...skipping ahead...
Do please keep in mind that my book offers arguments for and against a possible wife of Jesus. That said, the default position for most people is that Jesus was celibate. As much as we might prefer a neutral ground upon which the best arguments can be measured, this is not possible. There is no neutral ground for the historian. I realize that the burden of proof rests on those who would challenge the traditional doctrines about Jesus and celibacy. This, of course, does not indicate what my conclusion(s) will be; it simply suggests that in presenting arguments from both sides, one of those sides must interpret against the grain of the popular imagination. -anthony
Thanks Anthony. Was John the Baptist married? I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteAnton, this is a really good question and one that I tackle in the introduction to this book. Most would see in the Baptist's refusal of creature comforts, feasts, wine, etc a variable of asceticism. If so, we might infer an ascetic stance on marriage and family too. This, of course, does not negate the possibility of marriage earlier in life.
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