Talk:Christ myth theory/testpage
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The Christ myth theory (also known as Jesus mythicism, the Jesus myth theory and the nonexistence hypothesis) is the idea that Jesus of Nazareth was not a historical person, but is a fictional or mythological character created by the early Christian community.[1][2][3][4] Some proponents argue that events or sayings associated with the figure of Jesus in the New Testament may have been drawn from one or more individuals who actually existed, but that none of them were in any sense the founder of Christianity.[5] Most scholars involved with historical Jesus research believe his existence can be established using documentary and other evidence, although they agree that all material about him in the New Testament should not be taken at face value.[6]
Christ myth theory | |
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Description | Jesus Christ either did not exist as a historical figure, or if he existed his life events were inaccurately reported and invented by the early Christian community. |
Early proponents | Charles François Dupuis (1742–1809) Constantin-François Volney (1757–1820) Bruno Bauer (1809–1882) Arthur Drews (1865–1935) |
Modern proponents | G.A. Wells, Alvar Ellegård, Robert M. Price, Richard Carrier |
Subjects | Historical Jesus, Early Christianity, Ancient history |
The history of the idea can be traced to the French Enlightenment thinkers Constantin-François Volney and Charles François Dupuis in the 1790s. Notable proponents include Bruno Bauer; Arthur Drews in the 20th century; and more recently G.A. Wells, Alvar Ellegård, and Robert M. Price. The idea has come to modern public attention through the work of writers such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and the French philosopher Michel Onfray.[7]
Arguments used to support the theory emphasize the absence of extant reference to Jesus during his lifetime and the scarcity of non-Christian reference to him in the 1st century. Some proponents contend that Christianity emerged organically from Hellenistic Judaism and draws on perceived parallels between the biography of Jesus and those of Greek, Egyptian, and other gods, especially those figuring in myths about dying and rising deities.