Christianity • Sir: We expect . scholarly and competent reviews of
serious books in the Spectator. In his review of Paul Johnson's A History of Christianity (21 August) George Gale
reveals an astonishing ignorance and prejudice concerning the facts and sources of Christianity. He refeis to the historic facts of the Christian faith and speaks of 'the total lack of historical evidence with which to sustain their possibility, let alone their probability. There is no first-hand evidence of the historical existence of Jesus.' This is sheer nonsense!
No historian of any standing has ever denied the existence of Jesus, and the historical fact of Christ is incontrovertiblY established. Every attempt to disprove it in the past 200 years has failed. The New Testament is the clear evidence of trustworthy eye-witnesses. The rise and progress of the Christian Church are inexplicable apart from an historic Christ who lived, died, and rose again. That men and women should yield themselves up to death in successive persecutions of the Church for a mere myth is incredible.
Through all the centuries, and in manY lands, people have been enlightened, uplifted, and transformed by a living Lord whom they experienced as a reality in their lives. Are we to believe that their new life was based on a mere legend or a series of lies?
Further, there are references to Christ in many secular historians such as Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny the younger, Josephus, and Lucius the satirist. Are we to suppose that they could not discern between truth and legend?
Mr Gale acknowledges himself to be an agnostic. I suggest that he examines the sources once again with an open mind. And perhaps, in the future, we may have reviews of Christian books by writers qualified to deal with them.
Ernest W. Bacon 2 The Homes, Langford Road, Langford, Bristol
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