Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Knee-jerk reaction

Some bloggers seem to mind the idea that I thought of the possibility of Saul’s fake conversion while writing a novel. Perhaps they would have preferred it if I had thought of it in a bath tub! It’s an ancient knee-jerk reaction to counter a new idea by ridiculing it and the one who comes forward with it. In the scientific arena this process has been studied by numerous scholars, such as Hans Kuhn. Unfortunately this method has always failed to prove that the idea was wrong.


The thesis in itself is very simple, really. Persecutor Saul of Tarsus had the means, motive and opportunity to lie about his wanting to join the Jesus movement. There is no evidence that he was sincere. On the contrary: he was treated much too well by the people who should really have been his enemies, such as his fellow persecutors on the way to Damascus. For one thing he was never accused of desertion, even though from the authorities' point of view that's exactly what he would have been guilty of, had he really joined the Jesus movement.


I welcome all opinions on our book. Please keep them coming, but do read it first!