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|  01-22-2011, 12:54 PM | #1 | 
| Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area 
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				 |  Mark Goodacre on why study the Historical Jesus 
			
			Why Study the HJ? My notes: Well - it's a puzzle that invites analysis. The historical Jesus is a modern creation, based on ancient texts. Some want to distinguish between the historical Jesus and the "real" Jesus. Y2K led to a publishing boom for Jesus' alleged birthday. We are in a post-Holocaust period, so Jesus the Jew is a bridge to interreligious understanding. But then he gets down to theology. He's not a "proper" theologian, but the thing about the quest for the historical Jesus is that Christian theology is based on the incarnation of god as flesh. History is fascinating and teaches all sorts of interesting things about the ancient world, stretches your brain. To be continued. | 
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|  01-23-2011, 06:27 AM | #2 | |
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				 |   Quote: 
 The "historical Jesus" was NOT "real"??? What puzzles!!!!! | |
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|  01-23-2011, 08:35 AM | #3 | |
| Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Orlando 
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			Hi Toto, The best reason to study the mythological Jesus is that religious ideologists have a great deal of political power and we wish to understand how they cash in imaginary power (or the power of imagination) and turn it into economic and social power. Warmly, Philosopher Jay Quote: 
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