The works of many early critics of the Christian church were burned by ruling emperors or otherwise destroyed in the second and third centuries, but the writings of the Greek pagan philosopher, Celsus, have preserved, albeit indirectly through his eloquent opponent Origen of Alexandria. In his apologetical treatise, Contra Celsum, Origen argues against the ideas set forth by Celsus and quotes from Celsus' The True Doctrine in generous measure. Through his treatise, Celsus has come to represent the detached pagan voice of the ages. In this translation, Professor Hoffmann has, for the first time, painstakingly restored the main order of the philosopher's argument. Celsus' discourse shows him to be an eclectic philosopher--a dabbler in various schools of thought, including Platonism and Stoicism, and a student of the history and religious customs of many nations. Hoffman supplements this definitive translation with an informative introduction, summarizing Celsus' premises and placing the identity of Celsus in its historical context.

On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians

Religion & Spirituality

Celsus

Hoffman, R. Joseph

Christian Books & Bibles

Oxford University Press

The works of many early critics of the Christian church were burned by ruling emperors or otherwise destroyed in the second and third centuries, but the writings of the Greek pagan philosopher, Celsus, have survived indirectly through his eloquent opponent Origen of Alexandria. In his apologetical treatise, Contra Celsum, Origen argues against the ideas set forth by Celsus and quotes from Celsus' The True Doctrine at length. Through this treatise, Celsus has come to represent the detached pagan voice of the ages. In this translation, Professor Hoffmann has, for the first time, painstakingly reconstructed the main order of the philosopher's argument. Celsus' discourse shows him to be an eclectic philosopher--a dabbler in various schools of thought, including Platonism and Stoicism, and a student of the history and religious customs of many nations. Hoffman supplements this definitive translation with an informative introduction, summarizing Celsus' premises and placing the identity of Celsus in its historical context.

History

World

While the public has easy access to religious literature on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, there is little opportunity for the general reader to assess the more skeptical works of biblical criticism.In Jesus Outside the Gospels, Professor Hoffmann argues that very little is known about Jesus apart from the Gospels. He contends that the Gospels were intended to establish not the history of Jesus, but his divinity. The four books, attributed to men called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were written some two generations after the events they intended to describe.Hoffmann analyzes and quotes extensively from non-biblical sources written 1,900 years ago, providing a picture of the man called Jesus that is quite different from the man portrayed in the Gospels. Sources analyzed at length are the Talmud, Josephus, and Tacitus, as well as Gnostic and Apocryphal Gospels. The author holds to a controversial view that the Gospels are in reality the missionary propaganda of a first-century messianic cult and are far from objective biographies or historical annals.Jesus Outside the Gospels is essential reading for anyone desiring a careful and critical study of the New Testament.

Jesus Outside the Gospels

Prometheus

This book brings together, for the first time in a consecutive narrative, the major apocryphal sources of the Jesus tradition. Composed between the 2nd and 7th centuries, these "secret gospels" were influencial in shaping Christian belief and doctrine for well over 1,000 years. They include stories of the birth of Jesus, his "lost" years as a boy in Nazareth, the wanderings of the holy family, the death of Joseph, and the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Translated and harmonized by R. Joseph Hoffmann, a specialist in early church history, these sources offer an unparalleled view of the devotional life and legend-making skills of the Christian Church. They also provide important insight into the making of the New Testament canon and raise significant questions about the way in which belief in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth developed.This comprehensive introduction to the apocryphal tradition is essential reading for anyone interested in the life and thought of the formative period of Christian belief. Enhanced by Hoffmann's running notes and commentary, this impressive work includes a supplement on the apocryphal Jesus tradition in Islam as well as long-unavailable sources from the Eastern Coptic-Egyptian and Arab-Christian traditions.

The Secret Gospels (Oxford Critical Studies in Religion Series)

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Books by Hoffman, R. Joseph

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hoffman, R. Joseph. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians

On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians

Jesus Outside the Gospels

The Secret Gospels (Oxford Critical Studies in Religion Series)