Has anyone read this yet?

I just learned about it today.

Sounds yummy! :-)

Not the Impossible Faith (Richard Carrier; 456 pages; Feb 2009)

Dr. Richard Carrier is an expert in the history of the ancient world and a critic of Christian attempts to distort history in defense of their faith. Not the Impossible Faith is a tour de force in that genre, dissecting and refuting the oft-repeated claim that Christianity could not have succeeded in the ancient world unless it was true. Though framed as a detailed rebuttal to Christian apologist J.P. Holding (author of The Impossible Faith), Carrier takes a general approach that educates the reader on the history and sociology of the ancient world, answering many questions like: How did Christians approach evidence? Was there a widespread prejudice against the testimony of women? Was resurrection such a radical idea? Who would worship a crucified criminal? And much more. Written with occasional humor and an easy style, and thoroughly referenced, with many entertaining “gotcha!” moments, Not the Impossible Faith is a must-read for anyone interested in the origins of Christianity.

(To learn more about Carrier, see the entries I posted on Sept 19, 2005; June 1, 2006; Jan 2, 2007; and Jan 3, 2007.)