028: Was Jesus and the Early Church Based on Pagan Myth? (w/ Steve Weidenkopf)

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I'm joined again by Steve Weidenkopf, author and lecturer in History at the Christendom College Graduate School of Theology, to talk about the origins of Christianity.Was Christianity based on pagan myth? Was Jesus a real person? Were Easter and Christmas just repackaged pagan celebrations? What about the resurrection and the virgin birth – and where do all these notions come from anyway? Professor Weidenkopf tackles these myths and more as we look at the origins of Catholicism and work to understand why so many people believe these misconceptions – these myths – about the Early Church.For more from Steve, visit his website and check out his videos, books, and blog articles. Steve's books are highly accessible and packed full of information based on primary source material.For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to [email protected]. For more information about sponsoring the show, keeping this podcast going, and helping me to continue to deliver quality content please visit the Patreon page.  Even $1 or $2 a month can go a long way to helping make this podcast sustainable and will give you access to a special Patron-Only podcast featuring behind-the-scenes content and more. Plus, become an $8+ monthly sponsor and receive a copy of Jimmy Akin's new book, The Bible is a Catholic Book (continental US shipping only).Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme music is "Sandbox Jingle" by Scott Holmes. A very special thanks to our Patreon co-producers who make this show possible: Amanda, Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Jorg, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William.Support the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic