and when Jesus lived, he described Jesus was known as Christ, meaning ‘Special One from God’ and that Jesus was executed by Pontius Pilate.

Who was Pliny, when did he write and why is his writing helpful to the Christian cause?

· He wrote in 110 CE.

· He was a Roman soldier and wrote to ask whether they should continue executing the Christians.

· He stated that the Christian followers were worshipping Jesus as God.

What can be reliably claimed by historians on the basis of Greco-Roman writings?

· Historical figure

· Teacher, from Palestine.

· Supposed king/Christ

· Worshipped as divine

· Executed under Pilate.

Who was Josephus and when did he write his history of the Jewish people?

· He was writing in the second half of first century

· He was a historian and a Jew.

What did Josephus have to say about Jesus?

· Jesus was a wise man along with other wise people such as Mohammed and Confucius.

· He performed baffling deeds; regardless of foes or supporters, everyone acknowledged that Jesus performed miracles or if seen from a negative view, sorcery.

Which part of Josephus’ writing are considered to have been tampered with?

· The section where Jesus is described as the ‘Messiah’, as a Jew would not have described Jesus in this very Christian perspective.

How does the discovery of possible tampering increase your confidence in the findings of historians?

· This means that as they can find the tampering, they will also not give false information.

What can be known about Jesus from Greco-Roman writing?

· Mary, James

· Ambiguous birth

· Palestine, c.26-35 AD

· Teacher, miracle worker/sorcerer

· Roman/Jewish trials, crucifixion

· Messiah, worshipped as divine.

What was the point of the football match analogy?

· Through the biased views, facts can still be found.

How do scholars regard the Gospels and the New Testament and why does it not concern them that the authors were biased?

· They would say that the Gospels are the best historical sources in existence.

· Even though they are biased, reliable information can still be found.

· Historians do take biased perspectives in consideration.

When were Paul’s letters written?

· They were written in 1464.

Briefly explain the criterion of multiple attestation.

· Combining supporting facts from multiple sources to make a claim more reliable.

· That more than one person is saying the same thing.

Why didn’t people write about Jesus sooner?

This was because in Jesus’ time, the stories were told through verbal communication. It wasn’t until 20 years later that written documentations started to appear.

Why was oral communication regarded as much more reliable in Jesus’ time?

A lot of people did not know how to write and therefore they could communicate better verbally.

Why is the Old Testament important to historians in understanding Jesus and his activities?

The Old Testament shows many prophecies related to Jesus and his activities throughout the passages. The historians can therefore relate the events in pre-Jesus time to the happenings that occurred during Jesus’ life.