Born in the Second Century

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY completes its survey of the Gospel of John, having demonstrated that the author of John borrowed wholesale from the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke to construct his narrative.

In this episode, host Christ Palmero covers the final section of John, which deals with Jesus' arrest, trials, crucifixion, and burial. In examining the author's use of traditional setpieces like the Anointing ...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY continues its miniseries on the Gospel of John as a derivative work, with its author aware of the prior Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke.

Host Chris Palmero follows the progress of Jesus from Galilee - where he urges a confused audience to eat his flesh and drink his blood - to the outskirts of Jerusalem, where he performs the Raising of Lazarus.

Anyone who listens to this episode can ...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY'S miniseries on the Gospel of John continues. Host Chris Palmero examines John's use of the Synoptic Gospels - Mark, Matthew, and Luke - as sources.

Anyone who listens to this episode can learn about: why the Gospel of John contains two separate John the Baptist scenes; why Jesus only heals Gentiles at long range; the problems with the "Ecclesiastical Redactor" hypothesis; why John told...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY begins a multi-part exploration on whether the author of John's Gospel was aware of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. In presenting evidence that the Gospel of John does not draw from independent oral tradition, but from the prior Gospels, host Christ Palmero will establish that John is not a reliable witness for Jesus' ministry. John should be seen not as the weird younger brother of the ...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY concludes its look at the Resurrection Appearances of Jesus. Host Chris Palmero examines the common elements of these legends, from the point at which Jesus appears to his disciples all the way up to his ascension at the end. The versions of the Resurrection as told by Celsus, the ancient pagan critic of Christianity, as well as the lost book called the Preaching of Peter, are also explored. Finally, Just...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY continues its investigation into Justin Martyr's non-use of the New Testament Gospels, with an examination of the Resurrection Appearances of Jesus. Host Chris Palmero analyzes the common themes of these tales in the Canonical and Apocryphal Gospels (including the Gospel of Peter and Gospel of the Hebrews), and the Nag Hammadi and Gnostic writings (including the Pistis Sophia, Gospel of Mary, Apocryp...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY embarks on the effort to answer the most important question of our age, or of any age: whether Justin Martyr was aware of the New Testament Gospels. In a deep analysis of Justin's stories about Jesus from the so-called Memoirs of the Apostles, host Chris Palmero begins to excavate "the Gospel of Justin."

Anyone who listens to this episode can learn about how Justin was truly a &quo...

There is a treasure that lies hidden behind the earliest Christian writings: the TESTIMONIA. Host Chris Palmero describes the theory that the earliest sources about Jesus of Nazareth may have been strange list of Biblical prophecies that were passed around among early sectarian Jews. These lost books may indeed have been the primary sources even for the authors of the New Testament.

Anyone who listens to this episode of BO...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY brings the Montanism Trilogy to its bloody, triumphant ending. Host Chris Palmero shifts the focus to the spectacular changes that the war against the New Prophecy caused within the structure of Catholic Christianity itself, causing it to transform from just another "free radical" Jewish sect, to a truly organized religion, for better or worse. 

Anyone who listens to this episode can le...

The second installment of BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY'S Montanism Trilogy examines the Christian reactions to this mysterious movement. Host Chris Palmero presents testimonies from Irenaeus, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, Epiphanius, and of course, Eusebius. He also tackles a burning question: did Tertullian really convert to the New Prophecy, or was that illustrious fool merely participating in an elaborate LARP?

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY presents the first installment of a trilogy of shows on the Great Montanist "Heresy." Host Chris Palmero examines the tremendous impact that the second century religious movement of Montanism had on Christianity actually becoming a distinct religion. At the same time, Montanism will be revealed to be a heretical Jewish movement that originally had nothing to do with Christianity.

For th...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY explores the mystery of the strange portrayal of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles. Host Chris Palmero carefully examines the stories about Paul in Acts, and explains the author's motive for depicting him as a loyal, submissive, even-tempered company man: the polar opposite of the moody, outspoken mystic who speaks from Paul's letters.

Anyone who listens to this episode can learn about t...

A haze of mystery surrounds the figure of Paul and his confusing, contradictory letters - especially the Matryoshka Doll that is his First Letter to the Corinthians, which seems to have eight smaller letters hiding inside of it. But host Chris Palmero reveals that First Corinthians is not only the key to understanding how and when Paul's letters were actually written. It's also "the shining weapon" that just mig...

The letter of Jude is a short, strange little book; a violent and angry "diss track" that's ignored by most Christian believers and neglected by theologians. And it has no home in the traditional paradigm. 

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY continues its New Testament Journey, as host Chris Palmero examines the evidence for the date and origin of Jude, and tries to find a home for it. If even this innocuous little ...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY continues its New Testament Journey with the second part of the series on Luke's gospel.  Host Chris Palmero examines the traditional views on Luke's date, responds to them, and provides his own thoughts on this self-evidently late text.

Anyone who listens to this episode can learn about how fundamentalists and mainstream theologians have determined the date of Luke's gospel, about...

BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY'S journey through the New Testament continues with the undeniably late gospel of Luke. This is the first of a two part episode.

Host Chris Palmero examines the structure and sources of Luke, and tracks Luke's earliest mentions in history. What we'll find is that Luke's gospel can't be detected in the historical record until almost the very end of the second century. When it finally...

Host Chris Palmero has been listening to a lot of Christian apologetics programs lately. He is therefore now compelled to conduct a full-length parody of them.

In this satirical broadcast, Dr. E, the renowned host of the Season of Reason Christian Apologetics Show, interviews the formidable Christian apologist Dr. Walter Pupp. Dr. Pupp - who was saved by the powerful passage in Mark that says that Jesus was asleep with his head on a...

The gospel of Matthew is in the sights of BORN IN THE SECOND CENTURY's Brighten the Corners miniseries on the late dates and spurious authorship of the New Testament books. Host Chris Palmero discusses the limits of the conventional ways of assigning a date to Matthew's gospel.

Anyone who listens to this episode can learn about how both fundamentalists and mainstream theologians have determined the date of Matthe...