1. Responding to secular theories

2. The whole idea of dying-and-rising gods is intuitive There exists many ancient pagan religions with resurrection myths/rituals Christianity’s resurrection account is an adapted reiteration of these pagan myths and rituals

4. Samuel Noah Kramer World’s leading Sumerian historian Jonathan Z. Smith Prolific author on Hellenistic religions

5. A widespread mystery religion of the Roman Empire Persian sun-god Virgin-born on Dec. 25 th Gathered around Easter time to eat a ritualistic meal, involving bread and wine “Baptism” re-enacted annually in bull’s blood Christmas Easter

6. Vegetation god(dess) of death & resurrection Self-castrated b/c of lover Cybele (Earth Mother) Killed by boar 3 days later, rises from the dead Death and resurrection ritual re- enacted every spring (March 22-25)

7. Sumerian mythological god (also known as Damuzi) Gone into the Nether World along with many other deities in cities Becomes the “substitute” for Innana (goddess of procreation and fertility), indirectly saving earth Rises again His death and resurrection celebrated through ritualistic re-enactment

11. History vs. Myth Communion vs. Reenactment “The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. The old myth of the Dying God, without ceasing to be myth, comes down from the heaven of legend and imagination to the earth of history. It happens – at a particular date, in a particular place, followed by definable historical consequences.” – Lewis “God in the Dock”

12. History Lack of metaphorical language Own insistence on historicity Intersection with historical events and places Myth Obvious use of metaphorical language Avoidance of claims on historicity Hero construct meant to symbolize a “greater reality”

13. Reenactment Annual ritualistic rites meant to re- invigorate the cycles of nature “Rebirth” as a repeated event in circular history Communion No hint of purpose of re-invigorating nature Resurrection as a singular event in a linear history

14. Judeo-Christian’s absolute disdain for nature cults Severe hostility toward Christianity in the Roman Empire Unparalleled spread of Christianity

16. A widespread mystery religion of the Roman Empire Persian sun-god Virgin-born on Dec. 25 th Gathered around Easter time to eat a ritualistic meal, involving bread and wine “Baptism” re-enacted annually in bull’s blood

17. Vegetation god(dess) of death & resurrection Self-castrated b/c of lover Cybele (Earth Mother) Killed by boar 3 days later, rises from the dead Death and resurrection ritual re- enacted every spring (March 22-25)

18. Sumerian mythological god (also known as Damuzi) Gone into the Nether World along with many other deities in cities Becomes the “substitute” for Innana (goddess of procreation and fertility), indirectly saving earth Rises again His death and resurrection celebrated through ritualistic re-enactment

19. 2 nd Century Pagan magicians start to claim power to resurrect body 3 rd Century Stories circulate regarding bodily resurrections

20. “Analogies do not yield genealogies” Jonathan Smith “If the Protestants from the beginning of last century attempted, against all evidence, to isolate early Christianity from its environment, Smith now tries, again against all evidence, to isolate pagan cults from their Christian environment.” Jan Bremmer

21. Historical person vs. symbolic archetype Singular event vs. phenomenological cycles in nature Resurrection vs. Re-invigoration Not a reiteration of the same message Impact on the Roman Empire Presupposition of order reversed Recent scholarship