The “Q” source, a hypothetical document in historical Jesus studies, is thought to contain sayings of Jesus shared by Matthew and Luke but not Mark. Since Q is reconstructed from these shared texts, it primarily focuses on Jesus’ teachings, such as parables and ethical instructions, rather than narrative events. Scholars generally agree that Q does … (Conclusion of my Easter Posts collection !) It’s a Secular Easter:  Reading the New Testament From A Non-Superstitious Point of View!

As is the case with new scholarship like Nina Livesey’s recent book on Paul’s letters as pseudonymous, it sometimes involves for the reader a back and forth with implications trying to appropriate the new materials. I originally tried to challenge a late date of Luke-Acts with Dennis MacDonald with Vergil’s Aeneid, but I don’t think … Dating of the New Testament post Bar Kokhba Revolt with Nina Livesey (Paul) and Robert M Price (Gospels)

PREVIOUSLY: Easter Post: Dating the Gospels Now, the conclusion: I’ve been looking at the New Testament literature dating issues considering a lot of it to be written post Bar Kokhba revolt, with the exception that Luke-Acts seems to stem from the turn of the second century. Certainly, dating Luke-Acts in this way only really makes … Easter Post 2/2: Scribal Galilee by Sarah Rollens

Here is my 2025 Easter Post! 33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land[g] until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[h] 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is … Easter Post: Dating the Gospels

PHILOSOPHY (INDEX) How Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin Helped Us Rethink Ancient Thought RELIGION “The Next Quest for the Historical Jesus (2024)” Anthology by James Crossley (Editor), Chris Keith (Editor) – FINAL Updated Blogging Index Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional)

PREVIOUSLY: (Part 1) Martin Heidegger’s “Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event)” As we continue with Heidegger’s Contributions book, we note it is not a linear development of an argument. Heidegger never intended it for publication. What I’m trying to show is his philosophy is not superstitious even though it uses theological language strategically. The later … (Part 2) Martin Heidegger’s “Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event)”

SCORE 5/5 My thanks to Cambridge for providing me with a review copy of this book. PREAMBLE: LETTER TO PROFESSOR VINZENT Hi Prof Vinzent, My name is John MacDonald and I am president of the Secular Web. I recently posted a review of Prof Nina Livesey’s new book on the thesis of a fictional Paul and pseudonymous … Review-  The Letters of Paul in their Roman Literary Context: Reassessing Apostolic Authorship by Nina E. Livesey

Given that we are coming to the Season of Passover, it is appropriate to meditate on how the story of Jesus was formed to reflect Jewish scripture and tradition, and so is often unhistorical, e.g., Mathew invents stories about Jesus to portray him as the New and greater Moses. Moreover, Jesus is linked to the … Jesus: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

Martin Heidegger’s Contributions to Philosophy reflects his famous philosophical “turning.” In this work, Heidegger returns to the question of being from its inception in Being and Time to a new questioning of being as event. Heidegger opens up the essential dimensions of his thinking on the historicality of being that underlies all of his later … (Part 1) Martin Heidegger’s “Contributions to Philosophy (Of the Event)”

“We ask: How long then?  So long that it even reaches beyond our present, godless age (Heidegger, Elucidations of Holderlin’s Poetry, 211)” We are looking at a poet from the lens of our secular age, Heidegger’s and Hölderlin’s theological language conveying a message that is also available to a secular reader.  Hölderlin says “Gods who … Reclaiming Heidegger’s Holderlin for our Secular Age: An Interpretation of Heidegger’s Elucidations of Holderlin’s Poetry