The Life of Brian vs. the Gospels

Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian” is an irreverent, hilarious spoof of the life of Jesus. Nevertheless, in some ways the movie better understands the historical context of Roman-occupied Jerusalem in the 30s AD than some Christian apologetic films. As a light-hearted lecture for our Christmas season, John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place will look at what Monty Python got right and wrong about the historical Jesus.
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[@buskingkarma2503]

I'm a Christian,and I must be honest,,I think that this movie is one of the funniest things I've ever seen,I felt guilty at first,but then after praying about it,,I honestly felt God didn't mind,as I'd been very depressed at the time I first seen it,and it cheered me right up,and God wanted and still wants me to be happy! He wants us all to be happy,even if it means harmlessly poking fun at each other to get there sometimes!😂God bless,and have a good day 💕

[@imaginaryphi1618]

I believe God to be welcome throughout me. In all things and therefore I smile at all things. This movie didn't ridicule God or religion it's more mirroring humans doing funny and stupid but also they are trying. The Romans what have the ever done for us... Its so how people still do. The brain brain confusion is genius.

[@AwakeAtTheWheel]

I love seeing a preacher who actually has a sense of humor. This was a great idea for a lecture.

[@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095]

This was excellent. I don't think anyone has done this before. I remember when the film first came out in Britain, Malcom Muggeridge and others were saying it was blasphemous, and the Pythons were saying it wasn't, because it was about Brian, not Jesus. Comedy shows like _"Not the Nine o'Clock News"_ did spoofs of the various chat shows and discussions that went on at the time. But this is the first time I've seen a step-by-step comparison of _"The Life of Brian"_ and scripture. Excellent. I'm an atheist, but I always enjoy your lectures and talks. {:o:O:}

[@josephturner7569]

Malky Muggerige hadn't even seen the film.😆

[@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095]

@@josephturner7569 LOL! Yes, I think that's true! I seem to recall him saying he wouldn't waste his time on such a rubbish film! 10th rate rubbish! _"This is clearly a mockery of our Divine Lord Himself, the comic messiah John Cleese! Even the initials, JC, are exactly the same!"_ {:o:O:}

[@notsocrates9529]

>>I'm an atheist Reminds me of that joke, how do you know if you are talking to a Marine (or a vegan)? Don't worry, they'll tell you.

[@2lefThumbs]

​@@notsocrates9529 but one can only tell if one is addressing Socrates by a process of elimination?🤔

[@robkunkel8833]

A person named Malcolm Muggeridge a serious person in British History? OMG, excuse the expression. As an American and a father of a vegan, the Marine/vegan joke was precious. ☄️🍷

[@JH-pt6ih]

I found this channel this summer and have been watching the videos since then. Having noticed several references to Monty Python in the previous videos I’m convinced Mr. Hamer has been trying to angle a way to do a full Python episode for a while and we should grant him his “indulgence.” Very enjoyable presentation - and a lot of discipline to not start affecting a Python accent.

[@FvanEldijk]

I love your lectures, as an atheist I can only applaud your objectiveness and the interesting angles you approach the topics from.

[@Dustin_the_wind]

I was an atheist until, about 37? And in that time, I refined my speeches, computations, comparisons, observations; I'm sure you know the business. I converted more than a few young faiths, and made sorrowful of the older; I was quite proud of myself, actually. My joke of it was, how come raccoons don't go to heaven? If they had toothbrushes, they'd probably use them. I can't be certain what it was specifically, in my late 30's, what it was that shook my own faith in atheism; memory serves to say, I was tired of making people sad. To convince someone that their life was a self administered mockery, creates a unique face that I was not enjoying to see. And I also started to wonder, and rework my own math; I surmised that maybe I didn't know, because I truly had as much proof as those with faith. So I stopped my crusade, and my resentment somewhat, for I blamed religion for ruining us as a species. Flash forward to March 14th, 2022. A day like every other; albiet I was in quite a peculiar situation that is ripe for a book, but a regular day like any other. It was sometime after 11a.m, and a half a pot of coffee; I was home sick, with nothing pressing to do at work. When I said things I've never heard myself say. I felt things I've never felt. I spoke to things I have never met. Without telling what was said, I will just tell you I was shown the fourth wall of sorts; you probably won't believe me to which I understand, I probably wouldn't, either. And from that day forward, I've witnessed consistent and consecutive impossibility, synchronicity, reality a surreality. Sounds like a mental break, huh, that I've become detached. What if I told you that perception is a contingency, to discredit said process? Not to say, that experiencing such wouldn't or won't render a person into a babbling, incoherent zealot or monster; such is the process. Why I retained my composure, is the reason why I suspect I experienced it; I say that not from a place of ego, as there is more at work than just my current corporeal form. T.l.d.r. you will.not hear me preach the gospel, for it has long since been compromised. But the truth does reside within the lie. And know that prior to all of that, I never read the Bible, once. Never even endeavored in the theology, of anything. Yet but now I see, all of it. Yet just more of the "business". Our whole existence is built around symbolism. Pop culture, art, science, all of it. We share a connection that vessels us, even you. It's wild, dude. Never once would I have thought it possible, but I know it as fact. And I still worship none. We should have been left to our own devices, at least it would have been honest; even if it meant we never left the wilds. My last bit. Just look around. Our evolution has trivialized our own existence, no other species on this planet holds a candle, or can even make a candle, to what we've become. And everything else existing alive barring insects and other small creatures with no luxery of emotion, has more in common with themselves, than they do with us; yet we all share a comparable complexity that connects us. Meaning to say, if our evolution was natural, we wouldn't be so far ahead, or other species would be more close to us. Everything else is on par with one another, but we are on another level. We are God's, compared to animals. I do not see elephants, Orca whales, or orangutans wearing clothes, making quantum computers, or having existential concerns; they're just living true to nature. I could write a book, I really could, but I won't. Never say never being a paradox, so I guess I will see. I at least have no intention. For it is in my opinion, that our existence needs to cease, for our own, and everything else's best interest. The powers that be, are real.

[@Dustin_the_wind]

I was 41, in 2022.

[@PGB55]

I don't even need to get past the first minute, i know this will be good based on every single of the very many i've seen. i don't understand how this channel exists as it is a contradiction to me but I love it, appreciate it, and will support it. thanks to all involved.

[@diverguy3556]

Why is it a contradiction?

[@ncarmstron]

Contradiction of what? Fundamentalism?

[@PGB55]

​@@diverguy3556 Really difficult to respond fairly without getting wordy. Sorry in advance for generalizations otherwise I would be forced to qualify every sentence with a paragraph and every paragraph with a page so please treat this charitably as that is in the spirit in which it's given. Assuming I am reading and interpreting what this channel and its community is all about, in as few words as possible, i think "interfaith community" is the contradiction. Even though many folks will try to harmonize and/or find commonalities between faiths and/or ground them in a common belief in 'god' or 'spirituality' they do so to the extent that they stray from or all-out abandon the tenets of their faith. The world's religions, most of them, are mutually exclusive in their beliefs and contradictory; and many of them intolerant in general but especially to those outside their own faith. So to the degree you can tolerate other faiths you are in effect defying your own and/or cherry picking from your source book to create a unique version / sect / denomination / Frankenstein of your own religion to create out of necessity this desire for tolerance which is intuitively a good thing. A completely arbitrary and subjective personal religion. So, why have faith in any one religion in the first place? Just drop the imagery altogether; just be a humanist. Given the channel's content there's an obvious Christian majority here but somehow it's is LGBTQ+ affirming. The bible is not, lgbtq+ tolerant by any stretch. Any attempt to pretend otherwise is pure cognitive dissonance and again, special pleading and interpreting for convenience. That's just another prime example of what I just claimed above. If you are going to claim you're Christian but then interpret your own religion to embed tolerance into it that's not there and you're wide eyed about it that also causes me a great deal of confusion because it implies a high awareness of the cognitive dissonance. Also a contradiction. that's the best I can do without going on and on. respectfully submitted.

[@PGB55]

@@ncarmstron see response to @diver guy above

[@drgeorgek]

May the lord Brian Christ bless you

[@MrDalisclock]

"We were led here by a star" "Led by a bottle more like it"

[@theomnisthour6400]

Living the reality show version is even mote fun

[@chutspe]

Thank you very much for this lecture. "Life of Brian" continues to be in my top 3 movies of all time. (The transphobic remarks are there, but the thing is: They do have a trans-character, and they treat Loretta mostly respectfully considering the age of the movie.)

[@Commiechu]

"Who were the Zealots" would really have to be a video about how Josephus chose to frame the "Good Jews" vs the "Bad Jews" in his Antiquities, since the consensus is that they're probably not historical. Cool idea that lends itself to lots of different angles all the same.

[@FredHosea]

Just half way through, but with kudos for the multilevel unpacking of the film and Christian beliefs. Competent film hermeneutics is worth 100 times the sincerest fundamentalist literalism.

[@VSP4591]

Marry Christmas to Centre Place. Thank you for wonderful videos. John Hamer is so special and brings so much information and joy. God bless you.

[@andymurray8620]

I totally forgot about the joke within a larger joke "We must not think of things of the body.....but of the face, and head.." 😂 That's a great line on its own

[@garlottos]

I love this channel! Never seen a bad presentation from you

[@blazinchalice]

I've been looking forward to this one! Enjoy the season. See you all in the new year.

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

This is a brave video 😂The live of Brain is still one of the best satires on Christian religion.

[@michaelnewsham1412]

As well, the arguments among the various factions (Judean People's Front, Popular Front for the Liberation of Judea etc.) also represents the squabbling so prevalent among British leftists of the 60s, 70s, and 80s: Trotskyite Fronts, Militant Tendencies, Popular Factions etc., who were quick to denounce each other for lack of "Political Correctness".

[@edwardmiessner6502]

9:19 Despite crucifixion being a horrific penalty, the movie actually makes it look like a doddle! Yet it was based on what was scholarly consensus at the time modified by the need for censorship (you can't show a peg protruding between the legs!) and a respect for church tradition of what the Cross was like.

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

Great video John!!!!! Wonderful job as always. This was a fun idea, and also legitimately illuminating. Thanks for sharing your talent and vast knowledge and making a great presentation again.

[@seanclark2085]

As always, a really excellent presentation, I enjoy your lectures very much, this one especially. The life of Brian is my favourite movie of all time, it just gets better with the passing of time, as society evolves it's absurdities appear to be buit into the the Life of Brian script . What was once regarded as absurd is revealed as the new common place. From crack suicide squads to religious revolutionaries forced to accept certain advantages provided by their colonisers to the latest Transsexual demands to be accepted as their chosen gender . It does make me wonder what comes next from what has turned out to be a more prophetic movie than the scriptures it parodies !

[@tedhike6279]

Thank you. I felt nervous when I was watching the film, but later reflected similarly.

[@kaegan9698]

Loved thiis lecture and all of the others you do. Would love to hear a lecture on the movie "Jesus of Montreal."

[@clareryan3843]

Loved that movie🥳

[@edselljr]

My Middle-age History Professor at Syracuse University said the movie is more acurate than all movies about the Roman way of life in Jerusalem. One thing I think you should have mentioned is the different idioligist men above the crowd speaking to the people. (Hope I said that right) The duty guy then then Red robbed fella. But the next guy spoke words like a nogstic? Wow so the dusty guy is John The Baptist type, the Red robbed is ? Last guy is Greek nogstic? "Through Hebediah, his servant, there shall in that time be remorse of things going ashtray and there shallow be great confusion. Awsome

[@andrewsuryali8540]

Just a minor correction: Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera is a real historical figure; a Roman auxilia archer from the 1st century. We have his tombstone in Germany. He isn't the Panthera Celsus was writing about. That's a more recent interpolation mainly popularized by James Tabor. Also, the character of Yeshu ben Pandera in the Talmud is found in the oldest part of the Tosefta that may have been contemporaneous with the Gospel of John, so it's much earlier and may have been the actual source of Celsus' polemic, not the other way around. Other than that, this is a really great lecture. I never realized how historically accurate some of the themes in the Life of Brian are. I always thought it was too dependent on parodying British society at the time it was made. Python did a good job on their background research. It's unfortunate you have to explain the Romanes Eunt Domus joke, though. I was raised Catholic, so I caught on right away when I watched the movie. It's too bad not many people today are familiar with Latin.

[@willempasterkamp862]

Pantera = Kamtza = Klopas = Zebedeus = Cornelius = Germanicus = Zacherias barachai = Heli = Elias = Elymas = Agabus = Paul = Benedictus = Calimero = granddad of Nerones Chrestos.

[@stevencarruba4613]

😊

[@stevencarruba4613]

😊😊😊

[@allysonmack6984]

John is an amazing intellectual!!! I always learn so much. Thank you!👏👏👏👏

[@eleanorfowser4705]

I just discovered you recently and have become interested in who wrote the Bible and when, and the discrepancies. Especially in the Old Testament. That made me think of The Red Tent. I first year it years ago and still reread it from time to time. I’d enjoy hearing your take on it.

[@willempasterkamp862]

Melchior (king, prince, dark-red Mars, sword-bearer) should be the black wizard, Caspar (light-bearer, bright-white Venus) , Balthasar (treasure-bearer, messenger, Mercury)

[@robinbeers6689]

Interesting. Even as a mythicist atheist, I found this lecture to be very reality based and historically accurate.

[@jonathangratus233]

Don't forget the hermit was executed by Brian's followers.

[@truthseeker1278]

I love that movie so much! 😂

[@stevenv6463]

I really love this movie

[@paulakoehler]

Dear John - thank you so much for the awesome lectures - this one I particularly enjoyed (big MP fan). Got a BIG question tho that I have not seen you address before - LDS and Freemasonry. There are all these hidden camera footage out on utube of the secret rituals and it looks very freemansonar-y. sorry if there is a lecture before about this and i just missed it pls send me the link happy holidays - P

[@angelawossname]

I thought he had done one on this but now I think I remember he talked about it in an interview once instead. I don't have a link, though. Sorry. I remember he said something like CofC not participating in "freemasonry nonsense".

[@alcoholicnerd514]

Thanks! It was a great lecture. By any chance, do you consider making a similar context analysis for Dogma by Kevin Smith In terms of theological and philosophical issues of the film?

[@Zenithilos11]

Haha great topic... cheers

[@erikwright2693]

Blessed are the cheese makers...

[@dallaskenn]

The Pythons were comic geniuses.

[@robkunkel8833]

Question: The Three Wise Men: This has to be mostly made up to tell a story about something the church elders wanted to convey. Gold for wealth, Frankincense as a good medicinal essential oil. Myrrh as another good essential oil for muscles and skin application. The last two could be used for the specific burial rituals spoken of in the bible. MY QUESTION: Given that those gifts were symbolic of something that a family would want as life changing, what lesson is being taught in this story? Is it just ‘happy feet money’ or was it to be a lesson using money wisely? So also, for the other two? Was a lesson taught? As a Christian I was told that January 6th, Epiphany, was a very important feast because that is when Christ was shown to the rest of the world. As a Reformed Jew, I now ask, was part of it used to pay for the lodging? Or at least offered? Was the rest set aside for some reason? Some kind of lesson should be the take away from the 3 Kings story. What do you think?

[@dakrontu]

The movie communicates, via humour, many long-overlooked truths about human nature, overlooked, that is, by Bible followers, who somehow think human nature did not apply 2,000 years ago. As such, it is a well-deserved criticism of religion, a very effective one, tearing down its façade, and therefore viciously attacked by religious people (Malcolm Muggeridge, Mary Whitehouse, etc, at the time).The movie was banned in the home town of the lady who played Brian's girlfriend until justice came years later when she was elected mayor. Many regard this movie as the greatest comedy ever made, and certainly the finest by the Monty Python team.

[@Robert_L_Peters]

The name Tiberius ... Pantera was unknown until the 1800s, so no, Celsius did not refer to it. It is not clear that these two people are the same. But thank you for the video

[@the33rdtruth7]

best Movie about Christianity ever made, it teaches you more truth then any Bible translation, spacialy the Alien Connection 👽 and the redicoulus whoreshiping of Ikons and Sandals 🥳

[@josephturner7569]

I got a 30 day facebook ban for quoting the film.

[@christopherm3271]

Not surprised, regardless of the context, censorship is becoming so woke and bogus. But simple solution, stop using their service, it's a free country

[@2lefThumbs]

I saw Life of Brian when it came out, as a 16 year old who'd recently dropped Latin, and wasn't a churchgoer. I thought it hilarious, for all the reasons you pointed out. I still don't see where the blasphemy claims could be founded, it's just commentary on human behaviour🤷‍♂️ Have you covered the zealots that you mentioned?Are these the guys who hid the Dead Sea Scrolls? If so, they'd make a decent topic I guess.

[@jillsmiley7701]

😂❤❤

[@Exjewatlarge]

I don’t envy people who have to tilt their head and squint to see “Brian” as anything other than a spoof of religion. I think the Pythons themselves were pretty clear about what they think of Christianity, as distinct from Jesus. I think they shared Alan Watts’s criticism that Christianity is the religion ABOUT Jesus rather than the religion OF Jesus. Also, you betray your Christocentrism in your discussion of the “what have the Romans ever done for us?” scene. This scene bears a strong resemblance to a discussion in the Talmud, where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, typically quite xenophobic, is lambasting the Romans and whenever one of his colleagues mentions something constructive they’ve provided, he impugns their motives, claiming that even when Romans do create infrastructure, it’s only for their own imperialist ends.

[@citizenVader]

Life of Brian is about Brian. That's it.

[@neocount6397]

It'd be so funny to do one of these about Muhammad, right guys?!

[@hamnchee]

John Cleese as a black man is problematic. Next slide is Terry Jones as woman.

[@jamesdewane1642]

Well, assuming you can define what a woman is! How dare you...

[@jamesdewane1642]

And they're all portraying Romans and Judeans without being either of these identities! Help my frail heart...

[@jamesdewane1642]

And the character of Otto is there to say that given the right (or wrong) circumstances, some people are apt to act like Nazis. It may have been meant to criticize misuse of the power wielded by the modern state of Israel, but what do I know?

[@jamesdewane1642]

P.S. The video was great! You capture very well exactly what they were doing. You're just not very keen on the myrrh, or Otto. But can't you see that they are criticizing a mindset (like religiosity) rather than specific people? No? Then that's your eleventh commandment: Thou shalt not compare Jews to Nazis; (or appear in blackface after 1960, unless you're Justin Trudeau because reasons).

[@christopherm3271]

Just relax already, he is acting and being funny...in fact, we should make a new parody movie, called 'The Life of Karen/They/Them' to poke fun at woke social justice warriors who complain about being triggered about anything and can't come to terms with reality.

[@mrsatire9475]

How many people throughout history have been crucified?

[@saquist]

I don't agree with John @ 31:00. I don't think Billionaires are marginalizing the lower class. I'm sure some are but I'm not prejudice against Rich People. You have to show the bad actions of ONE but I still won't jump to the class argument that all Billionaires are robbing the common people. I won't justify blind and ignorant discrimination.

[@rickvenlo1362]

One thing to be a sinner. it’s another thing to mock God

[@bereniceolivero4326]

Ironic that he states blackface and transphobia are a problem in The Life of Brian, a judgement made through today's lens of intolerance towards humour and women. No topics are out of bounds, when it is mocking the obsurd. Clearly, the intention wasn't to demean, therefore, as with the rest of the film, the ideas are not blasphemous. Especially ironic and hypocritical that blackface today, in other situations, is unacceptable, yet womanface is being pushed to the limit, overiding hard fought for rights intended to protect women and girls in all areas of life, to their privacy, to fairness and dignity. There is no transphobia, or 'fear of', this is simply a 'seeming' effective tactic, as are the slurs TERF and bigot, to shut down women's legitimate concerns at having laws and social norms being misused to appropriate girlhood and womenhood, by men. This diminishes boundaries and necessary safeguarding measures to oblivion. If males are allowed to intrude into female spaces, in public toilets, prisons and sport etc. then they are mixed sex spaces, making female spaces meaningless. The man wanting to be Loretta is a man, the themes brought up are far reaching and prophetic of today's transgender ideology, the latest cult, which is being sold as untouchable. In fact, it is contradictory pseudo science, totally disrespectful of human females and a sexist ideology that does not hold up to scrutiny. I'm surprised the speaker at Center Place can dissect the topics and ideas of religions versus history, but gives an uncritical pass to the nonsense that men can be women! It was ridiculous then, as it is today and will be, always! Unfortunately it has become a greater problem than one that can be dismissed by laughter! Biology is not inconsequential, neither are girls' and womens' realities or girls and women themselves.