An Inquiry into the Ideas and Forces that Link
the Thought of Our Time with our Religious Past
   by Lynn Winters 
 
(Note * are highly recommended chapters by the author)

INTRODUCTION:

SECTION I. The Background and Formation of Christendom

1 The Legacy of The Old Testament Prophets
2 How the Ancient World Became Greek in Outlook
3 Revolts and Wars in Palestine During the Times of Jesus
4 Palestine During the Times of Jesus
5 The Writings of Josephus *
6 The Earliest Christians--in Jerusalem *
7 St Paul--Apostle to the Gentiles
7 (con't)
8 The Roman-Jewish Wars of 66 C.E. and 132 C.E.
9 The Background Against Which Mark Wrote his Famous Gospel *
10 The Backgrounds of the Other Gospel Writers: Matthew, Luke, and John

SECTION II. Analysis on Key Events in the Life of Jesus Christ on Earth

1 Birth Stories of Jesus Christ
2 Jesus' Childhood 3 Baptism by John the Baptist
4 Family/Marriage Matters
5 Jesus's Miracles-Comparisons to Older Stories of Miracles *
6 The Last Supper-Eucharist
7 Events Leading up to the Trial of Jesus
8 Crucifixion of Jesus
9 The Empty Tomb/Resurrection
10 Apocalypse--Belief in the "Second" Coming of Christ *
11 What is the Nature of Jesus?--Based on What is Reported on Him
12 What is the Nature of Jesus?-- Based on What is NOT Reported
13 Comparison Chart of Theological Doctrines on Jesus Christ
14 Some Conservative Christian Responses on Apparent Contradictions in the Bible *

SECTION III. Textual Analysis--How the Bible was Written

1 Biblical Scholarship and Analyses -- Old Testament *
2 Biblical Scholarship and Analyses -- New Testament
3 Discovery of One of the World's Oldest New Testament: Tischendorf and Codex Sinaiticus *

SECTION IV. Neighboring Cultures of the Ancient Jews and Christians

1 Influence of other Religious Cultures on the Ancient Hebrews *
2 Age of Hellenism: Greek Philosophy vs. the Mystery Religions
2 (con't) Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Archimedes,Epicurus
2 (con't) Stoic and Platonic Thought, Mithraism, Origin of Christmas, Easter, Mistletoe...
3 Gnosticism *

SECTION V. The History of Christianity in the Western World

1 The Evolution of the Early Christian Church *
2 Constantine--First Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire
3 Success of Christianity against the Pagans
4 Alexandria and the Collapse of Science *
5 St. Augustine and his Authoritarian Blueprint for Christian Society
6 Entry of Western Europe into the Darkages/Causes of the Dark Ages
7 The Byzantine Empire
8 Apocalyptic Fervor after 1000 C.E., Crusades,Twelfth-Century Renaissance
8 (con't) Growth of Heresy,Tortures,Witch Burnings,Black Plague
8 (con't) Assessment of the Middle Ages, or Were Medieval Times REALLY a "Dark Age"?
9 Renaissance and the Rise of Humanism
10 Discovery of America/Spanish Catholics in Americas
11 Martin Luther and The Emergence of Protestantism *
12 The Trial of Galileo
13 Medicene Before Modern Times *
14 The Enlightenment and the Age of Voltaire *
14 (con't)
15 Thomas Jefferson--Enlightened U.S. American Father *
16 North American Indians/Protestants in North America
17 The Institution of Slavery in the West/Christian Attitudes Towards Slavery
18 The Rise of Romanticism *
19 Nazism *
20 The Russian Marxist Communist Revolution

SECTION VI. Impact of Judaic-Christianity on Our Views of the Universe

1 Jewish/Christian Views of Heaven, Hell and Earth
2 The Philosopher's Paradox on the Nature of God *
3 Ethics and Morality in the Bible (Part 1)
3 (con't) Ethics in Everyday Life
4 Universality of Moral Precepts/What Does the Golden Rule Really Mean?
5 Does Our System of Morality Originate from Religion and Make Us "Better" Humans?
6 Christian Importance of Faith vs. Good Works/The Doctrine of Hell and Eternal Damnation *
7 Christian Attitudes towards the Jews
8 Christian Attitudes towards Sex (part 1)
8 (con't) 9 Christian Attitudes towards Women (part 1)
9 (con't )Women's Legal Rights--Suffrage,Biological Rights
10 Christian Attitudes towards Animals

SECTION VII. The Human Mind Viz-a-Viz the Supernatural

1 Misuse of Statistics to Show "Amazing" Coincidences *
2 Astrology, Channeling, Ghosts, ESP
3 Influence of the Mind on Miracles/Amazing Happenings
4 Near Death Experiences and other Phenomenon
5 Relics,Shroud of Turin, Speaking in Tongues, Stigmata, Lourdes,Faith-Healing,Royal Touch
5 (con't) Oral Roberts,"Psychic" Documentaries, Media Sensationalism of Miracles
6 The Human Mind and its Perception of Reality
7 Limitations of the Human Mind

SECTION VIII. Philosophy and the Role of Science

1 Great Proofs For/Against the Existence of God *
2 Strengths and Weaknesses of the "Scientific" Paradigm
3 Science vs Creationism over Evolution, Astronomy, Biology, Geology *
3 (con't) Historical Examples of Religious Conflict with Science -- Lightening Rods and Witches
4 Rationalism vs Irrationalism; Is Science a Religion/Philosophy?
5 Is Religion Inherent to the Human Condition? / How do Atheists Cope with Their Mortality? *

SECTION IX. The Diversity of Religious Experience
1 Jehovah's Witnesses
2 Mormons 3 Christian Science
4 Friends of Society (the Quakers)
5 Cults

SECTION X. The Religious Experiences of Famous Individuals

1 St. Justin
2 St. Augustine
3 C.S. Lewis
4 Robert Wakefield *
5 Albert Schweitzer *
6 George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
7 Joan London
8 Thomas Paine
9 Robert Ingersoll
10 Albert Einstein *
11 Tai Solarin
12 Ayn Rand *

SECTION XI. Our Judaic-Christian Heritage in the Modern World - Fundamentalism vs. Humanism

1 Fundamentalism
2 Common Myths Told by the Far Right, on our American Forefathers
3 Fundamentalists, Humanists, and Hedonists
4 Fundamentalism vs. Humanism in Society Today
5 Conclusion *

BIBLIOGRAPHY