Category Archives: History

Origen’s Neo-Platonism

Posted on February 10, 2016 by christopher fisher

Origen was an early merger of Neo-Platonism and Christian theology. In his writings, he represents creation as a departion from God. God is immutable and changeless. God, therefore, is not to be thought of as being either a body or … Continue reading →

Posted in Church Fathers, History, Platonism | 1 Comment

the greek origin of omniscience

Posted on December 7, 2015 by christopher fisher

The concept of omniscience in rooted in the idea of God’s “perfection”. In platonism, the perfect cannot change. Thus, if god changed (such as learning new information) then god would not be perfect. Omniscience, then, is an extension of platonistic … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine, Bible, God, Greek History, Immutablility, Plato, Theology | 3 Comments

moses the antihero

Posted on August 29, 2015 by christopher fisher

Moses is a very unlikely hero of the Pentateuch. In usual fictional tales, the hero is some sort of chosen individual, endowed with special powers, who is born into royalty but is subsequently disenfranchised. This is before they return to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish History, Open Theism, Theology | Leave a comment

angels or gods

Posted on June 7, 2015 by christopher fisher

Early anti-Christian Platonist Porphyry argues that Christians do not much differ from the pagans who believe in many gods because Christians believe in angels. As God rules over the angels, the pagans hold to a similar hierarchy. Porphyry does not … Continue reading →

Posted in Church Fathers, History | 5 Comments

eyewitness account of aztec sacrifice

Posted on April 5, 2015 by christopher fisher

From Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s The Memoirs of the Conquistador: Indeed, hardly a day passed by that these people did not sacrifice from three to four, and even five Indians, tearing the hearts out of their bodies, to present them … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 1 Comment

movie review – Killing Jesus

Posted on March 30, 2015 by christopher fisher

Killing Jesus is a TV-movie adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s work of the same name. The purpose of this movie seems to be to build a more historical portrait of Jesus, rather than the influx of spiritually focused TV films. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church Fathers, History, Jesus | Leave a comment

an overview of the mystery cults

Posted on February 19, 2015 by christopher fisher

[W]e may say that a Mystery-Religion was (I) a religion of symbolism which, through myth and allegory, iconic representations, blazing lights and dense darkness, liturgies and sacramental acts, and suggestion quickened the intuitions of the heart, and provoked in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Greek History, History, Mystery Cults | 1 Comment

ehrman on the absence of judas in paul

Posted on January 13, 2015 by christopher fisher

From Bart Ehrman’s Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: For I received from the Lord that which I also handed over to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and after giving thanks, … Continue reading →

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Jesus would not kick over your coffee bar

Posted on January 10, 2015 by christopher fisher

Mick Mooney writes a blog post for the Huffington Post where he describes what a modern day Jesus would do. It is written with all the scholarly Biblical knowledge of a high school student. If he wanted accuracy or honesty, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Bible Critics, God, History, Jewish History | 1 Comment

the jewish temple is violated

Posted on January 10, 2015 by christopher fisher

When Pompey subdued Jerusalem (63BC), one of his first acts was to enter into the Jew’s most sacred place. It is here that the historian Tacitus (56-117 AD) says that Pompey discovered that the Jewish mysteries were empty: [5.9] Gnaeus … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, History, Jewish History, Mystery Cults | Leave a comment