Problems with the Bilby Thesis
Historian Mark Bilby is proposing a new thesis about dating the Gospels (and other NT texts) in an experimental study that, as of this publication at least, is at Zenodo (an open research archive), titled Neologismata, Volume 1: Proofs of New Testament Redactions...The Last Three Objections to Jesus Being a Myth
In my recent update on the “Jesus Myth” debate, in The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus, I note that, now, the best reason to be sure Jesus didn’t exist is that everyone who insists he did has to strangely ignore a lot of evidence (even...Recommendations for Getting Up to Speed on Ancient Israel, Ancient Forgery, and Ancient Society
I’ve been running a series reviewing my three recommendations lists, and today I’m switching again to Origins of Christianity. And check this out, because if I can bring Amazon over three grand in sales in a month I get a bonus (alas, yes, Amazon; but only...Ken Dark on the Historicity of Jesus
In my last article (on The Historicity of Nazareth) I mentioned in the course of a mostly positive review of Ken Dark’s new book (Archaeology of Jesus’ Nazareth) that he completely shits the bed when it comes to arguing that “surely” Jesus existed to...The Historicity of Nazareth
Just a couple years ago, secular archaeologist Ken Dark published Archaeology of Jesus’ Nazareth (Oxford University Press 2023), a summary of his own archaeological survey of Nazareth, going over all the previous archaeology there (even admitting its flaws and...Comparing Apologetical Methods: Jonathan Sheffield vs. Michael Licona
There is a largely overlooked internal debate among Christian apologists about approach. The gist of which is how much Christians should allow fudging, omitting, spinning, and overreach (though the pro side would never describe what it’s doing that way, which is...Three Perspectives on the Life Sciences in the Roman Empire
I teach several online courses you can join every month. Two include a history of atheism (our western freethought heritage) and a history of ancient science and technology in the West. I highly recommend you check them out. It’s a great way to get in some...David Fitzgerald’s Review of David Skrbina’s Amateur Jesus Hoax
A Note from the Editor: I rarely publish guest articles on my blog. But this one, by my friend David Fitzgerald (author and journalist), is exceptional and is being stalled by other venues to avoid publishing it. Since I pretty much agree with all of it, and this...Christianity in Hitler’s Ideology: The Definitive Study
I’ve long pointed out that attempts to make Hitler and the Nazis into atheists is counterfactual propaganda. They were stalwartly and predominately Christian, and largely driven by Christian motives. I’ve covered this several times (in Hitler Homer Bible...Hansen’s Contribution to the James in Josephus Debate
There is a valuable new study by Chrissy Hansen, “Josephus and the Murder of James: An Argument Against Some Common Wisdom,” in the new journal Studies of Biblical Interest 2 (2025). I don’t agree with its conclusion but I think it’s a quality...T.C. Schmidt on James in Josephus: Apologetics vs. History
After Exposing T.C. Schmidt’s Oxford Apologetics for the Testimonia Flaviana altogether (and his fellow Christians failed to rescue him), I now shall address his appendix on my case against Josephus referring to the Christian Jesus when relating the execution of a...Errata for Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus
This page will be continually updated. The first section lists typos that will be fixed in a future printing. The second lists additions or changes that might be implemented in a future edition but for now are usefully available here. One error has already been...Public Zoom on Josephus and Bayes
This video is now publicly available. I am keeping the original announcement below. But to watch see The Knowledge Nexus. The de-animated slides are available here (but the usual advisory: the slides are not the lecture, so don’t just read the slides and think...The Historicity of Aristotle
In my new book The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus I show mathematically why we are so confident in the existence of most ancient persons, and why we get different results for Jesus when we hold him to the same standard as everyone else—in the second...My Monthly Recommendation: The Fitzgerald Series on World Religion
Every month I will write about something I recommend buying and why. Still shopping for Christmas? Want to get me a commission for my birthday? Here’s the way! I am an Amazon Associate, so if you click through the sales link in any of these recommendation...Get Dr. Carrier’s Latest!
About the Author
Richard Carrier is the author of many books and numerous articles online and in print. His avid readers span the world from Hong Kong to Poland. With a Ph.D. in ancient history from Columbia University, he specializes in the modern philosophy of naturalism and humanism, and the origins of Christianity and the intellectual history of Greece and Rome, with particular expertise in ancient philosophy, science and technology. He is also a noted defender of scientific and moral realism, Bayesian reasoning, and historical methods.
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