new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
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Peter Kirby
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by Peter Kirby »

Blogged a bit here:

http://peterkirby.com/two-can-play-that-game.html

Tom Verenna has a better post directly against Atwill:

http://tomverenna.wordpress.com/2013/10 ... ent-jesus/

If you follow all the pingbacks, you can find a few more discussions.
"... almost every critical biblical position was earlier advanced by skeptics." - Raymond Brown
outhouse
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by outhouse »

WE were talking about this at RF. Sort of a Joke really

The movement prospered in the diaspora for Roman citizens, gentiles, and Proselytes. It never did well in Galilee if that was its intended target.

Had it been targeted at Galilean Jews the works would have been written in Aramaic or Hebrew, not in Koine Greek spread through the Diaspora.


I have to give Joe a F without further investigation.
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stephan happy huller
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by stephan happy huller »

http://www.amazon.com/Caesars-Messiah-C ... im_sbs_b_1

Has anyone seen that Atwill's book is ranked #611 among all books? That is quite an accomplishment. Also:


#1 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Bible Study & Reference > Criticism & Interpretation > New Testament
#3 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Bible Study & Reference > New Testament
#5 in Books > History > World > Religious > Christianity
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by MrMacSon »

Roger Pearse
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by Roger Pearse »

It's in the Daily Mail as well.
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by stephan happy huller »

I know but it's scary to think he's actually making money from this. He's self-published his own book. I think he had someone else publish it. Then he somehow re-published it on his own in 2011 and is now making money.
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by Toto »

Carrier reproduces some email correspondence with Atwill:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/carrier/archives/4664

I don't know if Atwill is making money from marketing his book to the public. I think he has attracted a few wealthy backers, including the film maker who did the documentary.

I think Amazon rankings can be manipulated.
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by Roger Pearse »

I was going to say something negative; but then I thought of Von Daniken. He was a crank too; but many of the kids who read him open-mouthed probably went on to learn real history and astronomy. So his nonsense helped propagate interest in scholarship and science. Indeed I still have a kindly feeling for the old fellow myself.

Just because someone is wrong does not mean that they may not be useful to us all. It is those who discourage interest that do the real harm, not the over-enthusiastic fringe people.
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Re: new nonsense from Joe Atwill

Post by Peter Kirby »

Roger Pearse wrote:Just because someone is wrong does not mean that they may not be useful to us all. It is those who discourage interest that do the real harm, not the over-enthusiastic fringe people.
That's an interesting way to look at it. There are certainly people that are drawn deeper into the subject, and I guess if we are in any way charitable in our opinion of the human race, they will outnumber the dogmatic know-nothings who dedicate their free time to trolling with said nonsense.
"... almost every critical biblical position was earlier advanced by skeptics." - Raymond Brown
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