“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

“Finally there is a colleague who can honor the contributions Bart Ehrman is making to the field of New Testament studies by neither demonizing nor praising him without reason. With scholarly scrutiny and his witty humor Robert M. Price addresses central topics of Ehrman’s work. By supporting and critiquing what he sees, Dr. Price encourages and equips readers to find their own voice as they engage with highly debated aspects of New Testament literature."
—David Trobisch, Director of Collections, Museum of the Bible

About the Book

Arguably no scholar in the 21st century has had more of an impact on public discussion and debate over the historical Jesus and the development of early Christianity than distinguished professor of religious studies, Bart D. Ehrman. He has introduced many new readers to crucial questions of biblical criticism in a series of bestselling books. In Bart Ehrman Interpreted, theologian and writer Robert M. Price evaluates Ehrman’s body of work. Taking a collegial approach and rejecting polemics, Price defends Ehrman’s writing against conservative attacks but also suggests a number of points at which Ehrman may be insufficiently or inconsistently critical. No matter one's views toward Ehrman, Bart Ehrman Interpreted will prompt much fruitful and positive discussion of his important work and of the popular and scholarly debates that surround it.

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: 9781634311588
Format: paperback
SRP: $16.95
Page count: 255 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: April 2018

“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

“After a decade of engagements with Carrier’s version of the Jesus Myth Theory, his approach remains viable. There are developments within New Testament Studies that have made it even stronger. From ancient views of the cosmos to even an author’s choice of Greek prepositions, this new study guides the reader to understand and appreciate the paradigm of Jesus as a celestial myth rather than a celestialized man. Updating and adding to the case, The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus shows that Jesus Mythicism pulls away old barriers and opens up new avenues for exploring early Christianity. Until scholars take this work seriously, historical Jesus studies will remain exceptionally incomplete.”

—Aaron Adair, PhD, author of The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View

About the Book

More than a decade has passed since peer-reviewed studies began questioning the historical existence of Jesus. This study surveys what has happened since, and how biblical studies has continued moving toward that conclusion even while attempting to avoid it. By exploring newly published takes on Docetism, the aims and sources of the Gospels, the interpretation of the Epistles, and the logic of historical reasoning, the old paradigm of biblical studies is here argued to be obsolete. Too much work is being built on the assumption that Jesus existed, and that something about him can be recovered, and this is leading scholars to false conclusions about Christianity and its origins. Historians need to rethink their entire paradigm and begin studying the Bible anew on the assumption that there was no such Jesus to recover. It is here shown how that approach will produce important new knowledge of early Christian history and the interpretation of the New Testament.

About the Author

Richard Carrier, PhD, is a world-renowned author and speaker who specializes in the intellectual history of Greece and Rome, particularly ancient philosophy, religion, and science. He is the author of numerous books, including On the Historicity of Jesus and Jesus from Outer Space. To learn more about Dr. Carrier and his work, please visit richardcarrier.info.

Details

ISBN: 9781634312820
Format: paperback
SRP: $24.95
Page count: 439 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: November 2025