Jesus, Fact and Fiction - A talk with Martyn Baguley

Martyn Baguley is leading a talk on Jesus, Fact and Fiction at St Mark's Unitarian Church on Sunday 25 October, from 12:30 to 1:00 pm. Baguley is a member of the church, and he's also the one who wrote its feature, The story of St Mark's Unitarian church on Castle Terrace.

The talk sits where history, belief and storytelling meet. He'll be working through some of the questions that usually get brushed aside: who Jesus's parents were, whether he could read and write, and how confidently the sayings in the Gospels can actually be attributed to him. It's less a lecture and more of an exploration of the gap between the historical figure and the stories that grew around him.

It's worth keeping in mind how the venue approaches things. At St Mark's, Unitarians don't ask people to sign up to a set of beliefs; they make room for questions and take freedom of thought seriously. The session is an invitation to explore on those terms, with no religious knowledge or belief required, and people of all faiths and none are welcome. If you've ever wondered about the historical Jesus but didn't know where to start without it becoming a theological debate, this is a good place to begin.

It's a short half-hour session, so it's an easy one to slot into a Sunday. The talk runs from 12:30 to 1:00 pm at St Mark's Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, and it's free, with donations welcome.