The Religious Idea that Took Over the World

In this informal unedited presentation to my "Rresearch Community" I discusses a major religious idea that took over most of the religions of the world--including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I draw from the work of the late great Jonathan Z. Smith, University of Chicago., with whom I studied for my Ph.D. This ideat became so influential that most now identify it as the heart and essence of religion itself--but it only begins to spread in around 400 BCE in the Mediterranean world--but was unknown to the ancient cultures of Israel, Old Babylon, Egypt, or Greece...

Here is a link to Jonathan Z. Smith's presentation on "Hellenistic Religion" for those viewers who do not know Smith's work and ideas:

Tabor's "Research Community,” is intended as a way of identifying a group of engaged folk, self-selected by paid membership, with whom I can deal more directly. I post several things a week related to my own research and the field in general, whether breaking news, book recommendations, videos, and articles. For 2024 I have created a Weekly Q & A Dialogue Space paid members can use for personal exchange where I will respond to messages directly and members can have exchanges among themselves. We also meet monthly in a live Zoom session, considering all sorts of special topics and inside information, which is recorded and uploaded to the site. If you take a look at the various membership tiers at my site, you will see that all levels of membership ($5-$500) receive the same benefits—so my site is not a “pay to play” approach to raise maximum funds from people. Contributions go into a research fund—so you are advancing scholarship. You can check it out here:

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__________________________________________
Retired Prof. of Religious Studies/Christian Origins
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

LinkedIn:

[martinfernandez]

Dr. Tabor, I am 21 years old and I absolutely love your videos. You have a consistently text based approach to analysis, so insightful. Makes me think your interpretation is correct!

[sabtow]

dr tabor i’m so sorry you had to bring up your loved ones in this video. thank you for all the information you bring!!

[DeborahMoore]

You are amazing! Thank you..i can listen to you all day every day😊

[vacuumboots]

This was a great lecture, super thought provoking and I really enjoyed the many quotes and explanations contextualizing things!

[jackylee_jack]

Dr James, thank you so much for sharing on this topic. The video was cut off suddenly, will there be a part two? 😭 This topic is just too good!

[aaroncrawford]

Wow, ...I find we share a very similar ideology Dr. Tabor on many things, ...it's quite unusual...and I guess it's what keeps leading me back to you on my journey for knowledge on these subjects.
I thought I was the only one that thought such things on these subjects and ideas😄...and then, there you are! ...it's so good to know I'm not alone on thinking certain things.
Thank you for all you do Professor! ✊

[aarondenby]

Thank you so much for informing us about the meeting in November!

[brandonmass]

Thank you for sharing this perspective on Gnosticism and the history of religion. One of my areas of interest is the emergence of Christianity from the mixing bowl of ideas that were developing at that time (Hellenistic/Roman period). It is a subject that is fascinating because of it's bottomless complexity, and also, for the fact that it requires that I personally have to adjust and improve myself with every new thing that I learn and be flexible and respectful to all the people who interact with this question, their beliefs, and their traditions. It is an area of investigation that has been a source of immense personal growth for me, because it teaches patience, forbearance, listening, caution, and, in short, the kinds of qualities of mind that really develop a person in a positive way.

[BiblicaSola]

Thanks again Dr. Tabor for this wonderful presentation of the different worldviews about the afterlife and their development, from the Ancient Hebrews, Sumerians Epic of Gilgamesh, Babylonians, The Golden Plates, Greek, Plato, Gnostic ideas, Pauline ideas. To have a better rounder view and to understand all sides, I also studied hundreds of ideas from Historicists, skeptics, mythicist, agnostics, atheists as well as Ancient Near East thought, Hebrew, OT writings, Essene's, Midrash, Apocrypha, and the New Testament and also Buddhism, Hinduism Catholicism and Roman/Greek ideas. 🔥

All I can say After ALL is said and done. It's waaay better to believe and put our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. His Resurrection collapsed all the powers and authorities, whether One believes or not. History points to this historic day as his triumph over death. All the "facts" you have mentioned points to the Truth that we are just temporary here and this is not our final destination. "Real" Reality is above the physical world and materialism is a fraud.

[jerryhogeweide]

I can think if a couple instances where reincarnation seemed to be a concept they had asking Jesus who John was and their response when he asked them who they thought he was. Same with that blind guy he healed when they asked why he was born blind. Doesn’t Judaism believe Elijah will return? And Ezekial indicates David himself will return too. So where did these ideas come from?

[scottwarthin]

Perfect release timing: an Easter meditation on the differing, evolving notions of man's immortal soul. I came away knowing more than I did and am grateful for it. The discernment between The Eternals (gods) and The Immortals (redeemed people, heroes) is something to consider in the context of Socrates' renumerations on the immortality of the soul.

[clstrat]

Thank you again. Watching on Easter, helping me in my personal journey with the one true God.

[georgegrubbs]

Interesting synopsis of the evolution of a tiered worldview among others, such as Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, and so on.
The bottom line is that humans are natural creatures with the same origin and destination as all other flora and fauna.

[RobertGillham-lf]

Your reference to the Bible Guys microstudies reminds me of in my field (Classics) at any given conference theres some (redacted) doing some microscopic study on Horace, and its always TEDIOUS!

[onika]

I'm sorry the video got cut short.

[MyWatchIsEnded]

Sheol looks like underground oil. Is this a confirmation that crude oil is made out of people? (Soylent Green reference)

[gsr]

I just never have been able to accept any religion. I find too many questions in them all.

[anthonypanneton]

I remember the song on the AM radio sung by Dione Warwick - "What's it all about, Alfie?" How's that for getting old?

[tbishop]

78. Wow. I wouldn't have presumed a day older than 76. You present like such a young guy

[deborahhebblethwaite]

Ther e is only NOW. You are not the past, nor the future…..we are the activity that Awareness, that you call God, has experience. After the body dies you are still Awareness, your true nature. That is your purpose, to create a fabulous experience for God🇨🇦🙏🙏🙏