Preface to Androcles and the Lion | Page 4

Christianity a Trial? Why Jesus more than Another? Was
Jesus a Coward? Was Jesus a Martyr? The Gospels without Prejudice
The Gospels now unintelligible to Novices Worldliness of the Majority
Religion of the Minority. Salvationism The Difference between
Atonement and Punishment Salvation at first a Class Privilege; and the
Remedy Retrospective Atonement; and the Expectation of the
Redeemer Completion of the Scheme by Luther and Calvin John
Barleycorn Looking for the End of the World The Honor of Divine
Parentage
MATTHEW The Annunciation: the Massacre: the Flight John the
Baptist Jesus joins the Baptists The Savage John and the Civilized
Jesus Jesus not a Proselytist The Teachings of Jesus The Miracles
Matthew imputes Bigotry to Jesus The Great Change Jerusalem and the
Mystical Sacrifice Not this Man but Barabbas The Resurrection Date of
Matthew's Narrative Class Type of Matthew's Jesus
MARK The Women Disciples and the Ascension
LUKE Luke the Literary Artist The Charm of Luke's Narrative The
Touch of Parisian Romance Waiting for the Messiah
JOHN A New Story and a New Character John the Immortal Eye
Witness The Peculiar Theology of Jesus John agreed as to the Trial and
Crucifixion Credibility of the Gospels Fashions of Belief Credibility
and Truth Christian Iconolatry and the Peril of the Iconoclast The
Alternative to Barabbas The Reduction to Modern Practice of
Christianity Modern Communism Redistribution Shall He Who Makes,
Own? Labor Time The Dream of Distribution According to Merit Vital
Distribution Equal Distribution The Captain and the Cabin Boy The
Political and Biological Objections to Inequality Jesus as Economist
Jesus as Biologist Money the Midwife of Scientific Communism Judge
Not Limits to Free Will Jesus on Marriage and the Family Why Jesus
did not Marry Inconsistency of the Sex Instinct For Better for Worse
The Remedy The Case for Marriage Celibacy no Remedy After the
Crucifixion The Vindictive Miracles and the Stoning of Stephen
Confusion of Christendom Secret of Paul's Success Paul's Qualities
Acts of the Apostles The Controversies on Baptism and
Transubstantiation The Alternative Christs Credulity no Criterion

Belief in Personal Immortality no Criterion The Secular View Natural,
not Rational, therefore Inevitable "The Higher Criticism" The Perils of
Salvationism The Importance of Hell in the Salvation Scheme The
Right to refuse Atonement The Teaching of Christianity Christianity
and the Empire

PREFACE ON THE PROSPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY
WHY NOT GIVE CHRISTIANITY A TRIAL?
The question seems a hopeless one after 2000 years of resolute
adherence to the old cry of "Not this man, but Barabbas." Yet it is
beginning to look as if Barabbas was a failure, in spite of his strong
right hand, his victories, his empires, his millions of money, and his
moralities and churches and political constitutions. "This man" has not
been a failure yet; for nobody has ever been sane enough to try his way.
But he has had one quaint triumph. Barabbas has stolen his name and
taken his cross as a standard. There is a sort of compliment in that.
There is even a sort of loyalty in it, like that of the brigand who breaks
every law and yet claims to be a patriotic subject of the king who
makes them. We have always had a curious feeling that though we
crucified Christ on a stick, he somehow managed to get hold of the
right end of it, and that if we were better men we might try his plan.
There have been one or two grotesque attempts at it by inadequate
people, such as the Kingdom of God in Munster, which was ended by
crucifixion so much more atrocious than the one on Calvary that the
bishop who took the part of Annas went home and died of horror. But
responsible people have never made such attempts. The moneyed,
respectable, capable world has been steadily anti-Christian and
Barabbasque since the crucifixion; and the specific doctrine of Jesus
has not in all that time been put into political or general social practice.
I am no more a Christian than Pilate was, or you, gentle reader; and yet,
like Pilate, I greatly prefer Jesus to Annas and Caiaphas; and I am
ready to admit that after contemplating the world and human nature for
nearly sixty years, I see no way out of the world's misery but the way
which would have been found by Christ's will if he had undertaken the
work of a modern practical statesman. Pray do not at this early point
lose patience with me and shut the book. I assure you I am as sceptical
and scientific and modern a thinker as you will find anywhere. I grant

you I know a great deal more about economics and politics than Jesus
did, and can do things he could not do. I am by all Barabbasque
standards a person of much better character