A Myth of Innocence

by Burton L. Mack

Book Overview

Preface

Introduction: Christian Origins and the Imaginations

Part I: Christian Beginnings
The Temple and the Land of Palestine Jesus in Galilee The Followers of Jesus The Congregations of the Christ The Patterns of Social Conflict

Part II: Stories in the Gospel Tradition
The Parables of Jesus The Pronouncement Stories The Miracle Stories
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Part III: Narratives of the Passion
The Entanglements...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800625498
• ISBN13: 9780800625498
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishing
• Length: 456 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Bit of a Slog, But Worth It

It's quite true, as one reviewer said, that Burton Mack's prose is in places needlessly impenetrable. But press on! His analysis of the Gospel of Mark is brilliant, and in its way, revolutionary. It certainly enhanced my appreciation for the literary achievement of the evangelist, and brought into sharp focus the structure and balance of the gospel. A good book to read along with Myth of Innocence is JD Crossan's Birth of Christianity. That too has some irksome stylistic features, but in terms of getting an interesting perspective on the material, these two books are very good. Sometimes you just have to strap on the full armor of whoiwhatsit and slog through the swampy places to get to a higher vantage point.

Loved It, Hated It

I completely disagree with Mack's conclusion that Christianity was 'made up' later. That said, his meticulous footnoting made a wonderful resource that I still look to for information and his research is thorough and engaging. His conclusion, relating a concoted Christianity to the evils of Reaganomics, is just plain wacky.

I always enjoy Mack

Mack is somewhat the bad boy of Jesus and Early Christian scholarship. Most Christians I know hate him. That is mainly because they haven't read his books. This book has a cover designed to irritate fundementalists. First it calls Christianity a Myth which is the correct word for any such tradition (just because it's a myth doesn't assume that it was made up). It also has a picture of a lion on the front which makes people believe that Mack is hostile towards the Christian myth. Not at all, in fact, the lion is from a seventh century Mosaic that depicts the four gospel writers and animals they represent, Luke is a person, Matthew I believe is an Ox, John is an eagle, and Mark is a Lion. Simple as that. Those who undertake to crack the cover and read this book will find it to be good scholarship and an exciting journey into the world of Mark. It is well informed and comes from one of New Testament scholarships most proific writers. Although Mack is now retired I sincerely hope he will continue writing, I will certainly continue reading his work.