what is the true Christian innovation?

[Giuseppe]

Not the love of enemies. Hence not the marcionite Antithesis between old and new.

Not the willing to leave their families to follow Christ.

Jesus was not the first to be a (son of) god euhemerized on Earth, mere man among men.

What then?

Some hypotheses:

1) The fact that the (expected violent and vendicative) Son of Man forgives the sins on Earth, surprisingly.

2) The fact that the failed apocalypticism is a corollary of the point 1: the delay of Parousia is seen as a sign of further forgiveness.

Do you know alternative points?

[Giuseppe]

The failed apocalypticism, as sign of another chance of forgiveness conceded by God to the sinners, proves the future fulfillment of the prophecy: this is the essential difference between Christianity and other failed apocalyptic religions. The Son of Man is still forgiving the sins on this Earth, since he is delaying paradoxically his parousia.

If the first gospel had euhemerized Jesus without this feature (the Son of Man forgiver of sins) then the Christianity would be disappeared from the History.

Can you find a similar feature in other religions of the time? I doubt you can.

[Peter Kirby]

Is the basic idea that it presents a Jewish version of a mystery cult myth fundamentally flawed? In marketing, the product must be tailored to its audience. Jesus is basically a zero calorie Coke for those abstaining from pagan pop.