Summary

"The Truth about Jesus: Is He a Myth?" by M. M. Mangasarian is a critical examination of the historicity of Jesus, written in the late 19th century. The book sets out to question the foundations of Christianity by analyzing the evidence and arguments surrounding the existence of Jesus, drawing parallels with mythological figures from various cultures. Mangasarian's work aims to explore whether Jesus is indeed a historical figure or merely a product of mythologization. The opening of the book presents a thought-provoking dialogue between a Greek character who has awakened after centuries and a priest, discussing the existence of deities such as Jesus and Apollo. The Greek character grapples with the idea that if Apollo, a god he believes in, cannot be proven to exist, then perhaps Jesus too is an idol rather than a deity. The priest argues for the reality of Jesus, claiming that beliefs rooted in faith are fundamentally different from the myths of ancient religions. This sets the stage for Mangasarian’s exploration of religious narratives, inviting readers to question the origins and credibility of the stories told about Jesus while establishing a framework for the discourse that will follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)