Forgery in Christianity: A Documented Record of the Foundations of the Christian Religion

Joseph Wheless's Forgery in Christianity presents a comprehensive examination of what the author considers systematic falsification in the foundations of Christian doctrine and scripture. This monograph, emerging from the skeptical rationalist tradition of early twentieth-century American freethought, marshals extensive documentation to argue that Christianity's central texts and historical claims rest upon deliberate fabrications rather than authentic historical records.

Wheless constructs his argument through meticulous analysis of biblical manuscripts, patristic writings, and ecclesiastical histories. He examines discrepancies between canonical texts and their purported sources, highlighting anachronisms, interpolations, and contradictions that he interprets as evidence of conscious deception by early Christian writers. The work pays particular attention to the authorship of New Testament books, challenging traditional attributions and dating schemes. Wheless argues that gospels attributed to eyewitnesses were composed decades or centuries after the events they describe by authors who had no direct knowledge of Jesus or his immediate circle.

The monograph extends beyond textual criticism to examine what Wheless terms "pious frauds" in Christian historiography. He scrutinizes miracle accounts, martyrologies, and conversion narratives, suggesting these represent calculated propaganda rather than historical testimony. His analysis includes examination of early church councils, papal decrees, and the development of core doctrines like the Trinity, which he presents as later inventions imposed through ecclesiastical authority rather than arising from original Christian teaching.

Methodologically, Wheless employs the tools of higher criticism popular among rationalist scholars of his era, combining philological analysis with historical skepticism. He draws extensively on German biblical criticism while addressing an American audience increasingly interested in scientific approaches to religious claims. The work reflects the confident secularism of the 1920s and 1930s, when many intellectuals believed rational inquiry would inevitably dissolve religious belief.

This monograph's significance lies in its systematic compilation of skeptical arguments that would influence subsequent critics of Christianity. While many of Wheless's specific claims have been refined or rejected by later scholarship, his work represents an important moment in American religious criticism, demonstrating how rationalist methodology could be applied comprehensively to challenge Christianity's historical foundations. The text remains notable for its ambitious scope and its role in popularizing critical biblical scholarship among general readers seeking alternatives to traditional religious narratives.