The God Who Wasn't There
by Brian Flemming
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Actor: Alan Dundes, Richard Carrier, Richard Dawkins, Robert M. Price, Sam HarrisDirector: Brian Flemming
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Color, Digital Sound, Dolby, DVD, Full length, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 320 minutes
Published: 2005-06-06
DVD Release Date: 2005-08-23
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Beyond Belief Media
DVD Reviews of The God Who Wasn't There
DVD Review: Why surface skimming Christianity research goes wrong
Summary: 3 Stars
Brian Flemming is an ex-evangelical. His theology is thus based on post-reformation interpretations of Christianity. This documentary may sway evangelicals or give atheists an angle on something new (mythology) but Catholic apologetics will counter it. Horrifically Brian Flemming has undergone something that the Catholic Church stays well clear from since Vatican II (see aggiornamento). That is to stay away from the focus on salvation through fear (imperfect contrition). The Catholic Church understands that this is theology in the wrong direction. Christianity without love is considered heretical anyway. It appears that Brian has gone through the darker side of Christianity (if it can be called Christianity). In many ways Brian is interpreting the Bible for himself. This is pretty much the standard evangelical stance but Catholic policy has always maintained that guidance is important. Brian's case is a good example of why that guidance cannot be underestimated.
`The God who wasn't there' (TGWWT) starts by saying that Christianity was wrong when the Church did not approve heliocentricity forwarded by scientists (some of whom where also clergy). This is true and culminated in the Galileo affair but a complete understanding of this part of the historical record shows that there where many problems on both sides. The Church relied on arguments styled on biblical interpretations that Saint Augustine warned against (using direct literal interpretations rather than understanding their historical context [see Dei Verbum for the St. Augustine ref. in section 12]). The Pope believed that Galileo (his childhood friend) had insulted him publicly (which was a criminal offense at that time) in one of Galileo's works.
TGWWT then introduces us to happy Christians but also Christians who did bad things or are hoping for an apocalypse. We get a short movie about the life of Christ edited into a montage from various films about Jesus. The documentary filmmaker, Brian Flemming then interviews a woman taking care of her baby to explain the history of Christianity to him. When she limits her response to the day of Pentecost Brian Flemming complains about how inadequate her knowledge is. I would personally like to see him try that one on with a Bishop instead of a mother taking care of her infant. He then questions other evangelicals on the history of the Church. This is actually a sore spot for evangelicals because they want to avoid mentioning Catholicism. Catholicism would have given better answers in that Jesus started a Church with apostolically succeeded Bishops who can trace their Church history back to Christ as a matter of the historical record. That would have given Flemming more meat to chew on than homing in on a busy evangelical mom. However Brian Flemming was probably brought up to reject the Catholic Church so maybe we can't blame him for not seeing that angle.
Flemming then starts a timeline. He says that the Gospels came after Christ (who was crucified in 33 AD) and says that the other three are derived from Mark (known as Markan priority). He claims that since Mark talked about the destruction of the temple that the Gospels must occur after 70 AD. This might not be the case if we take it that the writing is prophetical (it could have prophesized the destruction before). Since this is more about historical criticism rather than supernatural possibilities historians go for the plus 70 AD date but it need not be. There are many early Christian writings not in the Bible (such as the Didache). Really a person needs to sit down and learn the history of the Bible here and the history of the early Church including the Judaism that came before it!
Brian Flemming then asserts that Saul (St. Paul) was responsible for the gap between 33 AD and 70 AD based only on a post-resurrection experience of the risen Christ and that he did not know anything about Christ's actual life. However Paul meets the apostles in Acts 9:26 at the Council of Jerusalem. You can read about that Council elsewhere. Flemming then quotes Heb 8:4 to say that Paul believed that the death burial and resurrection of Christ was mythical. The Heb 8:4 says "If Jesus had been on Earth". Better translations read "Now if he were on Earth" (in relation to Jesus staying on Earth as opposed to going to heaven in this context). So Brian Flemming is probably victim to a bad translation but this is more like verse mining to push a point. Brian Flemming then claims that Paul is not even aware that Jesus was human. Paul calls Jesus a man in Rom 5:15, 5:17, 1Ti 2:5 for examples. The Council of Jerusalem pretty much shows that the Church was active during this timeframe where Brian Flemming says everyone forgot. The big problem here is that the history is with the Catholic Church, not with evangelical movements who don't want to talk about that Church which they historically parted with.
Brian Flemming then goes for folklore professors (who thinks the apocryphal stories are rejected because of mysticism when in fact it was the Church that pronounced which books where to be accepted and rejected (see Council of Carthage III). Modernism is actually a 20th century phenomena and not an early Church position. See Modernism (Roman Catholicism). Read Lamentabili Sane. However the actual historical evidence for Jesus, whatever criteria is used, should be applied to all historical figures at that time. That is important. This area of research can be fun for everybody. There is lots more than just what Brian Flemming presents so the viewer doesn't really get a complete case history here.
Robert M. Price has some interesting comments which should be verified by any serious researcher. The hero pattern myth theory is well presented as are the arguments of Price. These arguments can also be found in the controversial findings of the popular `Jesus seminar' and have a lot to do with early apologetics. It is called the Mythographic perspective of Jesus and is used by Brian Flemming to conclude that Jesus is mythological. This section of TGWWT is about Saint Justin Matyr who argued that devils where responsible for creating the pagan heros who are similar in person or deeds to Jesus is a whole topic that requires an apologists full attention and you need to check sources and date them. Saint Justin Matyr was actually a pagan convert who understood pagan mythology. Saint Justine claimed that pagans had gotten some of their ideas from earlier Jewish scriptures (believed to have contained the prophecies of Jesus) and had tried to imitate the actual messiah of the Jews, acts of which St. Justine attributes to the devil. These Greek myths may not predate Christ (there sources are post-Christ). Some occurred during Christ. The sources for these greek myths are post-Christian sources although archaeological coverage turns up shrines etc., the stories when dated usually conform to post-Christian events. Read up on Dionysus and Mithras. Study up on this whole topic. There are actually better `Jesus' candidates out there (Zalmoxis for example). The bigger issue here though is the Hellenzation of Judaism and its influence on Christianity. No historian can deny this but saying Christianity took from these legends may be a stretch.
The history of the U.S Christian soldiers gets coverage (essentially fighting for God) and the problem with fundamentalism with respect to extremists groups who ignore the pacifism and non-retaliatory instructions of Christ (say an `Our Father' to find out about non-retaliatory) or read Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,. Brian Flemming uses Lk 19:27 to imply that Jesus asks his followers to kill for him. Luk 19:11-12 shows that Jesus is actually quoting from a parable. Lk 19:27 is popular with anti-Christianity quote mining.
The rapture gets coverage. The rapture argument is post-reformation and is maybe 200 years old at best. It doesn't have a historical usage before that. It is based on Bible misinterpretation along the lines of the alleged `imminent return prophecy that didn't come to pass' conundrum. Sam Harris is quite interesting to listen to when he appears.
While Jesus did imply that denying the Holy Spirit meant that the sin was unforgivable (so Brian Flemming sees only hell as the result of saying or thinking this) Jesus gave his apostles and those who succeeded them (see Act 1:26 for example) the power to forgive any sin in Jn 20:23. The denial of the Holy Spirit verse in Mat 12:31 may actually imply that people who are in the spirit, but do not explicitly acknowledge Jesus, may get into heaven. Seeing Brian say that he denies the Holy Spirit on camera is just silly more than anything. It just goes to show that his version of Christianity is probably one of the most warped ones around. I would agree with him that fundamentalism is out of control (as he plainly demonstrates by his version of Christianity, even if it draws a negative). I think there are many alternatives other than just letting completely go.
I kind of feel sorry that he didn't do some better research but then again film festivals are a great way to make some money and I think his documentary is very good overall for a low-budget film maker. Kudos for that. I hope he makes a career out of making documentaries. Maybe go a little deeper next time?
Oh yeah and that school principle. He isn't a good scientist but maybe he does a good job keeping kids from physical harm. Who knows?
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