Author: J. D. Atkins Publisher: Mohr Siebeck ISBN: 3161581652 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 587
Book Description
"Why do the Gospels depict the risen Jesus as touchable and able to eat? J. D. Atkins challenges the common view that Luke 24 and John 20 are apologetic responses to docetism by re-examining the redaction of the appearance stories in light of their reception among early docetists and church fathers."--Page 4 of cover.
Author: Markus Vinzent Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1317166353 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 347
Book Description
Why is the Resurrection of Christ so remote, almost non-existent in many early Christian writings of the first 140 years of Christianity? This is the first Patristic book to focus on the development of the belief in the Resurrection of Christ through the first centuries A.D. By Paul, Christ's Resurrection is regarded as the basis of Christian hope. In the fourth century it becomes a central Christian tenet. But what about the discrepancy in the first three centuries? This thought provoking book explores this core topic in Christian culture and theology. Taking a broad approach - including iconography, archaeology, history, philosophy, Jewish Studies and theology - Markus Vinzent offers innovative reading of well known biblical and other texts complemented by rarely discussed evidence. Christ's Resurrection in Early Christianity takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the wilderness of unorthodox perspectives in the breadth of early Christian writings. It is an eye-opening experience with insights into the craftsmanship of early Christianity - and the earliest existential debates about life and death, death and life - all centred on the cross, on suffering, enduring and sacrifice.
Author: Sandoval Chris Sandoval Publisher: Trafford Publishing ISBN: 1426923821 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 366
Book Description
Christian apologists like Josh McDowell, Norman Geisler, and William Lane Craig have claimed that the Resurrection of Jesus is the best-proved fact of history. As they tell the story, the original eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus sacrificed their lives for their faith, and people who knew Jesus during his lifetime would have challenged any errors in their testimony. Allegedly, these and many other lines of historical evidence prove the Resurrection beyond a reasonable doubt. In Can Christians Prove the Resurrection?, the traditional Christian arguments for the Resurrection are analyzed and critiqued. In reality, we do not know how most of the apostles met their fates, and religious sects like the Kimbanguists and Hasidic Jews have likewise proclaimed miracles and produced martyrs within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses who should have been able to set the record straight. These and many other lines of evidence raise copious reasonable doubts regarding the claims of the apologists, as this book demonstrates. Once all the relevant evidence is examined, it becomes clear that there is little likelihood that Jesus of Nazareth arose from the dead or that the Resurrection ever took place.
Author: Gerd Ludemann Publisher: Prometheus Books ISBN: 1615925155 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 248
Book Description
Although the resurrection is the keystone dogma of Christian belief, and Sunday churchgoers rarely if ever think to question it, scholarly research shows with the utmost clarity that from a historical standpoint Jesus was not raised from the dead. In fact, it is almost universally recognized among scholars of New Testament textual criticism that the gospel narratives describing the resurrection appearances are not reliable eyewitness accounts, but expressions of faith written by the first Christian believers long after the death of Jesus.In this thorough exegesis of the primary texts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, New Testament expert Gerd Lüdemann (University of Göttingen) presents compelling evidence that shows the resurrection was not a historical event and further argues that this development leaves little, if any, basis for Christian faith as presently defined.Beginning with Paul's testimony in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8, in which the apostle declares that Jesus has been raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, Lüdemann systematically evaluates every reference to Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament, as well as apocryphal literature. He examines the purpose of the text writers, the ways in which they reworked tradition, and the historical value of each account. Through this approach, he offers a reconstruction of the probable course of events as well as the circumstances surrounding Jesus' death on the cross, the burial of his body, his reported resurrection on the third day, and subsequent appearances to various disciples.Since the historical evidence leads to the firm conclusion that Jesus' body was not raised from the dead, Lüdemann argues that the origin of the Easter faith must be sought in the visionary experiences of Christianity's two leading apostles. From a modern perspective this leads to the inescapable conclusion that both primary witnesses to Jesus' resurrection, Peter and Paul, were victims of self-deception.In conclusion, he asks whether in light of the nonhistoricity of Jesus' resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good conscience still call themselves Christians.Gerd Lüdemann is a professor of the history and literature of early Christianity at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Professor Lüdemann's published conclusions about Christianity aroused great controversy in his native Germany, where the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony demanded his immediate dismissal from the theological faculty of his university. Despite this threat to his academic freedom, he has retained his post at the university, although the chair he holds was renamed to disassociate him from the training program of German pastors. Lüdemann is also the author of Jesus After 2000 Years, Paul: The Founder of Christianity, and The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry.
Author: Donald Guthrie Publisher: Zondervan ISBN: 0310254213 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 428
Book Description
It is impossible to understand the vitality of the Christian Church in the days of the apostles apart from an awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles. From a fearful beginning before Pentecost, the Church suddenly came alive as the Spirit was poured out on all the believers who had gathered to pray. Professor Guthrie traces the dramatic history of the Church as narrated in the book of Acts, showing how the Holy Spirit gave boldness to witness, wisdom to make decisions, and insight into the truly universal character of the Church as both Jews and Gentiles were given the grace of repentance. The Church was not free of difficulties and crises. But these, too, were necessary for the growth of Christians in that fellowship known as the Body of Christ. Many of the apostles woke in response to weakness and opposition and suffering, and these writings remain as inspired Scripture for the strengthening of the saints of God.Through the centuries the inspired letters to the churches have given both incentive for ethical living on earth and hope for a glorious future when all things will be made new. This book will help one to see the living Church of Jesus Christ as the apostles saw it and wrote about it. The record of their love and labor for the Lord makes this an excellent companion volume to the author's earlier work, "Jesus, the Messiah." Says Prof. Guthrie of his new work: "It is hoped that this book, like its companion volume, will inspire many to a more diligent study of the New Testament itself. For this reason it is arranged...in convenient sections to provide a basis, if desired, for daily studies over a period of six months. The relevant New Testament passages are noted in each section." Thoroughly indexed and cross-referenced, "The Apostles" provides insight into and application of the New Testament writing.
Author: E.J. Sweeney Publisher: WestBow Press ISBN: 1973637596 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 384
Book Description
Life is hard . . . then you die. It’s as simple as that. Dead bodies stay dead. So in this modern, scientific age, how can any reasonable person possibly believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead? Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy turned out to be myths. How is Jesus’s Resurrection any different? How can there possibly be any credible evidence for an event that happened two thousand years ago? The resurrection of Jesus is the most important event in the history of the world—if it’s true. If Jesus did rise, then he is God, the ultimate reality itself. In him, you can find the meaning of life, the secret of happiness, and the way to eternal life. Raising Jesus provides the evidence to show that it really is true. In this era of “alternative facts,” Raising Jesus relies on the most balanced and up-to-date scholarship to shed trustworthy new insights into the evidence. It does this in an easy-to-follow, systematic way using engaging illustrations to reveal the logic of complex arguments. Most importantly, it deals head on with the biggest problem most people in our modern, scientific age have with the resurrection: the philosophical objection that dead people simply don’t come back from the dead. Raising Jesus ultimately shows how believing Jesus rose from the dead is, in fact, the most reasonable conclusion you can make.
Author: David Gooding Publisher: Myrtlefield House ISBN: 187458432X Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 580
Book Description
The Acts of the Apostles is about more than the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. By the time the ascended Christ had sent the Holy Spirit to guide his disciples, they had no doubt what the basics of the gospel message were: that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day and would one day come again. But, according to Luke’s account, difficult questions and challenges arose for the apostles as they began to spread this message. These questions, when once settled by the apostles, would further define the gospel with answers that are definitive for us today. By carefully tracing Luke’s presentation of the historical material, David Gooding shows us that Luke has arranged his historical material into six sections, each containing a set of issues and a dominant question that confronted the church: – Was the gospel to be under the authority of the Jewish Sanhedrin, even when they called into question the deity and messiahship of Jesus? – Would the temple and its entire system of worship become obsolete because of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary, as Stephen claimed? – What would God do when the observance of his own food laws became a barrier to preaching the gospel to Gentiles such as Cornelius? – How would the apostles decide about the rite of circumcision and its relationship to salvation? – How would the gospel distinguish itself from the spiritism, idolatry, religions and philosophies of the pagan world and state positively its own answer to questions of the origin of the universe and life’s ultimate goal? – And how would Paul defend the gospel at the highest levels of society, against every kind of misrepresentation, when he found himself under the power of Roman law and order? The conclusions that the apostles and the early churches reached under the guidance of the Holy Spirit are profoundly relevant. Their defence against each new challenge confirmed the truth of the gospel for every generation of Christ’s disciples. David Gooding’s exposition echoes Acts’ powerful, unspoken exhortation to examine ourselves honestly to see whether the Christianity that we represent and the gospel that we preach and defend are uncompromisingly the same as those established by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Author: Charles Foster Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM ISBN: 0849949181 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 386
Book Description
Charles Foster thought he knew the familiar story of the resurrection of Jesus. He thought Christianity rested on sound historical foundations. But could he be wrong? Could Christianity be built on a terrible mistake or downright lie? As nagging doubts began to surface, Foster turned to countless Christian books to find comfort and proof. But all he found were more questions. What began as a personal quest for reassurance quickly turned into an in-depth examination of the most astounding historical claim of all time. He crawled through Jerusalem tombs, dusty libraries, and the recesses of his own mind in search of an answer. He turned the war in his head—the war between faith and doubt—into this heated, no-holds-barred debate, which presents the case both for and against the resurrection of Jesus. The Jesus Inquest takes you through medical evidence, Jewish burial practices, archaeological hypotheses, maps, ancient artifacts, the canonical and non-canonical gospels, biblical criticism, and much more, providing an unbiased examination of the facts of the case. A practicing trial attorney and University of Oxford academic, Charles Foster vigorously argues both sides of the issue, presenting information in compelling courtroom style and leaving no hard question unaddressed. The Jesus Inquest gives readers the tools necessary to debate the most remarkable and controversial event of world history—a debate so crucial and fascinating it cannot be ignored.
Author: Dale C. Allison, Jr. Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 0567697584 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 663
Book Description
The earliest traditions around the narrative of Jesus' resurrection are considered in this landmark work by Dale C. Allison, Jr, drawing together the fruits of his decades of research into this issue at the very core of Christian identity. Allison returns to the ancient sources and earliest traditions, charting them alongside the development of faith in the resurrection in the early church and throughout Christian history. Beginning with historical-critical methodology that examines the empty tomb narratives and early confessions, Allison moves on to consider the resurrection in parallel with other traditions and stories, including Tibetan accounts of saintly figures being assumed into the light, in the chapter “Rainbow Body”. Finally, Allison considers what might be said by way of results or conclusions on the topic of resurrection, offering perspectives from both apologetic and sceptical viewpoints. In his final section of “modest results” he considers scholarly approaches to the resurrection in light of human experience, adding fresh nuance to a debate that has often been characterised in overly simplistic terms of “it happened” or “it didn't”.
Author: J. D. Atkins
Author: J. D. Atkins
Author: Markus Vinzent
Author: Sandoval Chris Sandoval
Author: Gerd Ludemann
Author: Donald Guthrie
Author: E.J. Sweeney
Author: David Gooding
Author: Charles Foster
Author: Dale C. Allison, Jr.