It works to the principle that, if there are any negatives admitted in an historical document which speak in an uncomplimentary fashion with regard to a perceived and lauded 'hero' - then, historically, that account is much more likely to be true and accurate.
This is a term which I encountered for the first time today but I recognised that it follows a theme which I have outlined a number of times on this very Blog.
The Scriptures never hide the downsides of anybody in order to allegedly strengthen their fundamental 'wonderfulness'.
This applies from Adam to Abraham, from David to Solomon, from Jacob to Esau and for the whole body of the Twelve Disciples as well as The Early Church!
Indeed, it may well have been this very thought process which caused me to investigate the claims of The Gospel to a quite profound level in the first place.
