What is unique about Christianity from an historical perspective?
Central claims can be checked out. There are tangible historical evidence.
What types of academic research into Christianity are usually reported by the media? Why do you think this is?
Newspaper and magazines. Scandalise and controversy topics like Jesus had a wife. As this is to get people to be interested and to buy it.
When were the Gnostic Gospels written and what was there focus?
2nd and 3rd century and their focus was gnosticism that where written by the christian curt group. Post-resurrection of Jesus.
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?
People claim that jesus married Mary because of the missing words assuming it is "mouth". Scholars challenge this idea because scholars see this as the source of the second belief of Christianity.
What did Celsus in the late second century claim and how do his claims aid the case for Christianity?
Celsus claimed that Jesus' birth was suspicious, that his birth was ill legated birth from his mother from roman soldier and that the miracles were Egyptian sorcery. As he was writing in the 2nd century that theses things were happening.
Who was Tacitus, when did he write and how is his writing helpful to the Christian cause?
Tacitus was a roman historian. He wrote in 114ce (commom era). He tells us when and where Jesus lived and he tell us that he was known as Christ and also mentions about the certain circumstance of his death.
Who was Pliny, when did he write and why is his writing helpful to the Christian cause?
110ce should we keep feeding the followers to the lions and the followers of Jesus was worshipping him like a 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 and executed under Pilate.
Who was Josephus and when did he write his history of the Jewish people?
Josephus was a Jewish historian and was writing in the second half of the 1st century.
What did Josephus have to say about Jesus?
One that Jesus was a wise man along with other wise people. As be performed baffling deeds/ strange deeds.
Which part of Josephus’ writing are considered to have been tampered with?
It was the bit about him being a messiah, they thought they were tampered with by Christians.
How does the discovery of possible tampering increase your confidence in the findings of historians?
This means that people feel like the historians are not giving us false information
What can be known about Jesus from Greco-Roman writing?
Mary and James, ambiguous birth, Palestine c. 26-36 ad, teacher, miracle worker/sorcerer, roman/Jewish trials, crucifixion, messiah p, worshipped as divine.
What was the point of the football match analogy?
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 Gospel as the best historical source that exists. Even when they are biased reliable information can still be found. But historians still take biased perceptive into consideration.
When were Paul’s letters written?
1448-64 ce
Briefly explain the criterion of multiple attestation.
Combining supporting facts from multiple sources to make a claim more reliable/believable.
Why is a 20 year gap between Jesus’ life and the first written accounts considered fairly good?
Comparing with other written accounts Jesus's life was written a lot earlier compared to others. Other famous people were written with a much wider year gap.
Why didn’t people write about Jesus sooner?
There was no printing press and people simply did not know how to read and write.
Why was oral communication regarded as much more reliable in Jesus’ time?
This is because written documentation was thought to be unreliable as people hand wrote and people changed and had their own opinionated views. Peoples's memories were extremely well-trained back in those days and is therefore much more reliable in Jesus' time.
Why is the Old Testament important to historians in understanding Jesus and his activities?
- vital for understanding what Jesus was all about
- it explains one of the most significant events of Jesus' life; which was the "Last Supper"
- it had many special meanings hidden within
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