S. G. F. Brandon
Encyclopedia
Samuel George Frederick Brandon (1907–21 October 1971) was a British priest and scholar of comparative religion
. He became professor of comparative religion at the University of Manchester
in 1951.
. He was ordained in 1932 after Anglican training at Mirfield
, and then spent seven years as a parish priest before enrolling as an army chaplain in World War II
, after which he began a successful academic career in 1951.
As he flew over the Mediterranean Sea on 21 October 1971, he died of an infection he contracted while working in Egypt, .
themes grew out of The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church (1951). His most celebrated position is the controversial one, that a political Jesus
was a revolutionary figure, influenced in that by the Zealots; this he argued in the 1967 book Jesus and the Zealots: A Study of the Political Factor in Primitive Christianity. It has generated much in the way of opposing views. The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth (1968) raises again, amongst other matters, the question of how the Fall of the Temple in 70 CE shaped the emerging Christian faith, and in particular the Gospel of Mark
.
He was a critic of the myth-ritual theory
, writing a 1958 essay "The Myth and Ritual Position Critically Examined" attacking its assumptions.
Brandon also claimed that the Pauline epistles
and the accounts of Jesus Christ found in the Gospels
represented two opposing factions of Christianity.
Comparative religion
Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions...
. He became professor of comparative religion at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in 1951.
Biography
Brandon was a graduate of the University of LeedsUniversity of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. He was ordained in 1932 after Anglican training at Mirfield
Mirfield
Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury...
, and then spent seven years as a parish priest before enrolling as an army chaplain in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after which he began a successful academic career in 1951.
As he flew over the Mediterranean Sea on 21 October 1971, he died of an infection he contracted while working in Egypt, .
Ideas
His thinking on New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
themes grew out of The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church (1951). His most celebrated position is the controversial one, that a political Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
was a revolutionary figure, influenced in that by the Zealots; this he argued in the 1967 book Jesus and the Zealots: A Study of the Political Factor in Primitive Christianity. It has generated much in the way of opposing views. The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth (1968) raises again, amongst other matters, the question of how the Fall of the Temple in 70 CE shaped the emerging Christian faith, and in particular the Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
.
He was a critic of the myth-ritual theory
Cambridge Ritualists
The Cambridge Ritualists, the myth and ritual school, were a recognised group of classical scholars, mostly in Cambridge, England, including Jane Ellen Harrison, Gilbert Murray , A. B. Cook, and others...
, writing a 1958 essay "The Myth and Ritual Position Critically Examined" attacking its assumptions.
Brandon also claimed that the Pauline epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
and the accounts of Jesus Christ found in the Gospels
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
represented two opposing factions of Christianity.
Selected works
- The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church (1951)
- Time and Mankind: An Historical and Philosophical Study of Mankind's Attitude to the Phenomena of Change (1954)
- Man and His Destiny in the Great Religions: An Historical and Comparative Study (1962)
- Creation Legends of the Ancient Near East (1963)
- History, Time, and Deity (1965)
- The Judgment of the Dead: The Idea of Life after Death in the Major Religions (1967)
- Jesus and the Zealots: A Study of the Political Factor in Primitive Christianity (1967)
- The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth (1968)
- Religion in Ancient History: Studies in Ideas, Men, and Events (1969)
- Ancient Empires (1970)
As editor
- The Saviour God: Comparative Studies in the Concept of Salvation (1963)
- A Dictionary of Comparative Religion (1970)
See also
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- Hugh J. SchonfieldHugh J. SchonfieldHugh Joseph Schonfield was a British Bible scholar specializing in the New Testament and the early development of the Christian religion and church. He was born in London, and educated there at St Paul's School and King's College, doing postgraduate religious studies in Glasgow, Doctor of Sacred...
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