Changes

The '''Jesus Seminar''' is an organization of scholars assembled by former University of Montana professor Robert Funk for the purpose of finding what they considered the real, historical [[Jesus Christ]] through an investigation of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John of the [[New Testament]], plus the non-canonical ''Gospel of Thomas''.  Their conclusions of what Jesus said and did - arrived at through "scholarly consensus"<ref>http://www.westarinstitute.org/Seminars/seminars.html</ref> from a liberal perspective<ref>http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jsem.htm</ref> - were published in 1993 as ''The Five Gospels: The search for the authentic words of Jesus.'', a work which expresses their opinion as to what Jesus said - or didn't say - in the [[Bible]].

The '''Jesus Seminar''' is an organization of scholars assembled by former University of Montana professor Robert Funk for the purpose of finding what they considered the real, historical [[Jesus Christ]] through an investigation of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John of the [[New Testament]], plus the non-canonical ''Gospel of Thomas''.  Their conclusions of what Jesus said and did - arrived at through "scholarly consensus"<ref>http://www.westarinstitute.org/Seminars/seminars.html</ref> from a liberal perspective<ref>http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jsem.htm</ref> - were published in 1993 as ''The Five Gospels: The search for the authentic words of Jesus'', a work which expresses their opinion as to what Jesus said - or didn't say - in the [[Bible]].

The Seminar has never officially disbanded (though Funk passed away in 2005), but many of the original members still continue their research and publications using the Seminar's methodologies.  The Westar Institute maintains a website explaining the work of the Seminar and future publications of the "Fellows" (all of whom, not surprisingly, are liberal theologians, though some notable liberal theologians such as [[Bart Ehrman]] are not Fellows and are openly criticial of the Seminar's findings).

The Seminar has never officially disbanded (though Funk passed away in 2005), but many of the original members still continue their research and publications using the Seminar's methodologies.  The Westar Institute maintains a website explaining the work of the Seminar and future publications of the "Fellows" (all of whom, not surprisingly, are liberal theologians, though some notable liberal theologians such as [[Bart Ehrman]] are not Fellows and are openly criticial of the Seminar's findings).

==History==

==History==

In the mid-1970's Funk had expressed a desire for a work about the historical Jesus.  To that end he assembled a team of scholars, with the intent that they would create a version of the Gospels which reflected a consensus, based upon votes as to what constituted what they perceived as the "real" words of Jesus.   

In the mid-1970's Funk had expressed a desire for a work about the historical Jesus.  To that end he assembled a team of theological scholars, with the intent that they would create a version of the Gospels which reflected a consensus, based upon votes as to what constituted what they perceived as the "real" words of Jesus.   

Starting out with about 200 scholars in 1986, the number fell to 74 when ''The Five Gospels'' was published.  Fourteen of these individuals were academic professors with published works on the subject; twenty were also academics, but with far fewer publications.  Of the remainder, eighteen had no published papers on the subject at all. Thirty-six of the scholars came from Vanderbilt, Harvard, and Claremont Universities, which were criticised for having the most-liberal New Testament study programs in any university.  In any case, most of the people who left the Seminar before the book went to print complained of the "radical fringes of New Testament scholarship" who were over-represented there, or of Funk's undermining of traditional Biblical values.<ref>http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t017.html</ref>

Originally starting out with 30 members, at its peak the Seminar would have about 200 scholars, but only 74 would remain when ''The Five Gospels'' was published.  Fourteen of these individuals were academic professors with published works on the subject; twenty were also academics, but with far fewer publications.  Of the remainder, eighteen had no published papers on the subject at all.

===Anti-Christian agenda===

===Anti-Christian agenda===

That the Jesus Seminar was never subjective in their findings is evident from their methods in determining the authenticity of Scripture as explained below; that they had an anti-Christian agenda was evident from the start.

That the Jesus Seminar was never subjective in their findings is evident from their methods in determining the authenticity of Scripture as explained below; that they had an anti-Christian agenda was evident from the start.

In his opening remarks at the first Seminar meeting, Funk openly stated that "we are having increasing difficulty these days in accepting the biblical account of the creation and of the apocalyptic conclusion in anything like a literal sense" and further that said difficulty "is connected with a second feature: we now know that narrative accounts of ourselves, our nation, the Western tradition, and the history of the world, are fictions".  Funk would go on further to state that "that the Bible, along with all our histories, is a fiction" and that the "fiction of Revelation keeps many common folk in bondage to ignorance and fear". <ref>https://www.westarinstitute.org/projects/jesus-seminar-opening-remarks/</ref>

In his opening remarks at the first Seminar meeting, Funk openly stated that "we are having increasing difficulty these days in accepting the biblical account of the creation and of the apocalyptic conclusion in anything like a literal sense" and further that said difficulty "is connected with a second feature: we now know that narrative accounts of ourselves, our nation, the Western tradition, and the history of the world, are fictions".  Funk would go on further to state that "that the Bible, along with all our histories, is a fiction" and that the "fiction of Revelation keeps many common folk in bondage to ignorance and fear". <ref>https://www.westarinstitute.org/projects/jesus-seminar-opening-remarks/</ref>