Inspired by feedback to Episode 1 by Father Libardo Rocha, a former professor of dogmatic theology at a pontifical university in Rome, Father Jayme acknowledges the “Truth-o-meter” determination that the soundbite used as the title of Episode 1 is only “Mostly True.” He explores how much we can know of the historicity of the people and events in the scriptures, with a particular focus on the historical Jesus. Drawing on the scholarship of the likes of John Meier, Rudolph Bultmann, Norman Perrin and Nicola Denzy Lewis, Father Jayme notes that much of what we know about Jesus of Nazareth is “faith knowledge.” While acknowledging that there are elements of history in the scriptures, he cites 15 specific examples that serve to warn us against leading people to believe that the Bible might be “a book of history.” He concludes with Dr. Denzy Lewis’ observation, which is especially poignant for Extraordinary Catholics: “The Bible can be meaningful, even without needing it to be historically truthful and accurate. The various stories of the Bible were assembled to reflect and build the faith of a community—something it does so well, that it is still a powerful document for millions of people today.”

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