In this archived Zoom recording of the May 20, 2024 Bible and Beyond Discussion, Dr. Shirley Paulson interviewed Dr. James McGrath about his book, "Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist."
John the Baptist may be the most influential figure in religious history, although rarely if ever is he thought of in those terms. This is a strange claim to make since almost everybody who knows anything about John would say they know a lot more about Jesus than John. But in our Bible and Beyond Discussion, we will have a chance to interview Dr. James McGrath and ask about this declaration, as well as his claim that he has now written a full-fledged biography of John the Baptist in his new book, "Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist."
McGrath will explain why Jesus’s mentor held great influence over the Judaism of his time, an influence that extended into Christianity, Islam, John’s relationship to the Mandaeans and the so-called gnostic thinkers, such as Dositheus and Simon of Samaria, as well as the Manichaeans. McGrath additionally discovered evidence of John’s influence in the events leading up to the Jewish war against Rome, and in Rabbinic literature. Within Christianity, John’s influence extends far beyond the ritual of baptism into the realms of prayer, parables, and ethical teaching.'
A full transcript is available on the Bible and Beyond website:
earlychristian...
Texts:
Just skim the following texts or read as much as interests you.
Gospel of Matthew, chapter 3, chapter 14:1-12, chapter 17:9-13
Gospel of Mark, chapter 6:14-2
Gospel of Luke, chapter 7: 20-35
16 сен 2024
