Is Christianity Myth? by Rev. Ben Edwards
What is Myth and Why Christianity Doesn't Fit the Category
In this talk Rev. Ben Edwards (Ph.D candidate) argues against the idea that Christianity is a myth. In the first part, largely following John Oswalt’s book, "The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature?", he compares the characteristics of myth (central being one-ness or monism) with the characteristics of the Bible (central being two-ness or dualism). He then briefly addresses the idea that Jesus is a myth based off of similarities to other pagan myths, pointing out that scholarship no longer takes this idea seriously and showing there are no real parallels between Jesus’s life and the account of individuals in pagan myths (e.g., Mithras, Osiris, Adonis, etc.) He then makes a case for the historicity of the Gospels, and concludes by showing the importance of history to Christianity and why that matters.
Defining Myth: 0:00-9:13 Characteristics of Myth: 9:14-24:00 Characteristics of the Bible: 24:00-33:30 Jesus and Pagan Myths: 33:30-43:35 Historicity of the Gospels: 43:35-59:32 Importance of History to Christianity: 59:32-1:02:29 Why This Matters: 102:29-1:11:27