The Roundup

So I’ve been very busy lately, but I did want to throw out some recent updates and some interesting posts I’ve read this weekend. First, I haven’t had a chance yet because of my schedule to highlight this, but my recent paper was published on Bible and Interpretation: Did Jesus Exist? The Trouble with Certainty [...]

Carrier on Ehrman’s Response to Criticisms

Carrier took a moment out of his conference schedule to type a response to Ehrman.  It is as efficient as his others, meaning that he thoroughly shows the hubris of Ehrman’s latest foray (his book and his response to critics).  And let us not beat around the bush here, there is either dishonesty at work [...]

Of Scholars and Things: Bart Ehrman, Pride, and Credibility

καλεῖ δ᾽ ἀκούοντας οὐδὲν ἐν μέσᾳ δυσπαλεῖ τε δίνᾳ: γελᾷ δὲ δαίμων ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρὶ θερμῷ, τὸν οὔποτ᾽ αὐχοῦντ᾽ ἰδὼν ἀμαχάνοις δύαις λαπαδνὸν οὐδ᾽ ὑπερθέοντ᾽ ἄκραν: δι᾽ αἰῶνος δὲ τὸν πρὶν ὄλβον ἕρματι προσβαλὼν δίκας ὤλετ᾽ ἄκλαυτος, αἶστος. (Aeschylus, Eumenides 558-565) In Ehrman’s recent response to Carrier’s criticisms of his book, Ehrman writes the following (rather [...]

Carrier on Ehrman on Jesus – Part of Richard Carrier’s Review is Posted

I was pleased to see carrier posted up his review of Ehrman’s book late last night (early in the morning for me, here on the East Coast); what is a shame is that Carrier’s (dozen or so page) review is so outstandingly better than what Ehrman wrote (in his few-hundred-page book) that you have to [...]

Preliminary Overview of Bart Ehrman’s ‘Did Jesus Exist?’

I will write up a full review in due course (when I can muster the patience and the time necessary to sit down and write it). I had very high hopes for this book; it was the book for which I had been waiting.  So now that I have finished the book, what do I [...]

Book Review Update

Carrier’s book Proving History has been reviewed through Chapter 3 now!  Click through. http://tomverenna.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/book-review-richard-carriers-proving-history-bayess-theorem-and-the-quest-for-the-historical-jesus/

Richard Carrier’s Response Makes Ehrman Look Foolish

Which is a shame because I like Ehrman generally and think his work is generally good (though occasionally dated).  Because of Richard’s response I see no need to write a Part 2 to my response to Ehrman, since I don’t think I can say much more.  Though I will add a few things.  But first, [...]

Book Review: Richard Carrier’s ‘Proving History: Bayes’s Theorem and the Quest for the Historical Jesus’

Book Review Proving History: Bayes’s Theorem and the Quest for the Historical Jesus (New York: Prometheus Books, 2012), by Richard Carrier Table of Contents (Reviewed chapters are bolded) The Problem The Basics Introducing Bayes’s Theorem Bayesian Analysis of Historical Methods Bayesian Analysis of Historicity Criteria The Hard Stuff 1. Some Caveats: I’ve had the pleasure [...]

Review of the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit at the Discovery Center

 Where: Discovery Center – New York  When: January 8, 2012  Overall Impression of the Exhibit: Brief Introduction to the Exhibit: Today I traveled to New York to see the much-acclaimed Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Discovery Center (just off Times Square).  This is one of those exhibits I’ve been looking forward to seeing since [...]

A New Sort of Maximalist: Alien Astronauts

This is absolutely absurd and its a shame I have to waste my time to write this.  But as with all ridiculous conspiracy crap that exists out there, those dilettantes who actually believe in alien astronauts that came to earth and helped mankind are actually getting media attention through the History Channel. I don’t know [...]