In my recent book, The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels from Literary Devices, I argue that the Gospels are historical reportage. This argument involves both positive evidence for literal accuracy and arguments against the views of Michael Licona, Craig Evans, and others that the evangelists felt free to make historical changes due to the literary conventions of their time. Dr. Licona has recently released a video series in which he claims to refute my work in The Mirror or the Mask. In this series, I respond. If you're interested in more information on these issues, please see the accompanying blog posts and, most importantly, The Mirror or the Mask itself. This episode kicks off the series by discussing the concept that I've dubbed a "fictionalizing literary device" or "fact-changing literary device." What is it? Why do I use those phrases for what some scholars claim are in the Gospels? Are those accurate descriptions? Understanding this matter can help us to see what is at stake in this debate. My deepest thanks to Immanuel Fellowship Church for their studio facilities and hard work in helping me to put together this video series. This recording was originally published Jul 6, 2020 on YouTube.
Blog post accompanying this video: http://lydiaswebpage.blogspot.com/2020/07/new-licona-series-fictionalizing.html The Mirror or the Mask: https://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Mask-Liberating-Gospels-Literary/dp/1947929070 Michael Licona, Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? https://www.amazon.com/Why-Are-There-Differences-Gospels/dp/0190264268
Mike Licona's video series on my work: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpPGCP1zKznR06Jxb5RaQYrNIiH7xR7ZR
