Split from "Does Anyone know any good resources on..."

[Lava Lamp]

Drugs and the resurrection appearances? I know its a ridiculous argument, but less...educated people seem to enjoy it, using sources like these: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/7917824

So, does anybody know of any good resources (such as an article) on this topic?

[popaface]

The reason why there aren't that many resources on this topic, I'd imagine, is because real scholars wouldn't even dignify this theory with a response.

The disciples experienced some sort of ASC (Altered States of Consciousness), had visions of Jesus and thereby concluded that the tomb was empty. Within their cultural matrix, within their cultural-reality, it was very valid and logical to claim that these visions meant that Jesus was resurrected. Further, how literally they took these experiences (or belief in the belief about the experiences) was contingent upon their anthropology and metaphysics. If, as the Valentinian gnostics, they were happy enough to believe that the carnal and material is evil, then they had no desire to believe in a physical/material/blood-flesh resurrection. If like the proto-orthodox (who still maintained a dualistic anthropology) they believed that God was the author of the carnal, physical and material, they held onto belief in a physical/material resurrection.

St Paul however articulated his belief in the resurrection (1 Cor. 15 cf. 2 Cor. 5)with two analogies: the bodies and the seed. If one concentrated on the bodies, as his receptors in Corinth most probably did then there would have been more of an emphasis on discontinuity, that is, most probably a "spiritual resurrection" (symbolic, metaphorical, et al.). If one concentrated on the seed metaphor, then one would say that what is resurrected is both exactly the same and completely different. Paul in 2 Cor. 5, however seems to emphasize more the discontinuity with his "tents" metaphor.

ASC can be brought about through mind altering, psychadelic drugs, of course. But it most likely was not in the case of belief in Jesus' resurrection. The visions and apparitions were probably the case of grief, anxiety, fear, unknown about what happened to Jesus, (the basic knowledge was one of crucifixion however it's unknown if they knew anything other than that). There were however far too many people who experienced visions and apparitions to bring the ASC causes down to one single thing (drugs). My money says that whoever ever posited the claim had done very little research into what sort of psychadelic drugs were around in first century Galilee and Jerusalem. Further, they only said it to be controversial. I don't like foresaking serious scholarship in favour of controversy for the sake of controversy.

Allan

Moved from Christianity 201 - split from http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showthread.php?p=2648157#post2648157