(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.
Experience with the Supernatural in Early Christian Times
(The Bible is rich in miracles. Supernaturalism runs like ...)
The Bible is rich in miracles. Supernaturalism runs like a scarlet thread through the whole book from Genesis to Revelation. Many people tend to pass hastily over the miracle stories, however, and find greater satisfaction in the Bible's less spectacular portrayals of moral ideas and spiritual struggles. So how can we account for the prominence of the miraculous in Hebrew religion and more particularly in early Christianity? Why did the advocates of the new religion concern themselves so extensively with the imagery of supernaturalism? These are the questions Shirley Jackson Case seeks to answer in this provocative work. SHIRLEY JACKSON CASE (1872-1947) was a liberal theologian at the University of Chicago. Case was regarded as perhaps the finest scholar of the socio-historical method, which viewed the Bible as telling and reflecting the history of a movement that had its own needs and goals. She is also the author of The Historicity of Jesus, which is one of the earliest book-length scholarly refutations of the Jesus Myth.
(In the present climate of interest concerning the real Je...)
In the present climate of interest concerning the real Jesus, Case's 1927 study represents a vital contribution in the first quest for the historical Jesus. Often overlooked, this important volume is at last available to researchers in the current quest for Jesus, as well as those interested in the role of the Chicago School in that quest. Case avoids supernatural explanations as he deftly sketches the social contexts of what can be known of the historical Jesus.
Religion in the Making, Vol. 2: November, 1941 (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Religion in the Making, Vol. 2: November, 19...)
Excerpt from Religion in the Making, Vol. 2: November, 1941
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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
The Evolution of Early Christianity: A Genetic Study of First-Century Christianity in Relation to Its Religious Environment
(This work has been selected by scholars as being cultural...)
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Religion in the Making, Vol. 1: May, 1940-May, 1941 (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Religion in the Making, Vol. 1: May, 1940-Ma...)
Excerpt from Religion in the Making, Vol. 1: May, 1940-May, 1941
On a visit to Australia in 1935 I became convinced that Australia and the United States should establish a closer relationship. I was anxious to see an interchange of diplomatic representatives between these two nations. That has now come about in spite of the fact that Australia is a member of the British commonwealth of nations. The Church in Australia and the Church in the United States know very little about each other and the ties between them are very loose. The fact that we have such a close relationship between the churches of Canada and the United States will help in creating a Christian fellowship among the churches of the three English-speaking nations that border on the Pacific. However, both Australia and Canada are involved in the war against Germany, and leaders in the American Church are divided in their opinions as to the meaning of that war.
About the Publisher
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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
The Historicity of Jesus: A Criticism of the Contention That Jesus Never Lived, a Statement of the Evidence for His Existence, an Estimate of His Relation to Christianity (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from The Historicity of Jesus: A Criticism of the...)
Excerpt from The Historicity of Jesus: A Criticism of the Contention That Jesus Never Lived, a Statement of the Evidence for His Existence, an Estimate of His Relation to Christianity
The main purpose of the present volume is to set forth the evidence for believing in the historical reality of Jesus' existence upon earth. By way of approach, the characteristic features of more recent opinion regarding the historical Jesus have been surveyed, and, on the other hand, the views of those who deny his existence have been examined in detail. The negative arguments have been carefully analyzed in order accurately to comprehend the problem. In presenting the evidence for Jesus' historicity, an effort has been made both to meet opponents' objections and at the same time to give a fairly complete collection of the historical data upon which belief in his existence rests. Finally, the practical bearing of the discussion has been indicated by briefly considering Jesus' personal relation to the founding of the Christian movement and his significance for modern religion.
The needs of two classes of readers have been kept in mind. The general public, it is believed, will find the treatment suited to their tastes.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Shirley Jackson Case was a Canadian mathematician and liberal theologian.
Background
Shirley Jackson Case was born on September 28, 1872 in Hatfield Point, New Brunswick, Canada. He was the son of George F. Case and Maria (Jackson) Case. To maintain his family, the father worked exceptionally hard both as a farmer and as a carriage builder at the edge of the small village. By his own admission, Case had no love for farm life, but throughout his career he maintained an interest in woodworking, which he had learned from his father. He had a fine collection of tools, which he prized highly, and he was capable of producing exquisite wood pieces. Both parents were active members of the Free Baptist Church, which represented the most liberal and open-minded branch of that denomination. Shirley Jackson Case was marked by this tradition for the remainder of his life.
Education
Case enrolled in Acadia University, New Brunswick, and received the B. A. degree in 1893 and the M. A. degree in 1896. In 1901 he entered Yale University Divinity School, where he specialized in Biblical languages and received his B. D. degree summa cum laude in 1904. He then proceeded to work on his doctorate in the area of Biblical studies and early Christianity and he received the Ph. D. from Yale in 1906.
Career
He specialized in classical studies and mathematics, and his first teaching position was in mathematics at St. Martin's Seminary and Horton Collegiate Academy in New Brunswick in 1896. In 1897 he moved to the United States, where for four years he taught Greek at the New Hampton Literary Institute in New Hampshire. In addition to his teaching responsibilities he served as pastor in the local community church.
While pursuing graduate work, he was also instructor in Greek at Yale for a year, pastor of the Congregational Church, Bethany, Connecticut (1902 - 1903), and pastor of the United Church in Beacon Falls, Connecticut (1903 - 1906). His academic career commenced with his appointment in 1906 as professor of history and philosophy of religion at Bates College. In 1908 he was appointed assistant professor of New Testament interpretation in the University of Chicago Divinity School and was promoted to associate professor in 1913. In 1915 he became a full professor in the New Testament department at the divinity school, and in 1917 he was also appointed professor of early church history and received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Yale. In 1923 he was named chairman of the church history department, and in 1925 he was given a new designation, professor of the history of early Christianity. In 1933 he was appointed dean of the divinity school at Chicago and served in that post until his retirement in 1938. In 1938-1939 he was a special lecturer in New Testament at Bexley Hall, the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Gambier, Ohio. In 1940 he became professor of religion at Florida Southern College and dean of the Florida School of Religion in Lakeland, where he remained until his death. Case's career was marked by distinction both in the field of scholarship and in the area of academic administration. With his appointment as chairman of the church history department in the divinity school at Chicago, a new epoch was inaugurated. He gathered one of the most distinguished groups of church historians ever to teach on a single faculty in the United States, John T. McNeill, Wilhelm Pauck, Matthew Spinka, Charles Lyttle, and W. E. Garrison. Perhaps Case's outstanding discovery was William Warren Sweet, who was brought to the university to carry on the work vacated by the resignation of Peter Mode in the area of the history of Christianity in America. Sweet was given special encouragement to gather and catalogue sources and to publish his findings in the area of religion in America. As a consequence, a new discipline developed at Chicago with Case's full support. In 1924 he was elected president of the American Society of Church History. Under his leadership the organization was rejuvenated, the membership was greatly increased, Church History began regular publication, and Dr. Sweet's research work was transferred from Chicago to the American Society of Church History. Case also was responsible for recommending regional meetings of the society in order to strengthen its grassroots support throughout the nation. In 1925 he was elected president of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research, and in 1926 he was elected president of the national organization, the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis. In 1927 he became editor of the Journal of Religion, a publication of the Chicago Divinity School, and brought distinction to that journal through his editorial acumen. From 1931 to 1932 he headed a special deputation to investigate the teaching of the history of Christianity in the various universities and schools developed by mission organizations throughout the Orient. His report became influential in modifying the way church history was taught throughout the mission field in the Orient. Although his deanship lasted only five years, he carried on and strengthened the traditions developed under his predecessor and close friend, Shailer Matthews. He also chaired a special committee of the American Association of Theological Schools with regard to curriculum revision in the member institutions. Dean Case demonstrated a rare capacity for organizing scholarly activities and enhancing the contributions of individual scholars so that an impact might be made through their collaborative efforts.
The sociohistorical method was marked by four basic concerns that were closely correlated in an effort to develop a fresh perspective in historical scholarship. First, there was an insistence on a rigorous use of the historical method, which involved careful observation of all of the facts, based on literary, archaeological, and other forms of evidence. The historian's task was to develop a hypothesis based upon a rigorous analysis of the facts properly tested by canons of evidence so that conclusions could be developed which stood close scrutiny by other scholars. Case and his colleagues were aware of the dialectic between presupposition and factual material. They insisted that an awareness of the historian's own assumptions and presuppositions was one of the best safeguards to prevent the misuse of the evidence at hand. The distinctive mark of the Chicago School was a concern for the total environment in which any historic event occurred. Case was convinced that a true picture of Jesus could be obtained only by a proper understanding of the full context or setting in which Jesus' ministry occurred. The Chicago School sought to review carefully the economic, political, social, geographical, psychological, and philosophical dimensions of a given culture prior to the task of attempting to understand any documents. That is, documents were not to be studied either in isolation or with merely a polite bow in the direction of these other factors. The total environment in which a religious leader or group developed was to be meticulously analyzed and reconstructed. Thus the nature and history of an individual or group could be understood. Case paid close attention to the various literary documents and archaeological evidence that history has left behind. Though these were to be studied carefully, and the latest methods were to be employed, documents also were to be seen in the broader total environmental context. Finally, Case and his Chicago colleagues felt that in the reconstruction of past history a genetic approach was essential. They had adopted an evolutionary hypothesis, and they tended to understand history as emerging from one epoch to another, or from lower forms to higher, more sophisticated forms. Case had four basic centers of research. His first book, which appeared in 1912, was entitled The Historicity of Jesus, and in one way or another he continued that interest throughout his career. Perhaps his most famous book, and that which demonstrated most clearly his dependence on the sociohistorical method, appeared in 1927 and was entitled Jesus: A New Biography. This was followed in 1932 by a further study on Jesus Through the Centuries. At the same time that Case was carrying on his research on Jesus, he was struggling with the overall question of the origin and nature of Christianity itself. In 1914 he published The Evolution of Early Christianity: A Genetic Study of First Century Christianity in Relation to Its Religious Environment. The title recapitulates the basic concerns of the Chicago School. In 1923 he pursued the question in greater depth in The Social Origins of Christianity, and that was followed ten years later by The Social Triumph of the Ancient Church (1933). Another of Case's basic concerns was the element of the supernatural in early Christianity and its continuance in contemporary history. The Book of Revelation was published in 1918 and followed the same year by The Millennial Hope: A Phase of Wartime Thinking. In 1919 there appeared The Revelation of John. In these volumes he struggled with the question of the origin, nature, and role of apocalyptic thought in Christianity. In 1943 he wrote The Christian Philosophy of History, in which he attempted to outline a distinctive Christian view of the nature and meaning of history. His final book, The Origins of Christian Supernaturalism (1946), reflected his earlier concern with apocalyptic thought. Although he published several other works, each in its own way exhibited one of the four basic concerns developed above.
Achievements
Case's major contribution was in the area of historical scholarship, both in the field of New Testament studies and the history of early Christianity. Along with Matthews he became a foremost exponent of the so-called sociohistorical method, which came to mark the entire divinity school faculty so that it was soon known both in the United States and abroad as the Chicago School.
(The Bible is rich in miracles. Supernaturalism runs like ...)
Religion
Case considered himself a historian of Christianity. He was drawn to liberal theology. He was convinced that Jesus was an historical person and criticized the arguments of Christ myth theory proponents.
He was profoundly interested in that question, and his function and role in early Christianity and throughout Christian history.
Membership
In 1924 Case was elected president of the American Society of Church History.
In 1925 he was elected president of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research, and in 1926 he was elected president of the national organization, the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis.
Connections
On June 29, 1899, he married Evelyn Hill, an accomplished musician and music teacher at the institute. They had no children.
Father:
George F. Case
He worked exceptionally hard both as a farmer and as a carriage builder at the edge of the small village
