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Article: The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels.
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- July 29, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WE would never think of saying, "Only if you remain in your seat may you take a walk," or, "Only if you keep a fast may you have your dinner." Yet to religious believers, the message of the culture is "Only if you can prove your faith are you rationally entitled to it." To back up Biblical stories one is expected to use history, so now we have a quest for the Historical Jesus; to back up religious doctrines one is expected to use science, so now we have scientific studies of such things as near-death episodes.
The results of these exercises have not been encouraging. Nominees for the Historical Jesus today include a peasant Cynic philosopher, an itinerant wonder ...