the historicity of jesus christ (1 Viewer)

[extraordinary07]

does anyone in the state do this topic? our school must be one of the only ones and its frustrating. if anyone does then please post here that way we can help each other cause finding other sources is extremely hard.

 

[cucum3rs]

YES!!!

yes my school is doing it too.

 

[ness.xox]

I think my school has chosen to do this topic next year...
Hmm it was either the historicity of jesus christ or the crusades. lol

 

[historykidd]

I think my school has chosen to do this topic next year...
Hmm it was either the historicity of jesus christ or the crusades. lol

Do yourself a favour and do Crusades. Run, run, run as fast away from Jesus as you possibly can.

 

[matmatt]

YES!
I'm doing this topic too!
And i kinda agree.
Run from Jesus. This topic is hell, an interesting one, but fiery nonetheless.
How is everyone else going with it?

 

[ness.xox]

LOL!
Well we haven't started the course yet (let alone know if theres enough people to actually make a class) so the topic hasn't been decided. Though, my teacher said that it was one of her favourite topics she has taught it in the past and reckons we'll find it "interesting".. but after reading these comments im going to talk to her and hope she reconsiders!

 

[alcalder]

Hmmm, it would be an intersting topic, however, since the majority of secular society go out of their way to try and prove the non-historicity of Jesus, then it would like navigating a minefield of dodgy opinion. (Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code", although he claims it to be pure fiction, is actaully based on a true theory of Jesus' life!)

If one can prove that what is written about Jesus is not historical then one can reject his claims. I doubt you can get many marks in an HSC essay that refer to belief and faith in the authenticity of probably the only book that tells the truth about Jesus (the Bible).

IMHO Unless you are doing a religion subject I would say this topic is fraught with danger and the number of arguments that will arise due to differing belief systems and religions of students in the class may be quite nasty.

 

[wheeelo]

my school is doing the historicity of jesus, i think its a good topic.
You learn so much about all the bs surrounding christianity.

if you are interested in the topic/studying it; be sure to check out part one of the Zeitgeist official movie, it is a very interesting sourced documentary on the jesus myth.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

 

[caitycat]

We are too

What historians are you doing and what approach are you taking?

Our big thing has been the purpose of the investigating scholars, particularly as we contrast the work of Robert Price and John Dickson and why the two have come to opposite conclusions when faced with the same evidence.

Price is interesting because he began his investigation as a strong christian and concluded that Jesus did not exist; Dickson is intersting because he actually uses an historical approach.

QUESTION: How can I better use the gospels? I've practically ignored them! As our main source of evidence for Jesus' life, I think they need a little more attention

Oh.. for those interested in doing the subject next year, we are not asked to discuss Jesus' divinity, but the evidence for his historical existence and why historians (or in this case, scholars, as the topic also attracts the interest of theologans) come to the conclusians that that have. Jesus is a touchy because it is wrought with emotion. Whether you are christian, aethiest or agnostic Jesus is particularly difficult to view "objectively".

**quotation used because we can never REALLY be objective

 

[extraordinary07]

hey caitycat:wave:

yeah sorry we havent done any of those historians. we've done guys like fiorenza, burton mack, e.p sanders, richard horsely. do any of these names come to mind from your studies?

the bible of course is the main source. we just give their interpretation of jesus and show how it is influenced by their context and methodology.

its good to meet some people who do the same topic, if anyone else wants to post up some stuff of theirs or perhaps tell us about the way their school does the topic that would be great thanks.

 

[matmatt]

Honestly guys, if you still have a chance, talk your teacher into doing something else.
This is a fascinating topic, really, you're going to have awesome debates which WILL change how you think.
However, when it comes to writing a good essay presenting both sides of the debate as too; who was Jesus, it's going to be hell.
Basically, you have very little in the way of grounds to present the "holy Jesus". You have two historical documents, The Bible and Josephus Flavius's "Antiquities of the Jews".
Both of which have problems riddled throughout.
Then, you have the alternate's version. I have been using Pier Gibson's "the Real Jesus" and Barbara Theiring's "Jesus the Man". Again, both are riddled with assumption and sometimes false presentation of fact.
You're going to find yourself discrediting both sides before you accept them.

To those coming into this topic.
Goodluck, you're going to have an awesome time, but be weary.
To those doing it now, i pity you guys like i do myself.

ps. Which texts are you using?

 

[cucum3rs]

the term "shit" doesnt even begin to describe it.

its obviously one of the most controversial topics of the past, present and future, and that given, it is really hard to seperate what you believe from what you've been brought up believing when you are writing your essay.

i do enjoy the topic, but theres just SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much to write about!

 

[Regan of Gong]

Yep, we're doing it. We haven't actually started it though, we're doing Hisotry and the Historians and basic work on the major project.

I do go to a Christian school, but our teacher reasoned that it does have points on "impression marking", seeing as not many people in the state do it.

 

[Justina]

yep, my school is doing it too....haven't started yet - are we behind?

 

[trekkie]

guys this topic really isnt that bad, and if your an ancient person doing Rome it can really link in, i did this for my case study and there is alot out there, if anyone needs any help what so ever just message me and im more than willing to help, i have a heap of stuff and am one of the few almost qualified teachers on this thread (4th year HSIE teaching at NEWY)

 

[live.fast]

Hmm.. sounds like an interesting elective!

If it's any consolation though; yes, I agree with Regan_Of_Gong; IF you're essay is impressive, relative to other 'Historicity of Jesus' HSC exam responses, then you're in good stead! That's an advantage, only if most of the 'Historicity of Jesus' cohort are relatively worse historiography essay writers than yourself.

Either way though, I think I might research this one up! I've never really questioned Jesus, and I probably won't ever, but I'd still like to know; what are the most interesting materials you guys have come across on this elective? Or the most interesting historians?

Is there anything that I should be afraid of reading? (And no, I don't mean the stoopid Da Vinci code crap LOL and if that's what you're using.. well, History Extension isn't meant for EVERYONE I guess.. )

 

[ywontuend]

Our school is doing Jesus and i find it really interesting...

even though i disagree with most of the things i read!!

For the person above...

Be afraid of reading Gauvin...he is this empiricist historian who rips the gospels to shreds...

 

[xeuyrawp]

Either way though, I think I might research this one up! I've never really questioned Jesus, and I probably won't ever, but I'd still like to know; what are the most interesting materials you guys have come across on this elective? Or the most interesting historians?

I tried to look into it with relation to what I'm studying, but there's an inherent problem: "The Bible" as a collection of texts is the biggest piece of evidence for Jesus.

The main criticism most people have on the Bible is that it's all fabricated; recent studies show that most Australians dismiss most if not all of the Bible. However, we could effectively compare the Bible to some of the even more ancient texts like the Egyptian texts, which are seen as having some sort of historical basis. Why then do some people dismiss the Bible but not Egyptian historical texts, which are older and more unbelievable?

The basic problem is the historicity of the Bible, and I don't think you can enter the argument at the time of Jesus, it's simply impossible due to the problems outlined above. You really need to start as early as possible, namely where the Bible stops being aetiological and starts being historical.

Basically, I think if you've already made a judgement on the Old Testament, you will come into the historicity of Jesus debate with a skewed perspective. So, check out the OT issues. Kenneth Kitchen outlines the main arguments in his excellent book On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Kitchen is pro-historicity of the OT, generally, but gives all the arguments a very fair treatment so you can make up your own mind.

Once you've had a look at the OT stuff, yell out and I'll give you some NT references.

 

[Zephyrio]

I would have loved to have done this topic.

Anything apart from Elizabeth.

 

[rhian274]

i'm doing the jesus christ case study, and have my trial tomorrow and no idea what to write!
and there is nothign in resourses for me to look at =[
how many people at your school are doing ext?