DEBATE: John Dominic Crossan vs Mike Licona (Who was the Historical Jesus? 2018) 

I was told my whole life by the fundamentalist camp that Crossan was a heretic. I must say that while I don’t agree with him on everything, I certainly find him to have a Christ like heart, I wish I had only opened up to him sooner.

I became a fan of John Crossan about 20 years ago and then lost track of him but glad that he’s still around. Much respect for him.

Crossan is very generous with Licona. Licona is a blind apologist clinging on by the fingertips to the wreakage of his arguments, desperste to be accepted as a historian, yet again completely out of his depth with a veritable and venerable scholar. Other hidtorians snd thinkers have wiped the floor with Licona's unsubstantiated and convoluted fantasies. Crossan treated him with more kindness than Licona deserves. It suprises me that any serious scholar gives this one-trick pony houseroom anymore. His fairy stories wear very thin very quickly and if he continues to show a complete absense of any ability to learn and develop from his repeated and thorough schooling by serious historians and thinkers then I cannot see the ppint of giving him a platform in a forum at this level, so beyond him

John Dominic Crossan still going strong aged 89.🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀September 29th 2023🍀🍀🍀

JDC is a saint. He approaches his work from his spiritual life and from his experience as a Christian.

The problem I have with Licona is that he wants to argue that there must be some eyewitness account and what they are we can’t say exactly. But then, what do you do with the vast majority of so called believers who take everything literally word by word. I am more comfortable with Dominic’s position where by the big events are not denied like crucifixion but the rest is mostly made up. I also agree his take on resurrection and what it meant for the first Christians and why it is later pushed down on people’s throat as a Roman Imperial Theology to believe it literally. The latter is a culdesac and together with some other dead end Roman Imperial Theology developed later, the Christianity needs to refocus and find its initial meanings all of which are already profound relevant universally, namely that victory through war is untenable and the victory through justice is the way forward for a peaceful humanity. Anything else leads to self destruction. The latter is the path we are on at the moment because the Church is still in a confused and disingenuous manner through the priests and Bishops maintaining this Roman Imperial Theology which is now totally redundant and a time bomb for Christianity. It is killing it.

“When Jesus returns we are going to be raised” except he hasn’t returned yet and it’s been over 2,000 years so why did he come to give that message at that particular time? Because it never happened

If you take Crossan's view, doesn't Christianity become pointless? I mean, why then would you choose to be a Christian over any other religion based on eloquent metaphors? I'd argue that the metaphors are profoundly more beautiful in Hinduism, so if that's the criteria, then anyone who appreciates literature should be compelled to become a Hindu. If Jesus wasn't literally resurrected in the flesh, Christianity evaporates. I don't see the need Crossan seems to keep pointing at for Paul or anyone else to "fit the story into Jewish tradition." Isn't that why Paul referred to Jesus as a stumbling block for Jews? Crossan seems to me to be making the point that he believes Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures

John Crossan rocks

Dominic said himself he a Christian I wonder if he still is?

This is a nice conversation. Very respectful and really delving in the issues. On a certain level, I think they're both very wrong but again, a good exchange.

Pastor licona, what church would you recommend in Miami FL area?

May I ask, what is the criteria Dr. Crossan use to distinguish literal from metaforic? For example, when he talks about the healing in Lourdes, how can I know if he is talking literally?

Can i dubbed this debate in hindi ???????

“…But I’m just a metaphor” would be a hell of a headstone.

Starts at

Came here from the highlight today!

Did he just say nobody uses double dissimilarity anymore???

Excellent Job, Dr. Licona!

1.01 is a weird moment-Licona is asked to answer a question posed by John Dominic and replies “ I would, but I see we’ve run out of time.” Even the moderator looked surprised. Debaters,fiercely defending their point of view, generally aren’t focused on the clock...