--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the fault is more with…" description: "\"I think the fault is more with historicists who have stubbornly failed to develop a good theory of historicity. By simply resting on the feeble laurels..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/earl-doherty-66369_absurdity_i-think-the-fault-is-more-with-historici_295304.jpg" --- # I think the fault is more with historicists who have… ![“I think the fault is more with historicists who have stubbornly failed to develop a good theory of historicity. By simply resting on the feeble laurels of prima facie plausibility ('Jesus existed because everyone said so') and subjective notions of absurdity ('I can't believe Jesus didn't…” quote by Earl Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/earl-doherty-66369_absurdity_i-think-the-fault-is-more-with-historici_295304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/earl-doherty-66369_absurdity_i-think-the-fault-is-more-with-historici_295304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/earl-doherty-66369_absurdity_i-think-the-fault-is-more-with-historici_295304.jpg) > “I think the fault is more with historicists who have stubbornly failed to develop a good theory of historicity. By simply resting on the feeble laurels of prima facie plausibility ('Jesus existed because everyone said so') and subjective notions of absurdity ('I can't believe Jesus didn't exist!'), the existence of Jesus has largely been taken for granted, even by competent historians who explicitly try to argue for it.” Earl Doherty ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historians often accept Jesus’ existence without rigorous proof, relying on assumptions rather than solid evidence. **In simple terms:** Assumptions replace evidence. Key Takeaway Demand critical evidence before accepting historical claims. Themes history skepticism faith Mood analytical thoughtful Type academic critical When to use this quote - academic debate - faith discussions - education curricula Key Concepts epistemology methodology religious studies Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would convince you? - How does faith interact with historical doubt? A Different Perspective Some may argue that faith transcends empirical proof. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Laurels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laurels/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjective/) [Taken for granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-for-granted/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [We have endless books about whether Jesus existed, or whether the Jesus we have learned about is really accurate and historical or mythical. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-girzone/we-have-endless-books-about-whether-jesus-existed-or-whether-the/) [Joseph Girzone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-girzone/) > [“The truth is that in all probability he (Jesus) never existed, but was created by the Jewish authors of the New Testament as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-m-johns/the-truth-is-that-in-all-probability-he-jesus-never-existed-but-was/) Christine M. Johns > [Jesus existed, and those vocal persons who deny it do so not because they have considered the evidence with the dispassionate eye of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/jesus-existed-and-those-vocal-persons-who-deny-it-do-so-not-because/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [I think the evidence is just so overwhelming that Jesus existed, that it's silly to talk about him not existing. I don't know anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/i-think-the-evidence-is-just-so-overwhelming-that-jesus-existed-that/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [The early Christians' opponents all accepted that Jesus existed, taught, had disciples, worked miracles, and was put to death on a Roman cross. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-stanton/the-early-christians-opponents-all-accepted-that-jesus-existed-taught/) Graham Stanton > [Today nearly all historians, whether Christians or not, accept that Jesus existed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-stanton/today-nearly-all-historians-whether-christians-or-not-accept-that-2/) Graham Stanton > [Jesus is infinite. he does not finish. there is no start time for Jesus. he has always existed and will always exist. and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenton-brown/jesus-is-infinite-he-does-not-finish-there-is-no-start-time-for-jesus/) [Brenton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenton-brown/) > [Jesus existed only as an image in the heart of God, until such time as the prophets of the Old Testament could positively confess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-copeland/jesus-existed-only-as-an-image-in-the-heart-of-god-until-such-time-as/) [Kenneth Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-copeland/) > [Why so many mentions regarding Jesus from such a wide variety of sources (Pliny, Tacitus, Lucian, Josephus, to name a few)? Because Jesus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/why-so-many-mentions-regarding-jesus-from-such-a-wide-variety-of/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [Today nearly all historians, whether Christians or not, accept that Jesus existed and that the Gospels contain plenty of valuable evidence which has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-stanton/today-nearly-all-historians-whether-christians-or-not-accept-that/) Graham Stanton > [Our reasons for believing Jesus existed and also that He was who He claimed to be - the God who came down - are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/our-reasons-for-believing-jesus-existed-and-also-that-he-was-who-he/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [The laurels of victory are at the point of the enemy bayonets. They must be plucked there; they must be carried by a hand-to-hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-foch/the-laurels-of-victory-are-at-the-point-of-the-enemy-bayonets-they/) [Ferdinand Foch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-foch/) > [I want to give the audience the whole package, and for me, the whole package is to give them something fresh as well. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jarreau/i-want-to-give-the-audience-the-whole-package-and-for-me-the-whole/) [Al Jarreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jarreau/) > [Much can they praise the trees so straight and high, The sailing pine,the cedar proud and tall, The vine-prop elm, the poplar never dry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-spenser/much-can-they-praise-the-trees-so-straight-and-high-the-sailing-pine/) [Edmund Spenser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-spenser/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More by Earl Doherty > [“—2 Corinthians 5:18— Paul says he’s been given the ministry of reconciling man to God. Didn’t Jesus do that in his ministry? Back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-doherty/2-corinthians-5-18-paul-says-he-s-been-given-the-ministry-of/) Earl Doherty > [“Scholars had generally concluded that in all but the Supper scene, Paul was not quoting sayings of Jesus from his ministry. Rather, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-doherty/scholars-had-generally-concluded-that-in-all-but-the-supper-scene/) Earl Doherty > [A heavenly location for the actions of the savior gods, including the death of Christ, would also have been influenced by most religions' ultimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-doherty/a-heavenly-location-for-the-actions-of-the-savior-gods-including-the/) Earl Doherty Explore all 4 Earl Doherty quotes ## More Absurdity quotes > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." 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It comes from an absurdity around that misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-amstell/i-ve-always-felt-that-comedy-doesn-t-just-come-from-misery-it-comes/) [Simon Amstell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-amstell/) > [Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-herzen/unaware-of-the-absurdity-of-it-we-introduce-our-own-petty-household/) [Alexander Herzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-herzen/) > [“Christianity would be helpless without the idea of free will and the idea of free will would be helpless without incongruity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kedar-joshi/christianity-would-be-helpless-without-the-idea-of-free-will-and-the/) [Kedar Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kedar-joshi/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. 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