Abstract
The paper deals with the Cynic hypothesis proposed by Burton L. Mack in "The Christian Origins Project" which calls for redescription of the early Christianity.
The Cynic hypothesis helps the author to describe the earliest stage of history of Christianity and also to express the novelty of his approach. The Cynic hypothesis is elucidated in the context of "new hermeneutic" of the Project, that contains a heavy critique of a concept of Christian origins in New Testament studies, mainly those of the "third quest of the historical Jesus." Comparing of Cynic and Christian data that makes the base for the Hypothesis is presented in the context of the third quest, its emphasis on the study of social setting of the early Christianity and also its call for a non-eschatological Jesus.
The paper presents criticism of the Cynic hypothesis and partly also of the Mack's paradigm expressed by several scholars who want to expose the inconsistencies of Mack's research. Some evaluative comments are made in the concluding part and to some extent the development of the research of the Project is mentioned as well.