Myths, Dreams, And Theology In Early Christianity

Are the stories and myths ABOUT Jesus more important than the teachings OF Jesus? Early Church leaders fixed the basic tenets of Christianity. They did so; in the face of criticism, doubt, and persecution; by creating stories that connected the life of Jesus with Old Testament prophesy and the common myths of that time, and by creating dogma. Even today, these stories and dogmas frequently overshadow the teachings of Jesus. For example, the creeds recited in churches ignore, and thereby deemphasize Jesus' key messages: the Lord's Prayer, the Sermon on the Mount, the Parables, and Jesus' injunction to feed the hungry and visit the sick. In this engaging book, Fred Stitt integrates the best of contemprary biblical scholarship with his own vision of the New Testament and its authors, and outlines the theological errors that threaten to undermine Jesus' teachings and estrange Christians from their church.