"Letting go", Part One, Chapter Three ('Bruno and Anika'), sub-chapter two: Challenges for Anika

 Please join me on the next sub-chapter of the forthcoming novel "Letting go", Part One, Chapter Three ('Bruno and Anika'), sub-chapter two: Challenges for Anika

https://youtube.com/live/9a74anBWEvc?feature=share

Letting go - Part One Chapter Three ('Bruno and Anika'), sub-chapter one: In paradise (Saarland)

 Here comes the first sub-chapter of chapter three ('Bruno and Anika') of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go': I 3.1. In paradise (Saarland).

The novel will be published in German (title: "Nicht alle Tage") and potentially later in English. The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

"Letting go is a great novel about hidden facets of a relation between yourself and people that you care for"

(Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Jalid Sehouli, director of the gynecological clinic and tumor centre, Charité, Berlin).

"This novel brings out the importance of the relationship between patient and doctor. It is written from the heart having experienced turbulent but precious times caring for a loved one with cancer." (Prof Jonathan A Lederman, MD FRCP FMedSci, Professor of Medical Oncology, Clinical Director, UCL Cancer Institute, London)

"Written with a light hand it guides into the depth of risky relations, precarious situations and an adventorous journeys. With unusual humor the author describes a longlasting illness. History and geography extend in narration and grow into a European dimension of a liberated experience of the world" (Prof. Dr. Dietmar Mieth, em. Professor for theological ethics, University of Tubingen; founder of the European Society of Catholic Theology; author of "Ketzerflammen in Paris", 2024).

The first vol. will be published before Christmas with Verlag Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen. Please pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de copyright: Verlag der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen

Max Weber and Historiography - leading to a historiographical twin project

Here is a paper on Max Weber and Historiography leading to a twin project of mine, a new, forthcoming book with Cambridge University Press, 2025 on 'Early Christianity and the Challenge of Writing History' - a methodological reflection on autobiographical history writing - and the related exemplary writing of an autobiographical fiction, the novel which I have started to read in English (working title: Letting go; German: Nicht alle Tage).

https://youtu.be/xsstPdF3hu0

Letting go - the next sub-chapter of the forthcoming novel: Feeny in panic

Here comes the next sub-chapter of chapter two ('Feeny') of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go': I 2.7. Feeny in panic.

The novel will be published in German (title: "Nicht alle Tage") and potentially later in English.

The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

The first vol. will be published before Christmas with Verlag Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen.

Please pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

copyright: Verlag der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen

Letting Go - the next sub-chapter: Bald head

 Please do join me on the next sub-chapter of chapter two ('Feeny') of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go': I 2.6. Bald head.

The novel is going to be published in German (title: "Nicht alle Tage") and potentially later in English.

The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

The first vol. will be published before Christmas with Verlag Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen.
Please pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

https://youtube.com/live/-oYTf5CWS98?feature=share

The next episode of "Letting go", I 2.2: Anika and Feeny again

 after a few weeks interruption because of conferences, here the next sub-chapter of my forthcoming novel "Letting Go": I 2.2 "Anika and Feeny again". You can join me live in a few minutes or watch the episode later on:

https://youtube.com/live/7hfePO3DsDY?feature=share

The novel is going to be published in German first with the titel: "Nicht alle Tage" and potentially later in English.
The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

The book (vol I) will be out before Christmas (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen).
To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

Letting go - chapter 2 sub-chapter 4: Rhythm

 Join me on the next sub-chapter of my novel "Letting go", I 2.4: Rhythm, simply follow this link in a few minutes: https://youtube.com/live/d4g8ZcvEaxs?feature=share

Here comes the next sub-chapter of chapter two ('Feeny') of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go': I 2.4. Rhythm
The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English.
The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen).
To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

"Mind the gap" - the next sub-chapter (3) of chapter 2 of my novel "Letting go"

 Before getting the next episode of my novel, perhaps you can help me - the German publisher has asked me for a more appealing title, as he thinks "Loslassen" would be not attractive enough. If you have a good suggestion, please let me know. For most of my books, others have created the titles, for which I am most grateful.

Now, here the link to the next episode (in a few minutes live): chapter 2, sub-chapter 3: Mind the gap

https://youtube.com/live/YXDhjyOLVm4?feature=share

The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English.
The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen).
To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

The next chapter,

 Please join me on the next episode, sub-chapter two of chapter 2 of my novel "Letting go", coming up in a few minutes here:

https://youtube.com/live/EvbbpaGnFUA?feature=share

Here comes the first sub-chapter of chapter two ('Feeny') of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go': I 2.2. All the best, Feeny.
The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English.
The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now.

In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen).
To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

Letting go - the first sub-chapter (it dawns) of chapter 2 (Feeny)

to join me (again) for the next episode, sub-chapter one: It dawns of chapter 2 ('Feeny') of the forthcoming novel "Letting go"

The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English.

The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now...

here the link for the new episode of Letting go - Part One Chapter Two ('Feeny'), sub-chapter one: It dawns

https://youtube.com/live/8JKDHRP2rMY?feature=share

"Letting go" - all sub-chapters of the first chapter

 Here is the playlist with all four sub-chapters of the first chapter of my novel "Letting go":

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1qQuFYfwxOmvMskpI4xEnJDxy08UJp12

Fourth sub-chapter of chapter one: Shadow of light of my new novel "Letting go"

 If you wish to join me, please click

 

 

The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English. The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning how to live the now. In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen). To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

Letting go - the third sub-chapter: Shake history off

 You are invited to another live-stream for the third sub-chapter of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go', I 1.3: Shake history off.

If you like, join me in a few minutes, or watch it later at: https://youtube.com/live/XxBoBaTVfFk?feature=share

The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English.

The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning to live the now.

In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen).

To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

Letting go - the next sub-chapter of my forthcoming novel: I 1.2 Vacation in Crete

 If you like to listen to the next sub-chapter of my forthcoming novel 'Letting go', please join me in a few minutes: 

The novel is going to be published in German and potentially later in English.

The book tells the story of two couples and their intricate relations. When Feeny, one of the two ladies, is diagnosed with a chronic illness, all relations change. Letting go is about learning to live the now.

In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen).

To pre-order the German book (Vol I and II, each ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

Letting go - Loslassen: My novel on relationship and the art of detachment

Bringing Eckhart as a Lebemeister (a master of how to live) into the 21st century, I wrote a novel, Letting go, or in German: Loslassen.

The novel which shares some elements (length and topics) with Thomas Mann's Zauberberg (had I only the skills of this author!) deals with two couples and their intricate relationships. The novel is also about challenges like misuse in the church, questions of relations (LGBT) and others.

One Feeny, one of the ladies in the book, is diagnosed with a chronic disease, the relations change again.

To watch and listen to the opening, join me here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Daf3_IElJYY

In a few weeks, the novel will be published, first in German (Verlag: Der Blaue Reiter, Göttingen). 

To pre-order the German book (ca. EUR 29): info@verlag-derblauereiter.de

Did Marcion wrote his Gospel from oral material or redacted it from earlier collections? - my change of mind

 I previously held the former view, but having reconstructed Marcion's Apostolos, I learned the following which made me change my mind to a position that aligns now better with traditional scholarship on the beginnings of gospel-writing (as, for example, the two-sources hypothesis). Here are the reasons:

In *Gal 5,21 we read: "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

This is a back-reference to which the only place to which this reference can refer is *1Cor 15:50: " I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."

From this I have learned that the back-reference in the *Apostolos has escaped Marcion's redactional wit and refers into the wrong direction. This is only possible, if he made use of an earlier collection of letters where 1Cor stood before Gal.

As Marcion in his *Apostolos makes also use of a 3-letter-collection of *Deuteropaulines, it shows that his redaction of the *Apostolos is entirely based on collections. If so, it is most likely, that the same redactor also made use of collections when putting together his gospel.

Marcion's Antitheses - does it speak of the canonical gospels as "rogue gospels"?

 Indeed, this is what we are told by Tertullian in his commentary on this text by Marcion.

Here the evidence:

Unfortunately there is no available translation let alone a reconstruction of the antitheses available. Harnack tried to put together the material of what was in the antitheses which is not too difficult to extract, as Tertullian in his commentary on Marcion's New Testament proceeds in order. He first, in book IV of Against Marcion, gives a commentary on the antitheses (book IV 1- IV 7), from IV 8 to the end he comments on Marcion's Gospel, book V is dedicated to Marcion's Apostolos.

Now in the section of his commentary on the antitheses, we find the following entry, soon in IV 3,2: Sed enim Marcion nactus epistulam Pauli ad Galatas, etiam ipsos apostolos suggillantis ut non recto pede incedentes ad veritatem evangelii, simul et accusantis pseudapostolos quosdam pervertentes evangelium Christi (cf. Gal. 2:14), connititur ad destruendum statum eorum evangeliorum quae propria et sub apostolorum nomine eduntur, vel etiam apostolicorum, ut scilicet fidem quam illis adimit suo conferat.

Evans translates this section as follows: "But Marcion has got hold of Paul's epistle to the Galatians, in which he rebukes even the apostles themselves for not walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel (cf. Gal. 2:14), and accuses also certain false apostles of perverting the

gospel of Christ: and on this ground Marcion strives hard to overthrow the credit of those gospels which are the apostles' own and are published under their names, or even the names of apostolic men, with the intention no doubt of conferring on his own gospel the repute which he takes away from those others."

We can take from this passage that in the antitheses Marcion refers to *Galatians and reads this as a criticism of "False-Apostles". He applies this pauline critique to "those gospels". Tertullian, of course, sees "these gospels" as being "the apostle's own", "published under their names, or even the names of apostolic men": "under the apostle's names" = Matthew and John, "the names of apostolic men" = Mark and Luke. The repute that Tertullian credits to these four gospels, namely to be the first ones, to be genuine ones, Marcion credits to "his own gospel" which Marcion reckons to be "the gospel of Christ", while these four other gospels he sees as "pervertings" of it.

What is meant by this perversion is explained a little later in the antitheses, as Tertullian reports in IV 4: et nostrum ante videatur falsum quam habuerit de veritate materiam, et Marcionis ante credatur aemulationem a nostro expertum quam et editum

Evans: ours should be taken to have been false before it had from the truth material, and Marcion's be believed to have suffered hostility from ours before it [= Marcion’s] was even published

Tertullian, a little before this (IV 3), reports that Marcion spoke of his gospel that has suffered from "adulteros" (Evans: "adulterators"), from "ut cataclysmo quodam, ita inundatione falsariorum" (Evans: "a flood of falsifiers as though by some deluge").

Tertullian, hence, states in commenting on the antitheses: The four mentioned gospels are rogue ones, false ones, unless it has material from the true one, Marcion's. This true one has suffered hostility = cometition, plagiarism, rivalry, imitation. Just a sentence earlier, Tertullian paralleled: "res" vs "passio" = Evans: "an object in existence" vs "what has been done to this object"; and "materia" vs "aemulatio" = Evans: "what something is in itself" vs "opposition".

(aemulatio, better translation would be: contention or plagiarism, as Lewis & Short give:  In a bad sense, jealousy, envy, malevolence, δυσζηλία: “aemulatio vitiosa, quae rivalitati similis est,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 26, 56: “infensa,” Tac. A. 13, 19: “municipalis,” id. H. 3, 57: “adversariorum,” Suet. Ner. 23; cf. id. 33: “aemulatio nasci tur ex conjunctione, alitur aequalitate, exardescit invidiā, cujus finis est odium,” Plin. Pan. 84 al.: ad aemulationem eum provocaverunt, to jealousy (said of God), Vulg. Psa. 77, 58. contentiones, aemulationes, rivalries, ib. 2 Cor, 12, 20).

Back-reference in *Gal 5:21 and its implications for Marcion's Gospel and his Pauline Letter Collection

A crucial discovery information is given in: *Gal 5:21 ("as I said before"). This small sentence provides us with a back-reference. 

If I am not mistaken, it can only refer to *1 Cor 15:50. This clarifies one of my uncertainties whether or not the redactor had written or oral material in front of him, when putting together the collection of 10 Pauline letters, credited to Marcion. 

A back-reference only makes sense, if the letter with the back-reference, is part of the collection. As it goes into the wrong direction within the 10-letter-collection of Marcion, this reference must be older, unless Epiphanius where we find this, has given us the canonical text and not the precanonical one.

On the basis that he gives us the precanonical text, the redactor must have used an older collection of 7 Pauline letters plus a collection of the 3 Deuteropaulines that have already been identified as a collection - see their position in the collection and also their lexical and semantic and content proximity). A back-reference that is incorrect in *Gal 5,21, hence, shows us this and several other things:

1. This earlier collection must have had the order *1Cor - *Gal, hence most likely corresponded to the canonical order of Rom - 1 Cor - 2 Cor - Gal ...

2. This collection, though of canonical order did not derive from the "canonical" camp as do the *3 deuteropaulines.

3. The redactor is of a rather conservative type. Though he reorders the letters, because the new order supports one of his main positions, the strong statement in *Gal 1:1 with regards Paul and the antithesis between law and belief, but he leaves the back-reference, so does not hide the fact that he is using an older collection of a different order.

4. If this redactor has only made use of already existing written collections of Pauline letters, it is most likely that he also made use of written material, already collected in a certain form for *Ev.

Paul's revelation - who speaks to him, Jesus Christ or God?

In the pre-canonical version (*) it is a vision of God. In *Gal 1:12 and (*)2Cor 4:6, it is God who speaks to *Paul. 

The canonical level differs from this. For in Acts, the voice is explicitly identified with Jesus in all three passages (Acts 9:6 // 26:15: ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting’; 22:8: ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting’). Here too, as is so often the case, the canonical editors or later copyists carelessly accept an inaccuracy when in Gal 1:12 the revelation at the end of the verse is attributed to ‘Jesus Christ’, but then the following verb in verse 15 requires ‘God’ as the subject. As a number of old manuscript witnesses also attest, this verb lacks the subject ‘God’ - they must therefore still have read ‘God’ in Gal 1:12, while other manuscripts insert ‘God’ in verse 15, because Gal 1:12 now speaks of ‘Jesus Christ’ instead of the revelation of ‘God’. This change is probably due to the harmonisation of the Pauline Galatians text with the Acts of the Apostles. However, this then led to a further inconsistency, because in Gal 1,12 - as in Acts three times - Paul lets Jesus Christ speak in the revelation, but in 2 Cor 4,6 the pre-canonical text remains, in which God speaks explicitly.

In der vorkanonischen Version (*) handelt es sich um eine Vision Gottes. In *Gal 1,12 und ⁽*⁾2Kor 4,6 ist es Gott, der zu *Paulus spricht. 

Davon unterscheidet sich die kanonische Ebene. Denn in Apg wird die Stimme an allen drei Stellen ausdrücklich mit Jesus identifiziert (Apg 9,6 // 26,15: „Ich bin Jesus, den du verfolgst“; 22,8: „Ich bin Jesus, der Nazoräer, den du verfolgst“). Auch hier, wie so oft, nimmt die kanonische Redaktion oder nehmen spätere Kopisten nachlässig eine Ungenauigkeit in Kauf, wenn in Gal 1,12 die Offenbarung am Ende des Verses „Jesus Christi“ zugeschrieben wird, dann aber das nachfolgende Verb in Vers 15 als Subjekt „Gott“ bedarf. Wie eine Reihe auch alter handschriftlicher Zeugen belegen, fehlt diesem Verb die Subjektsangabe „Gott“ – sie müssen darum wohl in Gal 1,12 noch „Gott“ gelesen haben, während andere Handschriften in Vers 15 „Gott“ einsetzen, weil inzwischen in Gal 1,12 anstelle von der Offenbarung „Gottes“ von derjenigen „Jesu Christi“ redet. Diese Änderung wird wohl aufgrund der Angleichung des paulinischen Galatertextes an die Apostelgeschichte erfolgt sein. Das führte dann allerdings zu einer weiteren Inkonsistenz, weil Paulus dann in Gal 1,12 – wie in der Apostelgeschichte dreimal – Jesus Christus in der Offenbarung sprechen lässt, allerdings in 2Kor 4,6 noch der vorkanonische Text stehengeblieben ist, in welchem ausdrücklich Gott spricht.

Re-launch of the Patristica Podcast: All about the 10 Pauline Letter Collection

 Here is the new re-launch of the Patristica youtube channel and podcast. Despite the title of the link below, it is more about Paul than the Gospel, as you will quickly discover, as this is what I am working on at the moment: 

https://youtu.be/hPreTmej86k

The new book "Beyond the Timeline: Resetting Historiography" is about to be published

 This book that goes back to a workshop from 2022 dealing with the retrospective approach that was suggested in my Writing the History of Early Christianity (CUP, 2019) and tested again in my Resetting the Origins of Early Christianity (CUP, 2023), brings together scholars from a broad range of historiographical studies, music, natural sciences, medieval history, holocaust studies ... and, like me, they grapple with the idea of writing history not simply along the chronological time-line.

You are in for a reshaping of historiography. The book is edited by Julia Seeberger, Sabine Schmolinsky and myself:

Interview on 'Resetting Christian Origins' (CUP)

For all those interested in this recent book of mine, I have given an interview to Jonathon Lookadoo. My host is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023).

Being a scholar of early Christian studies himself, it was great to talk to him and answer his questions at New Books Network / New Books in Biblical Studies, under the following link: Markus Vinzent, "Resetting the Origins of Christianity: A New Theory of Sources and Beginnings" (Cambridge UP, 2022) - New Books Network

Chrysostom's homily on Ignatius, the martyr

In my Writing the History of Early Christianity (CUP 2019, 301-302), I claim that "reference is made to the ‘name’ of Ignatius; he is called ‘holy’, ‘blessed’, ‘divine’, ‘the glorious martyr’, the ‘martyr’, the ‘apostolic man’, the ‘bishop of Antioch’ etc." without mentioning Chrysostom's homily on Ignatius, the martyr (PG 50, 587-596) explicitly, but indirictly - ‘the glorious martyr’, the ‘martyr’, the ‘apostolic man’ refer to this homily, and then add that "the first to call him θεόφορος is Severus of Antioch in the years 518–513 CE".

Recently, the argument was made that before Severus, Chrysostom in the mentioned homily had called Ignatius "Theophorus". This, however, is not as straightforward as a short look into PG 50 seems to suggest.

The title of the homily (see PG 50) is: εἰς τὸν ἱερομάρτυρα Ἰγνάντιον. The further subtitle with 'theophorus' is only preserved in one of the two manuscripts.

That the shorter title of the one Ms is the older and correct one, while the second Ms shows an enlargement of the title in light of the 13 Letter Collection, particularly, as “discovery of the Ignatian relics and the redaction of the long recension belong together” (Gilliam, Ignatius, 190), derives from the homily itself. 

Chrysostom's homily widely deals with Ignatius, the martyr, even talks about the triple designation of Ignatius (martyr, bishop, apostle), then Chrysostom adds four more crowns by which he praises Ignatius - but nowhere does he touch once at the (later) title of Theophoros that is indicated in the subtitle of one manuscript. 

If the subtitle of the homily had been part of the original title of this homily, why would Chrysostom avoid praising Ignatius for a title that features so prominently in the subtitle and could have helped him to claim Ignatius for the Nicenes (against the Neo-Arians), particularly as he seems to make use of the 'middle recension' (so Gilliam, Ignatius, 209-210). The more likely answer seems to be that the subtitle was added to the original, short title that correctly describes the content of the homily, when Ignatius had become known through the 13 letter collection in the long version as the 'theophoros' and that this title of Ignatius had also been entered in the version of the 7 letter collection. 

Hence, the homily in its content and textual transmission is rather proof than counter-proof of what I have stated in my Writing of Early Christian History, and claims for an earlier use of the title is part of the hagiographical repositioning of the second century martyr.

The reconstruction of the pauline 10-letter-collection, methodological considerations

I have sketched a few preliminary methodological considerations which might become part of the introduction to the volumes on the reconstruction of the pauline 10-letter-collection which is almost finished. Any feedback is most welcome! 

Methodological considerations

1. According to the retrospective approach, which I have reflected on in more detail elsewhere,[1] every methodological consideration begins with the realisation that the beginning and approach of a research project are one, if not the decisive factor in setting the course for the observations to be made.

2. This approach includes critical reflection on one's own assumptions and a possible transparency of the explicit and, more importantly, implicit assumptions.

3. The prerequisites for what is attempted here in terms of reconstruction are the history and tradition on which this work is based, which is set out in the history of research. These preconditions also include the current intellectual discourse of which it is a part and about which I have attempted to give an account in the aforementioned work, as well as the projective future with which it intends to shape history, tradition, discourse and social future, as set out there.

4. In the sense of an open, fair, multicultural and interreligious future on our small earth, the aim of the investigation is to recognise and present the prerequisites for historically or traditionally grown patterns of explanation, to examine them for their rational reliability and, if necessary, to deconstruct them in order to enable a conversation beyond disciplines, denominations, religions and all worldviews.

5. A deconstructive, fundamental scepticism towards all inherited constructs takes the place of historically or traditionally grown patterns of explanation, with the aim of offering a transparent construction of explanations that should be comprehensible, correctable or falsifiable.

6. With regard to the present object of investigation, this deconstructive-constructive approach begins with the questioning of all traditional dating of testimonies with which we are concerned, unless they can be historically localised.

7. Such localisation (temporally and locally) begins with the materiality that is central to the current discourse, i.e. with manuscripts, papyri and the like, not with critical editions, even if the use of such editions is indispensable due to the breadth of the subject under investigation.

8. This does not mean that testimonies can only be as old as their first tangible appearance indicates. However, any assumption about their greater age beyond this appearance must be regarded as a hypothesis, which has a stronger burden of justification the further back in time it seeks to historically locate the testimony beyond its appearance.

9. To concretise these methodological considerations with regard to our object of observation: The investigation does not begin with Paul, his letters, with the Gospels or with any other early Christian writings, it begins with the first historical appearance of testimonies. This happens in two temporal layers and at different locations. As far as we have historical information, early Christian writings first appear in two collection contexts:

- in the late second century, books III-V of Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, suggest a larger collection of such writings. In these books it is argued and quoted from texts that this collection contained four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, probably 14 Pauline letters (perhaps only 13, as the Epistle to Philemon is not listed), Catholic letters and the Apocalypse of John. Irenaeus wrote in Lyon around 177 AD, but came from Syria, described Polycarp of Smyrna as his teacher and had contacts in Rome.

- Before the middle of the second century, according to the witness from the early third century, Tertullian, and other witnesses from the second and later centuries, Marcion of Sinope, a shipowner who ran a teaching centre, is said to have brought writings from his home in Pontus to Rome. Witnesses attribute a collection published in Rome to him, which he is said to have called the "New Testament" and which, according to a preface, the Antitheses, contained a Gospel and 10 Pauline letters.

It is and remains unclear when, where and by whom any of the writings contained in these two collections were written, how they were combined into one collection, whether they were edited for these collections and, if so, who edited them and how, unless further external evidence or internal reasons for more detailed historical determinations can be cited.

Richard Carrier on Trobisch and Vinzent

 Richard Carrier went into a long blog post where he discusses the latest publications of David Trobisch and myself - and we both have to thank him for the time he spent on our works.

Was the Entire New Testament Forged in the Second Century? • Richard Carrier Blogs

This is not the place to react to this post, but when time allows, I will write an answer to it to engage with criticism and to learn from it.

The Beginnings of Early Christianity: How does the 2nd century relate to the 1st century

 I received the following friendly enquiry:

"With regard to the books: "Resetting the Origins of Christianity", "Christ's Torah" and "Christ's Resurrection in Early Christianity" - I admire the approach of these books to reconstruct historically grown ideas and validity claims retrospectively. I understand that you place weight to the 2nd century for the emergence of the New Testament. So far, however, it has not been entirely clear to me how you establish the relationship between the 2nd century and the 1st century. Sometimes it seems to me that you - like most scholars - assume a Christian movement that began in the 1st century leaving behind textual evidence such as at least the Pauline epistles (or parts of them). But then I have the impression that you - like the Dutch radical critics - think of Christianity as a product of the 2nd century in every respect.

I would be very happy to hear how you understand the relationship between the 2nd century and the 1st century in the development of the Christian tradition (not just the scriptures). 

To this I replied:

In answer to your question, I confess that, in my opinion, the first century has so far been the black box into which researchers (and many outside them) have put what they would like to see in it. As I am only too aware of this danger myself in retrospect, I endeavour first of all not to "assume" either the one position you mentioned, the second or any other position. Rather, I approach it through all the centuries and ask myself which is the earliest achievable level on which we can find contours and constructions (and thereby construct ourselves again). So first of all I confess my ignorance beyond this. As you have rightly recognised, the next main question, which I have already asked myself in the books you mention but only answered very cautiously, is how one could describe the relationship between the 2nd and 1st centuries.

I have gained a little more insight into this in the last three years, because during this time I have reconstructed the Pauline letters as suggested by the witnesses to Markion's collection. Although Hilgenfeld - Zahn - Harnack - Schmid and BeDuhn had already undertaken such reconstructions, the first four of these editors still proceeded from the heresiological model of Markionite editorial abridgement (although the edition of the canonical Pauline epistles first appears before our eyes with Irenaeus, i.e. a good three decades after that of Markion) and therefore offer only deviations, but no continuous text, while BeDuhn offers a largely continuous text of the letters, but only in English translation.

In my reconstruction, I noticed that the two collections (1. the 10-letter collection of Markion; 2. the 14-letter collection from the time of Irenaeus) have strikingly different languages and semantics. Furthermore, it is striking that the three letters Eph, Col and 2Thess, which today are regarded as pseudo-Paulines, differ from the 7 letters found in the 10-letter collection even in the "pre-canonical" version (i.e. as parts of the 10-letter collection) in that they possess a language in many respects that we encounter in the 14-letter collection.

This trace opens a small door into the time before Marcion, perhaps even into the 1st century - hence my comments for you.

The fact that Marcion's collection of 10 letters contains a lexis, semantics, a grammar etc. that is clearly identifiable and different from those of the 14-letter collection shows: 

1. that there was a redaction of this 10-letter collection (one can of course ask whether by Marcion or by an earlier editor, if Marcion had indeed, as Lieu, BeDuhn, Klinghardt, Goldmann, Flemming assume, changed nothing or nothing significant about these letters)

2. that there was a further, later redaction of this collection of 10 letters, when it was expanded into a collection of 14 letters at the time of Irenaeus.

3. here the view into the time before Marcion: that 3 letters were included in the 10-letter collection, which are already characterised by a language that we encounter again in the canonical editing of the 14-letter collection.

4 This means, however, that in his search for Pauline letters or letter material, the editor had not only come across 7 letters (whether already in a collection remains to be investigated), which after the redaction appear uniform in language throughout, while he must have come across a collection of 3 letters that came from a linguistic-religious-cultural milieu that was that of the later canonical redaction. Even after the pre-canonical redaction, the parallels to the later canonical redaction can still be recognised.

5) After the pre-canonical editing of all 10 letters, the 10-letter collection came into the milieu from which the 3 letters originated. In this milieu, the 10-letter collection was expanded into the 14-letter collection and canonically edited into the form that we find today in the canonical New Testament.

A further insight became clear to me when I compiled the "Concordance to the Precanonical and Canonical New Testament (narr.de)":

6. the 10-letter collection has largely the same linguistic features as the pre-canonical Gospel of Marcion's New Testament.

7. the other parts of the canonical collection of the 27 books beyond the 14-letter collection largely share a common canonical language (despite all the individual differences of all their individual writings).

This means that if we want to look back from the 2nd to the 1st century, the following questions will have to be answered: Who is the redactor who presents a single Gospel text and 10 Pauline letters that are demonstrably from one and the same hand?

What is the character of the 3 letters used by this editor? Are they literary fiction or do they go back to older material, possibly to a "Paul"? Since they must have already existed in a collection due to their linguistic similarities, do they represent the older level in comparison to the 7 letters offered by the editor? If this were the case, then the letters now regarded as pseudo-Paulines would be older and closer to Paul than the so-called "genuine" 7 letters. 

Or is it precisely the fact that the 3 letters were already edited as a collection that speaks against their more original character? Since the editor - knowing what an editor is and does - must have known that it was an edited collection of the 3 letters, which he included in his own collection of 10 letters, he obviously saw no problem in using edited texts, editing them himself and still putting them under the label "Paul". 

As far as the source(s) of the 7 letters are concerned, the question of whether the editor used individual letters or a collection cannot be answered just as clearly. The fact that the editor left the three letters together, placed five letters before them and two after, and that he arranged his collection of 10 letters biographically and geographically, just as he arranged the Jesus material biographically and geographically, rather suggests that he had not yet found the seven letters as a collection. For if the 7 letters had been available to him as a collection and if he had also drawn on an older Gospel, then it would be more than coincidental if both older sources (Gospel, 7 letters) had the same organisational structure. What is historically probable is that he possessed epistolary material for the 7 letters, just as he possessed Jesus material, from which he created partial collections for his New Testament, which he structured similarly and which also both reflect his editorial language.

What does this mean for our insight into the 1st century? Especially for your question about the Christian movement and, I would add, its protagonists? In "Christ's Torah" I have already pointed out that the editor also includes elements (such as "bringing fire/conflict") that contradict his own idea. This suggests that there is a previous source for this material, which the editor traces back to the Jesus of his gospel. Similar elements that seem to contradict his idea can also be found in the letters of Paul in the 10-letter collection. Here, too, the editor cites Paul as the source. Can we trust this information? It seems to me, as I have already written, that the editor was not someone who produced pseudonymous fictions - a significant difference to the canonical editors, for whom pseudonymity and fictionality are  characteristic features. That is why we still do not have any letters that scholars attribute to Paul other than the seven that can be found in the 10-letter collection. I would therefore rate the confidence in this editor higher rather than lower.

Who could this editor be if the Gospel and the 10-letter collection were written by his consistently editorial hand?

1) An ultra-conservative answer could be: Paul. Then Paul not only brought a message, but this gospel to the Galatians.

Or, if this is not considered possible,

2. a disciple of Paul, perhaps Luke. Then he would be the author/editor of the gospel and the 10 Pauline letters.

3. an anonymous person (as assumed by BeDuhn, Lieu, Klinghardt ...), who then wrote both parts.

Or, what I consider to be the most likely solution, especially in view of the witnesses of the 2nd century:

4th Markion.

Was Marcion First? A Discussion between Derek Lambert, Mark G. Bilby, Jack Bull and Markus Vinzent on Mythvision

 Today on live channel of Mythvision this question was discussed, if you want to recap, here is the link:

History Valley: Presentation of my new book Christ's Torah: The Making of the New Testament in the Second Century

 Recently I appeared on History Valley and discussed the new book Christ's Torah. If you are interested in joining me, follow this link: (281) (281) Christ's Torah: The Making of the New Testament in the Second Century | Dr. Markus Vinzent - YouTube