: He posits that early Christians, including Paul, believed Jesus was a pre-existent archangel who was crucified in a celestial realm by demonic powers, not on Earth.
: Carrier argues that the earliest Christian writings (Paul's letters) are "weirdly" silent about Jesus’s earthly life, teachings, and miracles, which better fits a mythical savior than a recently deceased human teacher. On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have ...
On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt (2014) is a peer-reviewed academic study by historian that challenges the near-universal scholarly consensus that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical person . Carrier argues that Jesus likely began as a celestial being who was only later "historicized" through allegorical storytelling. Main Thesis and Arguments : He posits that early Christians, including Paul,
While some readers find it a "comprehensive, thorough, and scientific" exploration, the book is highly controversial and largely rejected by mainstream academia. Carrier argues that Jesus likely began as a
: He views the Gospels as highly symbolic, literary works akin to extended parables, rather than historical biographies.
Carrier uses to test the probability of a historical Jesus versus a "minimal-mythicism" model.
: Carrier applies the Rank-Raglan scale (a list of common mythical hero traits) to Jesus, finding that he fits the profile of a mythical figure more closely than a historical one. Critical Reception