The thesis put forth in this essay is that the descriptions of Jesus' life, as offered by the New Testament, are strikingly consist with both schizophrenia and paranoid personality disorder, as defined by standard diagnostic criteria. Whether or not the comparison is accurate will depend, in large part, upon one's personal assessment of both the New Testament record and the standard diagnostic criteria, neither of which are as reliable or as concise as would be needed for a definitive comparison.
Yet the comparison is a disturbingly striking one. The similarities of Jesus' thought, discourse, and actions with the standard diagnostic criteria are too close to be attributed to chance alone. While the nature of the similarites may be disputed, the fact that close similarities exist cannot be. If nothing else, the comparison should serve to clarify the distinction between the ancient world-view, where a predilection for psychosis always established one as the village shaman, stick-shaker, or rainmaker, and the modern worldview, where the shaman has been replaced by the science of psychiatry. The two worldviews presupposed by the standard diagnostic criteria and by the NT are vastly different, and this comparison will also serve to highlight that difference. .. much more ..
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