Shaking Up Jesus History | TC Schmidt

In this episode, Aaron Renn interviews T.C. Schmidt, associate professor at Fairfield University and author of the groundbreaking Oxford University Press book Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ. Schmidt, with a PhD from Yale, uses new linguistic analysis, computer databases, and ancient Greek studies to argue that the Testimonium Flavianum—Josephus's famous passage about Jesus—is substantially authentic. This challenges a century of scholarly consensus that it was heavily interpolated by Christians. Schmidt shares his journey as an evangelical scholar, the book's warm reception (including praise from top Josephus expert Steve Mason), and why Christians should pursue excellence in secular academia.

CHAPTERS:
(00:00 - Introduction)
(02:30 - Who Was Josephus? Background & Importance)
(07:45 - The Controversial Testimonium Flavianum)
(12:20 - New Methods: Databases, Style Analysis & Word Studies)
(18:50 - Reinterpreting "Appeared Alive Again" – Resurrection Insight)
(25:10 - Scholarly Reception & Challenges to Consensus)
(32:40 - Evangelical Scholarship in Secular Academia)
(40:15 - Advice for Aspiring Christian Scholars)

TC SCHMIDT LINKS:
📖 Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ (free download): https://josephusandjesus.com/
🌐 Institute for Christian Reflection: https://instituteforchristianreflection.org/

CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn
🌐 Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/