One general rule of thumb of inquiry is that we don’t want arguments that depend on imputing emotional states on people,  because we have no real access to those.  As I said, this is a general rule, although the ancients viewed things differently.  One important background piece of philosophical information is that the ancients didn’t … Psychologizing Jesus

The origins of Christianity are inseparably linked to the Jewishness of Jesus and his relationship to the Jews of his time. Unless the picture is framed in this way, Christian origins are opaque. Dr. Amy-Jill Levine rightly points out Jesus was a lifelong observant Jew who didn’t want to abolish the law, but make it … Christian Origins: Afterword

The Harrowing of Hell, Petites Heures, 14th-century illuminated manuscript commissioned by John, Duke of Berry. So what did Jesus do between Good Friday and Easter? One old tradition is the Harrowing of Hell where Jesus descended to Hell and liberated the captives there. Christ’s descent into the world of the dead is referred to in … It’s Holy Saturday, So What Happened To Jesus Between Good Friday And Easter?

Regarding Good Friday, I’ve talked before of the well known point in academic New Testament studies that Jesus’ passion is basically a creative re-write of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, so it’s questionable that there is any historical material in there. Our earliest detail of the crucifixion is from Paul that Christ died according to … Happy Easter: My Favorite Easter Joke

“Free the Springfield 2 Marge, free the Springfield 2!” In the previous 3 posts in this series I talked about brainwashing and indoctrination in (1) Religion: (a) Religion as Undue Influence (kiosk article) (b) Religion And Brainwashing (2) Sexuality: (2/2) Brainwashing and Indoctrination in Culture and Sexuality But if we are ethically compelled, as Foucault … Unhooking The Bra Of Mystery

For more on Jesus and satire (lampooning, exaggerating for effect, etc), please see my three Modern Library articles: The Justified Lie By Jesus In The Gospel Of John A Critique Of The Penal Substitution Interpretation Of The Cross Of Christ Jesus Mythicism And Penal Substitution ps: Also check out my other Christian Origins posts on … Jesus and Satire (2/2)

Aside from doing the blog here, I do Secular Web Kids where the fictional Darth Harley is the mascot. I thought I’d talk about that process a little, so upcoming will be a new Darth Harley video about Jesus and satire. I talk about this topic in my critique of penal substitution essay AND my … Jesus and Satire: A New Darth Harley Video!

I recently did a kiosk article on brainwashing and religion. This talked about something called undo influence or brainwashing with religion that we are born into and/or come to. To more fully explore this, consider the following ancient Greek statues: What we learn when we survey ancient Greek art is we see that the Greeks … (2/2) Brainwashing and Indoctrination in Culture and Sexuality

What I tried to do with the previous Christian Origins posts was what Nietzsche called spurs or traces, the idea that “a little something” is found whereby if you pull on it enough it can unravel the sweater of the popular interpretation.  For instance, it is generally agreed Mark’s crucifixion account is creatively retelling Isaiah … Deconstruction and Religious Studies Blogging

The ESV translation provides the following helpful chart about Jesus predicting his death in Mark. The Three Major Passion Predictions in Mark Three times in Mark 8–10 Jesus predicts his death, the disciples fail to understand or to respond appropriately, and he then teaches them about discipleship. Announcement of Jesus’ Death Failure on the Part of the … [EDITED WITH NEW MATERIAL ADDED] My 2 Favorite New Testament Bible Reading Tips