Jesus’ exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac, wiki BACKGROUND: Greek had several terms that could describe a person undergoing divine or demonic possession, though the concepts often overlapped since spirits (daimones) were not always strictly categorized as benevolent or malevolent in pre-Christian contexts. Divine possession typically implied inspiration, ecstasy, or being filled with a god’s presence … Holiday Post Series: Divine/Demonic Possession and the Heart of Christianity

I noted previously that in Romans Paul has a dualistic interpretation of sin dealt with by Christ’s cross. On the one hand, we have substitutionary atonement to pay the fine for man’s transgressions. This balances the books, but what if someone keeps sinning? What is needed is a change/growth of moral disposition. Paul reckoned God … Breaking the Demonic Spell: A Twofold Interpretation of Sin in Christian Origins

In the bible faith is not primarily a set of beliefs.  We are told Demons too believe but are not saved.  Rather, it is a special kind of trust.  Jesus says faith can move mountains, which highlighted The Absurd because would Jesus not then move a mountain himself to drive the point home? The paragon … (CONCLUSION) What’s the Point of the Bible: What is Faith?  It’s not What you Think

Last time I talked about the twofold purpose of the New Testament and Christ’s death (i) as payment for our sin fine/penalty, and (ii) seeing yourself in those guilty of God’s beloved (agapetos) messenger Christ’s wrongful death, which breaks the spell that the evil powerful entity Sin has you under so as to open your … (2/2) What’s the Point of the Bible: Causing Anagnorisis in the Reader

I talked previously about a two-fold understanding of salvation from sin in Paul’s letter to the Romans, one of a substitutionary atonement paying a penalty for your transgressions to avert God’s wrath, and by contrast a moral influence cross where seeing ourselves in those who killed God’s especially beloved Jesus breaks the spell the powerful … What’s the Point of the Bible?

The Quest for the Historical Paul (Part C) The modern quest for the historical Paul, determining who the apostle Paul was and what he said, is in an important way borne out of a real peculiarity in our New Testament sources.  On the One hand, we have the authentic letters of Paul that scholars see … New Published Article: The Quest for the Historical Paul with Nina Livesey (Part 3/4: Paul and the Gospel of John)

I remember being very impressed (as a disillusioned philosophy student, lol) in finding Nietzsche’s “Human All Too Human” 399 very apt: “That maturity is reached is manifested in the fact that one no longer goes to where the rarest roses of knowledge grow among the thorniest hedgerows but is satisfied with the field and meadow because life is … The Meaning of Life Through Death

Regarding the historicity (being in history) of Jesus, the convergence of multiple lines of evidence is very important in historical assessment and evaluation. I gave the example of multiple lines of evidence converging on the idea the Jewish elite were seen as responsible for the death of the historical Jesus, e.g., it makes sense Mark … AFTERWORD: Richard Carrier’s new book “The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus (2025)”

In these posts, I’ve presented some ideas that have come to mind about the first part of Carrier’s book. The methodological program is not radical at all, but very much in line with other disciplines trying to make their judgments grounded. Carrier asks how we move beyond historical judgments that are just rooted in “gut … EVALUATION: Richard Carrier’s new book “The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus (2025)” 

Hermeneutics is the idea that we can generate the meaning/sense of a text by considering individual elements as signs that point to or express a larger context, and the context is made manifest in the element.  So, Van Gogh’s peasant shoes might express a world of abject poverty and endless toil to which they belong: … (Part 7) Blogging Through Richard Carrier’s new book “The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus (2025)” – Hermeneutics/Deconstruction and Triangulation: Did Jesus Exist?