books of interest

Swinburne’s Cosmological and Teleological Arguments – Part 5

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The Cosmological Argument (TCA) is the first argument in Swinburne’s inductive case for the existence of God. The arguments are presented in a specific order, each argument adding one more contingent fact (or specific set of contingent facts) to the facts presented in the premises of the previous arguments. Since TCA is the first argument, … Swinburne’s Cosmological and Teleological Arguments – Part 5

Swinburne’s Cosmological and Teleological Arguments – Part 4

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Richard Swinburne presents his inductive cosmological argument in Chapter 7 of his book The Existence of God (second edition, hereafter: EOG). I plan to start at the beginning of the chapter and go paragraph by paragraph, stopping to comment on each paragraph that includes either support for, or defense of, some part of the cosmological … Swinburne’s Cosmological and Teleological Arguments – Part 4

Swinburne’s Cosmological and Teleological Arguments – Part 3

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I am exploring a concern about, or potential objection to, Swinburne’s inductive cosmological and teleological arguments for the existence of God. The objection I have in mind is something like this, for the cosmological argument: Although the one factual premise of Swinburne’s cosmological argument is supposed to be the ONLY contingent factual claim or assumption … Swinburne’s Cosmological and Teleological Arguments – Part 3

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 22

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I have argued that the agreement that exists between the seven gospel sources concerning the Minimal Jesus Hypothesis, could be explained on the basis of the common cultural idea of a ‘Messiah’. I conceded, however, that the crucifixion of the Messiah was not a part of the expectation of first century Palestinian Jews, but pointed … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 22

Did Jesus Exit? – Index

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Introduction to the issue: Did Jesus exist? Outline of Did Jesus Exist? By Bart Ehrman. Various skeptical points by Ehrman, especially the insignificance of non-Christian historical sources. Keith Parson’s advice and Bart Ehrman on the Minimal Jesus Hypothesis (MJH). Development and clarification of the Minimal Jesus Hypothesis. About 17,000 Jewish males in Palestine were named … Did Jesus Exit? – Index

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 21

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I have reviewed Q, M, and L passages, looking for crucifixion-related events. The Gospel of Mark includes several crucifixion-related events in Chapters 14 and 15: 1. The Plot to Kill Jesus 2. The Anointing at Bethany 3. Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus 4. The Passover with the Disciples 5. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 21

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 20

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The Minimal Jesus Hypothesis (MJH) can be stated in terms of a list of a dozen attributes: A1. This person was a flesh-and-blood person. A2. This person was an adherent of Judaism. A3. This person was a male descendant of the Hebrew people. A4. This person lived in Palestine as an adult (in his twenties … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 20

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 19

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In Part 14, we saw that Mark portrays Jesus as a devout follower of the Jewish faith. In Part 15, we saw that Q portrays Jesus as a devout follower of the Jewish faith. Does L, the special source used by Luke, portray Jesus as an adherent of Judaism? as a devout follower of the … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 19