Peter Kirby

This is a question for those who have read G.A. Wells.

Are you annoyed by the constant appeals to authority in his arguments? Not usually for the argument itself, but for the supporting points of evidence.

I have five of his books, and I'm having trouble getting through one. I keep thinking, 'sure, X says this, but Y says otherwise!'

kind regards,
Peter Kirby

Toto

Could you give an example? Is he referring to authority or consensus?

Peter Kirby

Wells writes, "In the present volume I have drawn extensively on recent theological work, and my readers will be able to see whether I have thereby weakened my case." (Did Jesus Exist?, p. 5)

For example, "That angels or demons, and not human rulers are meant [in 1 Cor 2:8] is admitted by commentators..." (p. 19)

When looking for examples, it is not as frequent as I first had the impression, but the phenomenon is there. (I am only on page 21 or so of this book.)

kind regards,
Peter Kirby

Steven Carr

My impression is that he used such authorities to deflect the charge that it was all just the opinion of an amateur.