Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Gospels' History and Relevance in Theology

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Reflection Excerpt- Strauss Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of the book by Strauss entails the historical reliability of the Gospels. The sector covers eight topics, including the burden of proof, the role of presupposition in historical research, the reliability of John, contradictions between the gospels, and the ancient history of writing. In this chapter, Strauss offers a conclusion concerning the Gospels' history and relevance in theology. The focus is to provide a reflection excerpt based on the chapter reading.
The release of Mel Gibson's movie- The Passion of the Christ resulted in controversies following the portrayal of Jews as murderers. According to Strauss, some scholars claimed that the film was accurate in narration, but others challenged its historical account. (464). With that, a question arises on how two perspectives can emerge concerning the same cinema, but answers lie in understanding the Gospels. In the prologue, it can be understood that the Gospels are vivid accounts that were theologically written during religious and political turmoil. Strauss informed that during the early Church, the Gospels recorded sought to highlight Christianity as Judaism's successor, with Jews standing under judgment for rejecting the Messiah. (464). Strauss contest whether the Gospels are unbiased historical account or theological propaganda. In explanation, the author asserts that no one can write neutral narration; therefore, the Gospels convey theological polemic records to defend the Church. Overall, the chapter seeks to examine the Gospels' reliability as historical events.
Strauss enlightens on the role of presuppositions in historical contexts. He points out that the evaluation of historical value concerning the Gospels depends on people's philosophical or theological conjectures. If someone holds an anti-supernatural perspective about the world, they are likely to discount miracle events. (465). For instance, when one assumes that Jesus was a Jewish and wise teacher, he diverts from the Church's explanations. In that case, it is crucial not to despair over all claims of objectivity. The best approach would be weighing evidence for trustworthiness when questioning the Gospels' reliability.
Second, concerning whether the Gospel writers were biased, they held firm conviction as there are no unbiased historians. Instead, every person has a different worldview and beliefs, which help to process reality...