Dennis R. MacDonald

Mythologizing Jesus: From Jewish Teacher to Epic Hero Dennis R. MacDonald

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.; Dennis MacDonald shows how Gospel stories parallel many Greek and Roman epics - from walking on water to visiting the land of the dead - to compel first-century readers into life-changing decisions to follow Jesus. MacDonald doesn't call into question the existence of Jesus but rather asks readers to examine the Gospels through a new, mythological lens. Review Quotes: This book distills much of MacDonald s decades of scholarship on the Homeric debt of popular literature at the time of Jesus. Mark s and Luke s stock of story motifs were in many cases influenced by Homer: the storm on the sea, the mentally ill man who lived among the caves, the hero walking on the water, the message from the dead to the living, the hero turning over the tables in his house, and many others. Early Christian authors and Byzantine scholars alike noticed the similarities, and now MacDonald has laid out the case clearly and forcefully.--Lawrence M. Wills, Ethelbert Talbot Professor of Biblical Studies, Episcopal Divinity School"Table of Contents: Dedication Mythological Names and Places (Greek and Roman) List of Figures Introduction: The Christian Superhero 1. Born Divine and Human 2. Empowered from Above and Enlisting Sailors 3. Feeding Thousands 4. Master of the Winds 5. Tamer of Monsters 6. Curing an Old Woman and Bringing a Girl back to Life 7. Water Walker 8. Land of the Dead 9. Blind Seer 10. Daring Hero Eats with the Enemy 11. Hero in Disguise Transformed 12. Curing a Boy with a Demon 13. Entering a City in Disguise 14. Clearing out a Den of Robbers 15. Prophet Anointed by a Woman 16. Following a Water Carrier 17. Preparing for Death while Friends Sleep 18. Traitor in the Midst 19. Cowardly Promise Breaker 20. Preferring a Rascal to a Hero 21. Heroic Death and Mourning Women 22. Rescuing a Corpse 23. Living Dead 24. Disappearing into the Sky Conclusion: The Mythologized Jesus and Modern Culture Appendix: The Gospels of Matthew and John Works Cited Further Reading on the Homeric Epics and Greek Mythology Further Reading on the New Testament and Classical Greek LiteratureBiographical Note: Dennis R. MacDonald is professor of New Testament and Christian origins at Claremont School of Theology. He is the author of several books, including The Gospels and Homer and Luke and Vergil. Review Quotes: In this fascinating and provocative book, MacDonald shows how the concept of Jesus as superhero made sense to people of the ancient Mediterranean world. He argues that tales of epic heroes fed into portrayals of Jesus in the Gospels, especially in terms of miraculous elements. This is a book sure to fire debate, written with vibrancy and aplomb by an accomplished scholar wielding classical, biblical, and early Christian sources with equal dexterity.--Joan Taylor, King s College London"Review Quotes: In this fascinating and provocative book MacDonald shows how the concept of Jesus as superhero made sense to people of the ancient Mediterranean world. He argues that tales of epic heroes fed into portrayals of Jesus in the Gospels, especially in terms of miraculous elements. This is a book sure to fire debate, written with vibrancy and aplomb by an accomplished scholar wielding classical, biblical and early Christian sources with equal dexterity.--Joan Taylor, King s College London"Publisher Marketing: Our culture is well-populated with superheroes: Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and more. Superheroes are not a modern invention; in fact, they are prehistoric. The gods and goddesses of the Greeks, for example, walked on water, flew, visited the land of the dead, and lived forever. Ancient Christians told similar stories about Jesus, their primary superhero he possessed incredible powers of healing, walked on water, rose from the dead, and more. Dennis R. MacDonald shows how the stories told in the Gospels parallel many in Greek and Roman epics with the aim of compelling their readers into life-changing decisions to follow Jesus. MacDonald doesn t call into question the existence of Jesus but rather asks readers to examine the biblical stories about him through a new, mythological lens." Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 04/13/2015 (EAN 9780742558915, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  MacDonald, Dennis R Dennis R. MacDonald is John Wesley Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, Claremont School of Theology, and director of the Institute of Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate University.