Description

It is claimed by the disciples of Jesus Christ, that he was of supernatural and divine origin; that he had a human being for a mother, and a God for his father; that, although he was woman-conceived, he was Deity-begotten, and molded in the human form, but comprehending in essence a full measure of the infinite Godhead; thus making him half human and half divine in his sublunary origin.

This book examines that claim in light of similar claims that preceded it. The author gathered all of what was known at the time about other similar stories of gods who walked the earth, preached ethical and mystical doctrines, and ended up as deicides. Today, folklorists have discovered a set of world-wide themes relating a story of a culture-hero who has a miraculous birth and tragic death. This is one of the archetypal stories which Jung and Campbell discussed. It is now considered less shocking that incidents in religious narrative could be drawn from the global bank of folklore motifs. This does not lessen the impact, however, on traditional believers in these narratives as he absolute truth.
This book contains fascinating history I had not been aware of. Written in 1875, it can be challenging reading at times. Nevertheless, the similarities between the various savior figures are remarkable.The book is worth reading. It’s amazing to know how many historical figures were crucified, even between two thieves. Or born on December 25th of a virgin, with wise men bearing gifts having been foretold by the stars. Or descended into hell, only to later ascend into heaven. eye-opening expose on how Christianity has borrowed from pre-existing religions. Richard Dawkins often asks theists to acknowlege their atheistic states regarding Gods like Zeus and Thor, after reading this I now ask Christians to prove to me that Zoroaster isn’t my saviour, to excellent effect.