Kurt Lesher Noll, also known as K. L. Noll, is an American biblical scholar and historian. He is currently Associate Professor and Chair of the Religion Department at Brandon University in

Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name *Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, Canada, where he teaches Judaism, Christianity, biblical languages, and Islam. He holds a PhD and a Master of Theology from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (now called

Union Presbyterian Seminary Union Presbyterian Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Richmond, Virginia. It also has a non-residential campus in Charlotte, North Carolina and an online blended learning program. History As a result of efforts undertaken together by the S ...

), as well a Master of Arts (Honors) from

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Gettysburg Seminary) was a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was one of seven ELCA seminaries, one of the three seminaries in the Easter ...

and a Bachelor of Arts ('' summa cum laude'') from

Shippensburg University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship or SU) is a public university in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, it later became the first teachers college in Pennsylvania ...

. Prior to entering academia, he was a professional illustrator and designer. His books include ''The Faces of David'' (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997), ''Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: An Introduction'' (London: Sheffield Academic Press/Continuum, 2001), and ''Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: A Textbook on History and Religion'' (London: T&T Clark/Bloomsbury, 2012). He has also published a number of articles and reviews. Noll is the author of a chapter in ''Is This Not the Carpenter? The Question of the Historicity of the Figure of Jesus'' (edited by

Thomas L. Thompson Thomas L. Thompson (born January 7, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American-born Danish biblical scholar and theologian. He was professor of theology at the University of Copenhagen from 1993 to 2009. He currently lives in Denmark. Thompson is ...

and Thomas S. Verenna. London: Equinox, 2012) entitled "Investigating Earliest Christianity Without Jesus". The article methodically explains how it is possible that a literal Jesus was invented as a "Darwinian strategy" by the early church to persuade people to become Christians. Although his article tends to support the

Christ myth theory The Christ myth theory, also known as the Jesus myth theory, Jesus mythicism, or the Jesus ahistoricity theory, is the view that "the story of Jesus is a piece of mythology", possessing no "substantial claims to historical fact". Alternative ...

, he concludes, however, that the lack of historical accuracy in the gospels is not proof that Jesus did not exist, and ultimately, it is not important if he lived or not explaining it "is irrelevant to an understanding of the earliest social movements that evolved into the religion now called Christianity." Review
by

Richard Carrier Richard Cevantis Carrier (born December 1, 1969) is an American historian, author, and activist, whose work focuses on empiricism, atheism, and the historicity of Jesus. A long-time contributor to skeptical web sites, including The Secular We ...

()

Bibliography

* ''The Faces of David'' (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997), * ''Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: An Introduction'' (London: Sheffield Academic Press/Continuum, 2001) * ''Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: A Textbook on History and Religion'' (London: T&T Clark/Bloomsbury, 2012)

References

External links

Faculty profile
from Brandon University 21st-century American historians 21st-century American male writers American biblical scholars American historians of religion Academic staff of Brandon University Christ myth theory Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) American male non-fiction writers {{reli-studies-bio-stub