Christianity, Philosophy, Questions, and Truth - Keith Ward

Keith Ward is Emeritus Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, Fellow of the British Academy, and currently Professorial Research Fellow at Heythrop College in London. He is the author of numerous books in philosophy and theology, including More Than Matter?, In Defense of the Soul, The Big Questions in Science and Religion, and his five-volume Comparative Theology.

[keithward]

here's one for you Keith ward. My name is also Keith ward. and we have the same birthday August 22nd.

[bradbray]

Historical critical analysis of the bible, particularly the so-called New Testament, reveals quite clearly that The Gospel of Mark is absolutely the earliest written document of the four gospels (note, there are other gospels, especially The Gospel of Thomas that is considered older than Mark). The original Mark does NOT have a resurrection story. There is no supernatural birth story either. Jesus claims himself to be a prophet, teacher and a student of John the Baptist. His theology in Mark is centered on The Kingdom of God, NOT heaven. Paul's writings are the oldest in the N.T. Nowhere does he talk about a supernatural birth. He only says Jesus was born of a woman. Nothing else. Paul never claimed to have met or knew Jesus. He had a "vision" of Jesus, not a material or flesh meeting! Paul never claimed to have seen a resurrected Jesus in the flesh. Most of what Paul knew and wrote about was 2nd hand information. Paul created a sacrificial theology loosely based upon Hebrew Temple theology. Paul's theology is considered to be "truth" for the meaning of Jesus' life even though Jesus's own theology in Mark is completely different. It is reasonable and logically to assume that no human being born of a woman (as we all are) do not break the normal laws of physics by walking on water or changing water into wine with no equipment to do so. It is reasonable to assume that no human being can walk through doors or walls. Therefore, it is human imagination that allows for Jesus's supernatural powers to exist, NOT the laws by which creation has followed for millions of years. I can simply imagine or believe something is true (ie verifiable), but that does NOT mean it is true or real. Keith Ward is a BAD philosopher and a worse theologian. Make me really wonder how he even made it past Socratic philosophy!!!