“In these essays, Price surprises with a wealth of fresh perspectives: biographical, exegetical, philosophical, theological, religious-historical and -critical in a diverse mixture. In the volatile field of atheism and faitheism, Price succeeds in capturing the unbelieving and believing readers equally.”
—Hermann Detering, author of The Fabricated Paul

About the Book

Theologian and writer Robert M. Price is perhaps best known today for his scholarly arguments against the existence of a historical Jesus. Yet, he has been at various times in his career an agnostic, an exponent of Liberal Protestant theology, a nontheist, a secular humanist, a religious humanist, a Unitarian-Universalist wannabe, an unaffiliated Universalist, and a Fellow of the Jesus Seminar. Any way you cut it, he is not your typical atheist. This collection of his best essays demonstrates his love for the various great religions, which he views as endlessly fascinating expressions of the human spirit. Beneath the keen insights and sharp critiques he offers, whether the subject is theology, secularism, or biblical studies, the essays themselves are also deeply personal and revealing. Read together, they document his self-extrication from the born-again Christianity in which he dwelt for some dozen years—and his subsequent rise to celebrated freethought advocate whose work has challenged an entire field.

About the Author

Robert M. Price holds PhDs in systematic theology and the New Testament from Drew University. He is the author of numerous books, including The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man: How Reliable Is the Gospel Tradition and has written his own translation of the New Testament. He's also written about the historicity of Moses, the nuances and problems of Christian theology, and, most notably, the question of a historical Jesus.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311342
Format: paperback
SRP: $17.95
Page count: 280 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: September 2017

“In these essays, Price surprises with a wealth of fresh perspectives: biographical, exegetical, philosophical, theological, religious-historical and -critical in a diverse mixture. In the volatile field of atheism and faitheism, Price succeeds in capturing the unbelieving and believing readers equal”
—Tim Rice, lyricist, Jesus Christ Superstar

About the Book

In this fourth volume of Robert M. Price's celebrated Holy Fable series, he turns his critical lens away from the Bible and toward a broader range of scriptural works that were written, or rediscovered, in modern times. Employing the same sympathetic but eagle-eyed treatment that defined past volumes, he offers in-depth analysis of the Joseph Smith–penned Book of Mormon; the long-sealed Gospel according to Thomas; the New Age Jesus of the Aquarian Gospel; the H. P. Lovecraft–invented Necronomicon; and the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. With his trademark scholarship and wit, he demonstrates how and why this eclectic mix of contemporary scriptural work provides genuine spiritual inspiration to a colorful variety of religious groups and seekers today.

About the Author

Robert M. Price holds PhDs in systematic theology and the New Testament from Drew University. He is the author of numerous books, including The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man: How Reliable Is the Gospel Tradition and has written his own translation of the New Testament. He's also written about the historicity of Moses, the nuances and problems of Christian theology, and, most notably, the question of a historical Jesus.

Details

ISBN: 9781634312042
Format: paperback
SRP: $30.00
Page count: 672 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: April 2020

About the Book

While Christian faith cannot be reduced to mere superstition, few would deny that Christianity is too easily plagued by superstition. Indeed, many Christian theologians have tried to purify Christianity of magical thinking in favor of genuine piety. In Jesus Christ Superstition, Robert M. Price examines this confusing intersection of Christianity and superstition. Is “practicing the presence of God” actually a variety of paranoia? Is having a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” really akin to a child playing with an imaginary friend? At what point does a religious belief or practice become an obsessive neurosis? These are searching questions from someone who himself spent many years as an Evangelical Christian. Price finds that the source of superstition in Christianity is the objectification of the transcendent. As a result, he argues, many of the most destructive superstitions within Christianity are unfortunate accretions to the faith and by no means essential to it. In that regard, many of the beliefs and practices that interfere with a life-transforming piety could in principle be purged from Christianity to the glad benefit of its adherents. Christians who believe that an unexamined faith is not worth having will profit from struggling with Jesus Christ Superstition.

About the Author

Robert M. Price is the host of the podcasts The Bible Geek and The Human Bible as well as the author of books including Beyond Born Again, Deconstructing Jesus, Inerrant the Wind, and many others. He is the founder and editor of the Journal of Higher Criticism and has debated William Lane Craig, Bart Ehrman, Craig Blomberg and others.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311908
Format: paperback
SRP: $15.99
Page count: 191 pages
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5
Pub date: September 2019

"In this debate on the central Christian doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus, the two chief scholars represented here, Craig Blomberg and Carl Stecher, speak capably and knowledgeably in favor of the major opposing positions. Additional respondents enhance the discussion. The opponents are nonetheless amicable and attempt to understand and make allowances for positions that are not their own, which always contributes to greater understanding. For those who appreciate dialogue as a means of clearing away poorly articulated views, this dialogue is a good place to either begin or for further study. Though I have always favored the resurrection position, the communication must continue for greater clarification and decision-making."
—Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor & Chair, Department of Philosophy, Liberty University

About the Book

Is there enough evidence to believe Jesus rose from the dead, or must such a judgment be based only on faith? Can the resurrection story be considered a fact of history, or should it be viewed as an ahistorical account? Two renowned professors, atheist Carl Stecher and Christian Craig Blomberg, engage in a groundbreaking new debate on these very questions. Other experts on the resurrection, atheist Richard Carrier and Christian Peter S. Williams, comment on the outcome. Presenting new approaches to these centuries-old questions and taking into account the latest scholarly research, Resurrection: Faith or Fact? is a must-have not only for all those following the resurrection question—but also for those skeptics and Christians alike who are interested in determining for themselves the truth behind this foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.

About the Author

Carl Stecher is a professor emeritus at Salem State University, a recipient of a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and a frequently published voice on the topics of educational policy and religion. Craig L. Blomberg is Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado and author of 25 books. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Richard Carrier is the author of Sense and Goodness without God, On the Historicity of Jesus, The Scientist in the Early Roman Empire, and many other publications. Peter S. Williams is an assistant professor at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, NLA University, Norway.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311748
Format: paperback
SRP: $17.95
Page count: 296 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: April 2019