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The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity Paperback – January 1, 1987
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperCollins
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 1987
- Dimensions6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100062505858
- ISBN-13978-0062505859
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Product details
- Publisher : HarperCollins; Attribute not applicable for product edition (January 1, 1987)
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0062505858
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062505859
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #428,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #105,973 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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It's true that no one can prove whether or not Paul was a Pharisee, and one
cannot prove which parts of the gospels were written early and which added later,
and which parts are honest reportage and which passages might have been added later
to make a point. But a lot of skeptical and speculative biblical scholarship involves these same
problems, yet brilliant contributions are made by such scholars.
And really none of the author's speculation or conclusions in speculative matters undercut his basic theories: that Paul is the inventor of Christianity, and that he did it by fusing three different kinds of belief: gnosticism, Jewish belief, and pagan mystery religion belief.
Frankly, I think Maccoby's explanation of Paul --- his explanation for the absurdities and contradictions
in Paul, and for the sum of Paul's assertions --- is best I've ever read.
I admit for me the Christian belief system does not work. I pursued it for 12 earnest years (I also grew up
Catholic)during which time I devoted myself to faith based biblical scholarship, devouring the works of many great scholars.
But in the end it all fell apart for me; and no small part of it was that I could not make sense of the O.T. and N.T. together. The assertions by Paul in the N.T. simply were not supported by the O.T. --- and the supercessionist theology, and supercessionist cliches I confronted from Christians,, apparently built up on the basis of Paul, were not supported at all by the O.T.
I left the belief system confused, disappointed and disillusioned. And for quite some time I've pondered
questions like "How could Paul just throw out God's law from Sinai?" or "How can anyone say that the O.T.
and the N.T. together are inerrant when Paul throws out the law of God Himself?" Well, this book by Maccoby
addresses this issues in the best and most complete way I've seen to date. --- It confirms me in my conclusions that
the Christian Belief System is founded on falsehoods, contradictions, and absurdities. But it goes much further than I
could on my own in explaining how this might have come about.
I recommend this book highly --- very highly. I hope that it is not out of print now, and that if it is, that it will
very soon be reprinted. The scholarship here is excellent; the writing is clear; and the book is profoundly illuminating.
I do not agree with every single assertion or conclusion of Maccoby, but the book overall is a mighty achievement. It is tremendous in scope as it addresses the birth of a religion and the problems inherent in that religion.
It's concluding chapter alone is worth the price of a copy.
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What Maccoby brings to the table is the disturbing evidence that the claim to have been a Pharisee, a pupil of its leader, Gamaliel, and a supporter of the Jesus circle was, most probably, false. If you want to understand Jesus without contradictions and controversy, then you have to grasp Paul as false witness with his own agenda. Not only are the forged letters of Paul fake, so, it is clear, are the authentic letters. This is not an attack on Christians but an attack on their enemy within. As Maccoby stated, Jesus would be horrified to read of his simple blessing over bread and wine at the last supper with his disciples interpreted in pagan style as the invitation to drink his blood and eat his body.
If religion is to be truth, if one God is to strengthen humanity by love of His children, etc, then it is time to recognise the content and indeed the method of this reliable, remarkable and readable book.
The Author attributes Saul's motives to his failed attempt to be accepted by the Pharisees as a true-blue Jewish convert. According to the Author, Saul joined in frustration the Sadducee Great Priest's political police and persecuted Joshua's followers, before experiencing a vision on the road to Damascus. Maybe. Or maybe not. The Author never hints at the possibility that Saul's 'conversion' might have been faked and that he was still working for the Sadducees and the Romans when he created a version of Joshua's person and message that was completely at loggerheads with what the Nazarene's followers knew: a Jewish patriot/freedom fighter - that may or may not have considered himself a Messiah - and who ended up like most other rebels to Roman authority...
After performing his 'agent provocateur' mission and being rescued from the Jewish mob, Saul was probably whisked to a comfortable retirement in some warm corner of the Roman Empire. Even cautious Mr. MacCoby hints at such a possibility...
That said, this book is a mite overlong but still a very good read...










