The God Who Wasn't There (2005) on Netflix
NR20051h 2mBiographyDocumentaryHistory
A documentary filmmaker who attended a Christian school asks whether Jesus ever existed, weighing early Christian history against older savior myths. He interviews historians and folklorists.
- Netflix3.2/5
- IMDb6.8/105,125 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes60%
Trailer
Plot summary
The case presented is that of the Christ myth theory: that the earliest Christian writings fit a Jesus who was mythical, with historical details attached only later. The letters of Paul, written before the Gospels, mention a crucifixion, a resurrection and an ascension but show no awareness of a recent earthly life. This death-resurrection-ascension sequence appeared in earlier religions, and parts of the Jesus story, such as the Massacre of the Innocents, follow earlier Jewish writings. The filmmaker also argues that moderate Christianity makes less sense than a literal reading, since the Bible treats those who reject Jesus as damned and calls for belief he likens to mind control. Historians, folklorists and a rapture website's creator are among those interviewed.
Cast
- Richard Carrieras Himself - Historian
- Alan Dundesas Himself - Professor of Folklore, UC Berkeley
- Barbara Mikkelsonas Herself - Urban Legends Reference Pages, snopes.com
- David P. Mikkelsonas Self
- Brian Flemmingas Himself - Narrator
- Earl Dohertyas Himself
- Scott Butcheras Himself - RaptureLetters.com
- Jerry Falwellas Himself (archive footage)
- David Mikkelsonas Himself - Urban Legends Reference Pages, snopes.com
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The God Who Wasn't There (2005)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- In December 2006 the atheist group Rational Response Squad built a campaign around the documentary, offering free DVDs to the first 1,001 people who took part in the Blasphemy Challenge, an internet project urging atheists to declare themselves in public.
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