Criticism of Christianity
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| - | :''[[atheism]]'' | + | :''[[atheism]], [[Historicity of Jesus]], [[Jesus as myth]], [[Christianity and Paganism]]'' |
| - | == Origins == | + | |
| - | :''[[Historicity of Jesus]], [[Jesus as myth]], [[Christianity and Paganism]]'' | + | |
| Some critics have maintained that Christianity isn't founded on a historical figure, but rather on a [[Jesus-Myth|mythical creation]]. This view proposes that the idea of Jesus was the Jewish manifestation of a pan-Hellenic cult, such as [[Osiris-Dionysus]], which acknowledged the non-historic nature of the figure, using it instead as a teaching device. Author Brian Branston has argued that Christianity adopted many mythological tales and traditions into its views of [[Jesus]]. According to Branston these traditions, largely from Greco-Roman religions, have parallels to the story of Jesus. | Some critics have maintained that Christianity isn't founded on a historical figure, but rather on a [[Jesus-Myth|mythical creation]]. This view proposes that the idea of Jesus was the Jewish manifestation of a pan-Hellenic cult, such as [[Osiris-Dionysus]], which acknowledged the non-historic nature of the figure, using it instead as a teaching device. Author Brian Branston has argued that Christianity adopted many mythological tales and traditions into its views of [[Jesus]]. According to Branston these traditions, largely from Greco-Roman religions, have parallels to the story of Jesus. | ||
| - | Christian scholar [[Edwin M. Yamauchi]] and others argue against the pagan myth hypothesis for the origin of Christianity. In addition, Roman historian [[A. N. Sherwin-White]], is often quoted by Christian apologists{{Who|date=June 2008}} in regard to Christianity not being formed through myth. | + | The position that Jesus was not a historical figure is rare among Bible scholars. Opponents of the Jesus Myth hypothesis, such as [[James H. Charlesworth]], caution against using parallels to with [[life-death-rebirth deity|life-death-rebirth gods]] in the widespread [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mystery religion]]s prevalent in the [[Hellenistic]] culture to conclude that Jesus is a purely legendary figure. |
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| - | Sherwin-White stated: | + | |
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| - | :"For Acts, the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming. Yet Acts is, in simple terms and judged externally, no less of a propaganda narrative than the Gospels, liable to similar distortions. But any attempt to reject its basic historicity, even in matters of detail, must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted.... The agnostic type of form-criticism would be much more credible if the compilation of the Gospels were much later in time.... Herodotus enables us to test the tempo of myth-making, [showing that] even two generations are too short a span to allow the mythical tendency to prevail over the hard historic core." | + | |
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| - | The position that Jesus was not a historical figure is rare among Bible scholars. Opponents of the Jesus Myth hypothesis, such as [[James H. Charlesworth]], caution against using parallels to with [[life-death-rebirth deity|life-death-rebirth gods]] in the widespread [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mystery religion]]s prevalent in the [[Hellenistic]] culture to conclude that Jesus is a purely legendary figure. Charlesworth argues that "[i]t would be foolish to continue to foster the illusion that the Gospels are merely fictional stories like the legends of [[Hercules]] and [[Asclepius]]. The theologies in the New Testament are grounded on interpretations of real historical events..." | + | |
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| === Dionysus === | === Dionysus === | ||
| :''[[Osiris-Dionysus]], [[Dionysus]]'' | :''[[Osiris-Dionysus]], [[Dionysus]]'' | ||
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| The story of [[Dionysus]], son of the Greek Olympian God [[Zeus]], has been seen by several writers as containing parallels to the story of Jesus. Harris writes in his book ''Understanding the Bible'' that | The story of [[Dionysus]], son of the Greek Olympian God [[Zeus]], has been seen by several writers as containing parallels to the story of Jesus. Harris writes in his book ''Understanding the Bible'' that | ||
| - | {{quotation|...the myth of [[Dionysus]] foreshadows some later Christian theological interpretations of Jesus' cosmic role. Although Jesus is a historical figure and Dionysus purely mythological, Dionysus's story contains events and themes, such as his divine parentage, violent death, descent into the Underworld, and subsequent resurrection to immortal life in heaven, where he sits near his father's throne, that Christians ultimately made part of Jesus' story. Like Asclepius, Heracles, Perseus, and other heroes of the Greco Roman era, Dionysus has a divine father and human mother. The only Olympian born to a mortal woman, he is also the only major deity to endure rejection, suffering, and death before ascending to heaven to join his immortal parent. The son of Zeus and Semele, a princess of Thebes, Dionysus was known as the "twice born."<ref>Stephen L. Harris, ''Understanding the Bible.'' (McGraw Hill, 2002) p 361</ref>}} | + | :"...the myth of [[Dionysus]] foreshadows some later Christian theological interpretations of Jesus' cosmic role. Although Jesus is a historical figure and Dionysus purely mythological, Dionysus's story contains events and themes, such as his divine parentage, violent death, descent into the Underworld, and subsequent resurrection to immortal life in heaven, where he sits near his father's throne, that Christians ultimately made part of Jesus' story. Like Asclepius, Heracles, Perseus, and other heroes of the Greco Roman era, Dionysus has a divine father and human mother. The only Olympian born to a mortal woman, he is also the only major deity to endure rejection, suffering, and death before ascending to heaven to join his immortal parent. The son of Zeus and Semele, a princess of Thebes, Dionysus was known as the "twice born."" |
| Harris claims Dionysus also parallels the life of Jesus as he and Demeter gave humanity two gifts to come into communion with the divine: grain (or bread) to sustain life and wine to make life bearable. The Athenian playwright [[Euripides]] (485-406 BCE) writes in his ''[[The Bacchae]]'': | Harris claims Dionysus also parallels the life of Jesus as he and Demeter gave humanity two gifts to come into communion with the divine: grain (or bread) to sustain life and wine to make life bearable. The Athenian playwright [[Euripides]] (485-406 BCE) writes in his ''[[The Bacchae]]'': | ||
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Some critics have maintained that Christianity isn't founded on a historical figure, but rather on a mythical creation. This view proposes that the idea of Jesus was the Jewish manifestation of a pan-Hellenic cult, such as Osiris-Dionysus, which acknowledged the non-historic nature of the figure, using it instead as a teaching device. Author Brian Branston has argued that Christianity adopted many mythological tales and traditions into its views of Jesus. According to Branston these traditions, largely from Greco-Roman religions, have parallels to the story of Jesus.
The position that Jesus was not a historical figure is rare among Bible scholars. Opponents of the Jesus Myth hypothesis, such as James H. Charlesworth, caution against using parallels to with life-death-rebirth gods in the widespread mystery religions prevalent in the Hellenistic culture to conclude that Jesus is a purely legendary figure.
Dionysus
The story of Dionysus, son of the Greek Olympian God Zeus, has been seen by several writers as containing parallels to the story of Jesus. Harris writes in his book Understanding the Bible that
- "...the myth of Dionysus foreshadows some later Christian theological interpretations of Jesus' cosmic role. Although Jesus is a historical figure and Dionysus purely mythological, Dionysus's story contains events and themes, such as his divine parentage, violent death, descent into the Underworld, and subsequent resurrection to immortal life in heaven, where he sits near his father's throne, that Christians ultimately made part of Jesus' story. Like Asclepius, Heracles, Perseus, and other heroes of the Greco Roman era, Dionysus has a divine father and human mother. The only Olympian born to a mortal woman, he is also the only major deity to endure rejection, suffering, and death before ascending to heaven to join his immortal parent. The son of Zeus and Semele, a princess of Thebes, Dionysus was known as the "twice born.""
Harris claims Dionysus also parallels the life of Jesus as he and Demeter gave humanity two gifts to come into communion with the divine: grain (or bread) to sustain life and wine to make life bearable. The Athenian playwright Euripides (485-406 BCE) writes in his The Bacchae:
- Next came the son of the virgin. Dionysus.
- bringing the counterpart to bread. wine
- and the blessings of life's flowing juices.
- His blood, the blood of grape,
- lightens the burden of our mortal misery...
- it is his blood we pour out
- to offer thanks to the gods. And through him.
- we are blessed.
Harris alludes that "long before Jesus linked wine and bread as part of the Christian liturgy the two tokens of divine favor were associated in the Dionysian tradition. In the Bacchae (worshippers of Bacchus, another name for Dionysus), Euripides also has the prophet Tiresias observe that Demeter and Dionysus, respectively, gave humanity two indispensable gifts: grain or bread to sustain life and wine to make life bearable. Tiresias urges his hearers to see in Dionysus's gift of wine a beverage that brings into communion with the divine.
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