Burton L. Mack Bücher

Exploring the role of myths in shaping human societies, the author delves into how these narratives serve as complex social reasoning. With expertise in ancient Rome and Christianity, he argues that the Western experience is deeply rooted in the Christian myth. As contemporary political crises arise, he contends that the fragmentation of old myths calls for the creation of new narratives. The book encourages readers to reflect historically on the present and envision innovative futures, highlighting the significance of myth-making in understanding ourselves and our world.

Focusing on the techniques of persuasion in the Gospels, this work by Mack and Robbins reinvigorates Synoptic studies by integrating insights from Greco-Roman education and rhetoric. Their detailed examination of rhetorical handbooks reveals how Gospel writers effectively employed chreiai to shape the Jesus traditions. This scholarly analysis is essential for anyone deeply engaged in the critical study of the Gospels, offering a fresh perspective on the narrative strategies utilized in these foundational texts.

A preeminent scholar explores the evolution of the Christian worldview and argues that it no longer offers a satisfactory vision for our democratic, multicultural society

In this groundbreaking and controversial book, Burton Mack brilliantly exposes how the Gospels are fictional mythologies created by different communities for various purposes and are only distantly related to the actual historical Jesus.Mack's innovative scholarship, which boldly challenges traditional Christian understanding, will change the way you approach the New Testament and think about how Christianity arose.The clarity of Mack's prose and the intelligent pursuit of his subject make compelling reading. Mack's investigation of the various groups and strands of the early Christian community, out of which were generated the texts of Christianity's first anthology of religious literature, makes sense of a topic that has been confusing.