This website has been set up to show some of the ideas circulating in the first few centuries of the Common Era as reflected in the writings of Christians and pagans in that period. What were the beliefs of the early Christians and their fellow pagans? How did Roman and Greek beliefs influence the development of early Christianity?
This website aims to shed some light on what people believed in those first few centuries. Where possible, links are given to on-line sources so those interested in the topics can look into them in more depth.
I also link to articles I have written over the last few years, on topics like the Jesus Myth in "Bad History" and Liberal Christianity.
The following is a brief description of each section on this site:
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What did the early Christians and pagans believe about the world about them? Quotes from early writings, broken down into categories, including: Cosmology, the natural world |
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A look at some early Church fathers and their beliefs |
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How did early pagans and Christians view the Roman gods? Were they regarded as historical? |
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| Bad History |
Urban myths and falacies about historical events. Special focus on the Christ Myth |
| Liberal Christianity |
What is liberal Christianity? The wishy-washy views of hypocrits? Or the considered and reasonable views of really smart people at peace with their faith? (I'm a liberal Christian, so the answer may not surprise...) Also looks at fundamentalist Christianity and "fundy" atheism. |
| Contact me! |
If you can contribute to the "In their words" section, or have comments on any of the other sections, I want to hear from you. My contact details are here. |
| What's New | Latest updates to articles on the site |
Earl Doherty, the Jesus Myth and Second Century Christian Writings
This article looks at Earl Doherty's comments on second century Christian writings and the Jesus Myth in his book "The Jesus Puzzle". Doherty puts forward the thesis that some second apologists subscribed to a Christianity that was devoid of a historical Jesus. I conclude that Doherty's analysis is flawed, and that there is no reason to conclude that those apologists didn't believe in a historical Jesus
This article looks at Doherty's response to the first article. I find that, again, Doherty refuses to engage the literature as a whole. By focusing on the writings of those he believes didn't have a belief in a historical Christ, he doesn't take into consideration the broader writings of the Christians of this period. Doherty appears unaware that statements by his "mythicist" apologists that he deems problematic for historicists appear in the "historicist" apologists writings as well. I suggest Doherty's lack of inclusion of these statements in his analysis amounts to a one-sided presentation of the evidence.
The God Who Wasn't There: an analysis
An analysis of the historical claims made in the documentary "The God Who Wasn't There", which suggests that there was no historical Jesus. I find that Brian Flemming, the movie's creator, has managed to assemble much of the available misinformation on the topic. The article is in four parts, with Part 4 a look at various "Jesus Myth" proponents.
The God Who Wasn't There: Update: Comments from Brian Flemming and Richard Carrier
In this update, I look at some comments from Brian Flemming and Richard Carrier to my questions about "The God Who Wasn't There" movie. I also review Brian's new "FAQ" on his movie's website. I find that Flemming needs to reveal his sources to back up many of his claims.