Gday all,
(MrMacSon has reminded my about copyright limits in my posting from OHJ - but I am still well below 10%, which I think is the limit. I will post a little more here, but not as full scans, just brief comments.)
Here are brief summaries (typically the topic sentence from his book) regarding his background material to Christianity. I found this section most valuable, and he provides in depth analyses of these points, not copied here.
Carrier, OHJ, Background Elements to Christianity
"Element 1.
The earliest form of Christianity definitely known to us originated as a Jewish sect in the region of Syria-Palestine.
Element 2.
When Christianity began, Judaism was highly sectarian and diverse.
Element 3.
When Christianity began, many Jews were expecting a Messiah.
Element 4.
Palestine in early 1st C. CE was experiencing a rash of messianism. See:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=687&start=170#p14594
Element 5.
Even before Christianity arose, some Jews expected one of their messiahs heralding the end times would actually be killed.
Element 6.
The suffering-and-dying servant of Isaiah 52-53 and the messiah of Daniel 9 (which may have been seen as the same person) have numerous logical connections with a man in Zechariah 3 and 6 named 'Jesus Rising' who is confronted by Satan in God's abode in heaven and there crowned king, given all of God's authority, holds the office of high priest, and will build up 'God's house'.
Element 7.
The pre-Christian book of Daniel was a key messianic text, predicting the messiah's arrival in early 1st C., even 30 CE.
Element 8.
Many messianic sects were searching the scriptures and extra-canonical texts for secret messages about the messiah.
Element 9.
In the early 1st C. CE, scripture consists of more than what is now the OT.
Element 10.
Christianity began as a Jewish messianic cult preaching a spiritually victorius messiah.
Element 11.
The earliest definitely known for of Christianity was a Judeo-Hellenistic mystery religion.
Element 12.
From as early as we can ascertain, Christians belioeved they became 'brothers' of the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism.
Element 13.
Like all mystery cults, Christianity had secret doctrines, that initiates were sworn never to reveal, and that would be talked about and written about in symbols, myths and allegories to disguise their true meaning.
Element 14.
Mystery cults spoke of their beliefs in public through myths and allegory, which symbolised a more secret doctrine that was usually rooted in a more esoteric astral or metaphysical theology. See :
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=687&p=14920#p14920
Element 15.
Christianity began as a charismatic cult in which many of it's leaders and members displayed evidence of schizotypal personalities.
Element 16.
The earliest Christians claimed they knew at least some, if not all, facts and teachings of Jesus from revelation and scripture - rather than from witnesses.
Element 17.
The fundamental features of the Gospel story of Jesus can be read out of the Jewish scriptures.
Element 18.
Jesus Christ was regarded as having fulfilled by his death (and thereby replacing) the two greatest Jewish religious sacrifices - Yom Kippur and Passover.
Element 19.
The apostle Paul is the earliest known Christian writer, yet he did not know a living Jesus.
Element 20.
The earliest known Christians proselytized Gentiles bu required them to convert to Judaism.
Element 21.
Paul and other NT authors attest that there were many rival Christian sects and factions teaching different gospels throughout the 1st century.
Element 22.
We have no credible or explicit record of what happened within the Christian movement between 64 and 95 CE (or possibly even as late as 110 CE), and the leadership of the Christian church had been catastrophically decimated by the beginning of that period. "
See the continuation of Carrier's series of Elements in his section on Elements of Context, here :
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=687&p=14925#p14925