This very short book is not a book about Jesus. It’s a book about the alleged resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem. It’s primary goal is to ascertain the real reason why, 2000 years ago, many people came to believe Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem.
The book provides non-theists/atheists with a very simple. yet very powerful new argument, one that Christian apologists like the renown Gary Habermas cannot possibly refute.
A revised updated version of The Christianity Myth can now be read free of charge on my blog site. Click here if interested.
I confess I’m neither a trained theologian nor a classical biblical scholar, but thirty years working in research & development equipped me with the skills needed to put first century Christianity under the microscope. I’m probably even better qualified to do this than theologians and most biblical scholars, because, unlike them, I had no personal emotional need to preserve the status quo. This complete emotional detachment, and my professional awareness of the dangers posed by confirmational bias, ensured I remained totally objective throughout my investigation. I began my examination of the evidence offered by Christian’s in support of their doctrinal dogma shortly after I retired. I did so because, even after thirty years of regular church going, I still wasn’t convinced that Jesus had been resurrected in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. [see About KAG Thackerey for more biographical notes]
The Christianity Myth charts the progress of my investigation, and it is a quick and easy read, offering a decent overview of first century Christianity. It gathers together all the factual information relevant to the alleged Jerusalem resurrection, and it establishes a relevant timeline. Many others, mainly authors with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, have already done this, and done it in far greater detail, but The Christianity Myth then analyses the veracity and authenticity of these assembled facts in a totally objective manner. The overall objective of this book is not to confirm and reinforce long established Christian dogma, but to try and understand what really happened 2000 years ago, and to explain why, 2000 years ago, many people came to believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead in Jerusalem.
This quick cogent read addresses two fundamental questions. First, are Christian claims that Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem 2000 years ago well founded? Second, if not, how come 2000 years later, we have a major world religion based entirely on a false premise? The book concludes the origins of Christianity can now be explained without any reference to divine intervention. This new explanation is somewhat radical in nature, but it is totally compatible with both the known facts and the accepted chronology of events.
My simpler, more pragmatic explanation of Christianity’s origins exposes the inadequacies of the orthodox version of events, and challenges the very veracity of Christian claims that Jesus is the son of god. In effect, I explain the origins of Christianity without any need to believe in gods and without any need for divine intervention from said gods. I also explains what others have so far failed to explain, namely why we now have four New Testament Gospels proclaiming a Jerusalem resurrection that never happened, and suggest the origins of Islam can be explained in a similar manner.
Amazon reviews of The Christianity Myth [see Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk] are currently polarised. Half the reviewers like the book and found it interesting, but the response from Christians and mythicists is far less positive. This is both understandable and to be expected. It is, after all, a very contentious book dealing with a very emotive subject. Nevertheless, I’m convinced most open-minded individuals will find the book both interesting & very informative. One final note. Christians may well think Jesus was the Son of God before reading The Christianity Myth, but will they still think he’s the Son of God after reading it?
Click here to read the book free of charge
Hey Thack,
Ever notice how intertwined religion is with our evolution. Regardless the facts, I find it hard to remove faith and belief from the human, that faith may be in science, philosophy and/or religion, but it seems we cant do without an explanation for ourselves. Science seems to be telling us that having faith in placebos actually works. Shamans were not useless along the way? And, at least we dont sacrifice our first born since Abraham and the power of forgiveness (religiously inspired or not) seems to work wonders for the victim, if not the perpetraitor. Now, if we can just remove the religious wars, etc. We need a new all encompassing faith… in the “science” of faith?
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Religions have taken many forms & served many purposes during our evolutionary development. Mainly they have been vehicles for “explaining the non-explainable”, and for providing social cohesion within a “tribe”, but only at the expense of causing divisions between “tribes” daring to be different.
Religions have also served as a useful form of “self regulating crowd control” that was often exploited by more astute “rulers”.
Today, we have scientific explanations for most of the things that mystified mankind & the need for religion has now been relegated to the lesser role of satisfying simple personal needs.
Many people it seems, still need personal reassurance that their lives have purpose & meaning and they usually seek this reassurance via religion. It’s a comfort blanket that insulates them from thoughts of their own insignificance & their own mortality.
As you’ve probably already worked out by now, I have little or no time for the stereotypical “faith” associated with religions. The only faith I would subscribe to is faith in the inherent goodness of the vast majority of people. In my opinion, you do not need a god telling you to be good!
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