(February 1, 2016 at 6:32 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Prophecy_Fails
Festingers research is interesting from a number of angles, but not relevant in this case, and it has become now extremely rare for serious scholars to use it relating to Xianity's origins, because of the force of the counter-arguments.
I will only mention one of the methodological issues- up to a third of the group at any one time were researchers, so small were the numbers.
More importantly, there was little follow up of the destinations of the group. It can only be assumed that, in complete contrast to the disciples, virtually all of them ultimately recognised their mistake and went back to the day jobs, and the group disbanded.
But there is one far more crucial difference.
Festinger's subjects were reacting to the happening of nothing, when they were expecting something. The disciples were reacting to something- something radically different to what they had been expecting. They actually realised they had been radically wrong (about the nature of the Kingdom, the functioning of the Messiah, the scope of God's project), where the flying saucer cult sought to hold on to the belief that they were right.
With Festinger, the new material failed to displace the old beliefs.
With the disciples, the new material utterly changed their beliefs.
Quote:Jesusism apparently appealed to quite a few. You can't use the people it wouldn't appeal to as evidence that it couldn't have spawned a revolution even though the original revolution was a failure. This is not evidence that C1 failed revolutions can't spawn greater revolutions.
The original revolution wasn't a failure !!! Between the crucifixion and Easter it appeared to be, and that's why it was rapidly imploding. Then at Easter it became a success...
Every other dead Messiah in C1 Jewish history ended up a failure. For reasons I've explained at length, and you seem determined to avoid.
Quote:That's two examples that contradict your claim.
No. You can't just wave a hand like that and wish it all away. Answer the arguments, please.
Let me repeat: Judaism is working to a script, called the Old Testament. Messiahs who can't deliver the Kingdom of God, and die, cannot qualify as Messiahs, because they have failed in the basic requirement of the job. We know this from C1 Jewish history in theory and in practice. Start with Josephus. By contrast, BDs have no such restrictions, and it is tolerably clear they were making it up as they went along.
Let me say it yet again- C1 Judaism worked differently to BD and Festinger's cult in crucial ways. In your next post please try to show that you understand what C1 Jewish messianism involved.
No examples, then.
Quote:This is all beside the point.
This isn't evidence, it's not even speculation, it's a clumsy attempt at rhetoric.
I see a lot of ad hoc reasoning and shifting the goalposts.
Are you for real? I have used detailed argument and explanation. By contrast, of the seven (!!!) sentences in your post, three/nearly half of them exist only to attack my supposed style, and contain no argument content at all.