Coming Back to Earth
Discussion Questions

Chapter 3 — handout

1. What important contributions did David Friedrich Strauss make to New Testament  scholarship?
2. How did Albert Schweitzer temporarily impede the search for the historical Jesus?
3. Provide a brief descriptive caption for each of Geering’s nine “layers” of evidence.
4. Why is it ironic to propose that Paul was the founder of Christianity?
5. Briefly describe the Q gospel and explain its importance.
6. Briefly describe the Gospel of Thomas and explain its importance.
7. Do you think Jesus was literate? If so, in what language(s)?  [Note: a number of scholars disgree with Geering on this point.]
8. What is your reaction to Geering’s contention that much if now most of Jesus’ traditional “biography” is fictitious?
9. To what degree do you find the chapter’s last paragraph (p. 49) persuasive?