| erms "mythicism" and "mythicist" may be new to many | | | | both of whom taught French Emperor Napoleon |
| people, even though they have been around for a | | | | Bonaparte, who himself supposedly once stated that |
| couple of centuries. "Mythicist" was first coined in | | | | the question of whether or not Jesus Christ really |
| German and English to describe people who doubted | | | | existed was a "good one." |
| the historical veracity of the Judeo-Christian Bible. The | | | | In the 19th century, these French scholars were |
| word is used these days particularly to define scholars, | | | | followed by Dr. F.C. Baur of the Tübingen School |
| researchers and others who investigate whether or | | | | in Germany, along with his pupil Dr. David F. Strauss, |
| not the New Testament character of Jesus Christ | | | | who was attacked and lost his occupation for writing a |
| was a real, historical person or a myth along the lines | | | | "Life of Jesus" asserting that much of the gospel story |
| of the gods, godmen and heroes of other cultures, | | | | was mythical. Strauss practically defined "mythicism" |
| such as Hercules, Mithra or Horus. A mythicist may | | | | for a time, but was followed famously by Dr. Bruno |
| also question the historicity of other biblical figures such | | | | Bauer, who likewise cast doubt on the Bible as |
| as Adam, Eve, Satan, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, | | | | "history." There have been many others since then, |
| Solomon and so on. When the religion and mythology | | | | including Rev. Dr. Robert Taylor, who in the 1820s and |
| of other ancient cultures are studied, there exists good | | | | 30s was imprisoned in England twice on "blasphemy" |
| reason to doubt that these figures are historical, | | | | charges for lecturing about Christ as a myth. More |
| especially when we possess no credible and scientific | | | | than a few scholars, researchers and writers in the |
| archaeological or historical evidence for their existence. | | | | 20th century and today fall within the category of |
| The Bible is often the only purported proof we have of | | | | "mythicists" as well. |
| these individuals' alleged reality as historical personages. | | | | The mythicist position has much to offer to those who |
| Although many people may not be aware of the | | | | find it difficult to believe in the gospel story as "history" |
| long-term and voluminous studies involved in what is | | | | but who wish to know the deeper meaning behind the |
| called "mythicism," the questioning of the Bible as | | | | story. One of the major planks of mythicism is |
| representing mythology goes back several centuries. | | | | recognizing the ancient astrotheology and nature |
| Much of the major work in this field has occurred in | | | | worship engaged in by the cultures of antiquity whose |
| Europe, dating back to at least the end of the 18th | | | | religions and myths contributed to the formation of |
| century, especially in France and Germany. | | | | Christianity. This astrotheology can be summed up in a |
| In France, at the end of the 18th century appeared the | | | | nutshell as the reverence for and personification of the |
| multi-volume work of Professor Charles Dupuis, who | | | | sun, moon, earth, planets, stars and constellations, as |
| put together a massive amount of evidence showing | | | | well as other celestial bodies and natural phenomena. |
| that many of the ancient gods and goddesses were | | | | The study of mythicism, astrotheology and |
| solar in nature and that biblical characters such as | | | | archaeoastronomy reveal a very ancient body of |
| Jesus shared numerous aspects in common with | | | | knowledge that is both highly fascinating and far too |
| these deities. Dupuis was followed by Count Volney, | | | | overlooked in today's society. |