Christian Myth, The
Book Description
In this provocative examination of Christian origins, scholar Burton Mack challenges nearly a century of attempts to uncover the "historical Jesus." Rather than accepting traditional religious narratives or modern scholarly reconstructions that portray Jesus as peasant teacher, revolutionary, or mystic, Mack argues that these varied depictions reveal more about their creators than about any historical figure.
The author contends that previous investigations have failed because they treat the canonical gospels as historical documents while overlooking earlier layers of Jesus stories and sayings. These overlooked sources reveal something far more complex: a diverse mythmaking process that emerged from the earliest Christian communities, shaped by their particular social, economic, and geographical circumstances.
Mack proposes a different approach entirely. Instead of seeking to "meet Jesus" through personal faith or to "build Church" through theological interpretation, he advocates for systematic analysis of the cultural and anthropological forces that gave birth to Christian myths and rituals. This methodology aims to understand how these foundational stories were first conceived and accepted by early communities.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality, history, and human meaning-making, this work offers a scholarly yet accessible exploration of how religious narratives develop. Mack invites us to examine the very foundations of Christian thought through the lens of cultural anthropology, revealing the human processes behind sacred stories.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)
📄 Length: 237 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Christianisme
- ✓ Explore Origin
- ✓ Explore Oorsprong
- ✓ Explore Christentum
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Kristendom och kultur
- ✓ Explore Origines
- ✓ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
