The Christ-Myth Theory and Its Problems

This monograph presents a comprehensive defense of the Christ-myth theory, which holds that Jesus of Nazareth never existed as a historical figure but emerged as a purely mythological construct within early Christianity. Price, a former evangelical minister turned religious studies scholar, systematically challenges the methodological foundations of mainstream New Testament scholarship and its near-universal acceptance of Jesus's historicity.

The work addresses fundamental questions about the relationship between history and religious belief, arguing that the existence of Christianity does not require a historical founder. Price contends that scholars have mistakenly assumed what they should prove, treating the gospels as fundamentally historical documents requiring only careful excavation rather than as potentially mythological texts comparable to other ancient religious literature. His approach draws heavily from the history of religions school and applies form criticism more radically than most biblical scholars, suggesting that virtually all gospel material reflects theological construction rather than historical memory.

Price engages directly with prominent defenders of Jesus's historicity, including Bart Ehrman, Maurice Casey, and James McGrath, challenging their criteria for determining authentic traditions about Jesus. He argues that commonly cited evidence for historicity, such as the criterion of embarrassment or Paul's reference to James as "the brother of the Lord," admits alternative explanations that scholars dismiss too readily. The monograph explores parallels between the Christ narrative and dying-and-rising god myths from mystery religions, suggesting these provide better explanatory frameworks than historical reconstruction.

Methodologically, Price employs comparative mythology, arguing that the Christ figure resembles divine heroes and savior gods more than historical teachers. He examines how early Christian communities might have generated narratives about Jesus through midrashic interpretation of Hebrew scriptures and adaptation of Hellenistic religious motifs. The work challenges the assumption that religious movements require historical founders, citing examples like John Frum cargo cults where demonstrably fictional figures became objects of sincere devotion.

The monograph's significance lies in its systematic challenge to methodological assumptions underlying historical Jesus research. While Price's thesis remains marginal within academic biblical studies, his work raises important questions about how scholars evaluate ancient religious texts and the criteria used to extract history from potentially mythological sources. For the God debate, Price's argument implies that Christianity's truth claims rest entirely on faith rather than historical foundation, potentially undermining apologetic arguments that appeal to Jesus as a historically verified divine incarnation.