historicity of Jesus

Lessing’s Broad Ditch and Brad’s Lesser Ditch

LESSING’S BROAD DITCH Quotations are from Lessing’s essay “On the Proof of the Spirit and of Power” from Lessing’s Theological Writings (hereafter: LTW), edited by Henry Chadwick. Reports of Miracles are not the same as Direct Observation of Miracles “The problem is that reports of fulfilled prophecies are not fulfilled prophecies; that reports of miracles are not Lessing’s Broad Ditch and Brad’s Lesser Ditch

“A Leap of Faith”

In a comment on my most recent post about Jesus’ use of the word “faith”, Stig Martinsen points to the phrase “a leap of faith” as evidence that Christians sometimes speak of “faith” in a way that implies belief that goes beyond reason or evidence.  I don’t plan to reply to his point here, but “A Leap of Faith”

Matthew Ferguson: Ten Reasons to Reject the Apologetic 10/42 Source Slogan (2012)

The “10/42 source slogan” refers to the claim that “42 ancient sources record Jesus 150 years within his lifetime, whereas only 10 mention the contemporary Roman emperor Tiberius.” Matthew Ferguson, a Ph.D. student at the University of California at Irvine, has written a detailed critique of the 10/42 source slogan. Here is an excerpt from the Matthew Ferguson: Ten Reasons to Reject the Apologetic 10/42 Source Slogan (2012)