Who Moved the Stone?

Rating:
Summary: Skeptic Surprised
Review: This book explores whether Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. The author indicates at the outset that he was not favourably disposed to believe that the resurrection was a real event of history. The author explores the events found in the four gospels concerning the last week of Jesus' life. The author argues that the negative claims or skeptical arguments to explain the resurrection away fail. The author cites what he believes is positive evidence and arguments to accept that Jesus did rise from the dead and that the Christian faith is something to be believed in.

One point needs to be noted. Many popular Christian authors have asserted that Frank Morison was a lawyer. This is incorrect. Frank Morison is a pseudonym for Albert Henry Ross (1881-1950). He was a prolific writer and worked in a London advertising agency. However he never studied the law. Readers interested in this biographical background can refer to another book available from Amazon - Ross Clifford, Leading Lawyers Case for the Resurrection (Edomonton: Canadian Institute for Law, Theology & Public Policy, 1996).

Rating:
Summary: thought-provoking apologetic
Review: This compelling little book will make you think about Christ's tomb and your faith. Morison started out trying to disprove the Easter story as a rational journalist and ended up doing a 180. He still relies on reason and balancing the written source material for his analysis of the aftermath of the crucifixion. He relies on the Gospel accounts enough that believers will likely be strengthened in their faith while those who are skeptical might remain skeptical. He also seems too ready to find the Gospel accounts non-reconcilable in certain details when they can be reconciled (such as whether the figure who confronted Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb was an angel or not, if there were more than one, etc.). Does a nice job of looking at these events from a variety of perspectives. Morison seems to have left no stone unturned in his examination of the resurrection in Who Moved the Stone.

Rating:
Summary: thought-provoking apologetic
Review: This compelling little book will make you think about Christ's tomb and your faith. Morison started out trying to disprove the Easter story as a rational journalist and ended up doing a 180. He still relies on reason and balancing the written source material for his analysis of the aftermath of the crucifixion. He relies on the Gospel accounts enough that believers will likely be strengthened in their faith while those who are skeptical might remain skeptical. He also seems too ready to find the Gospel accounts non-reconcilable in certain details when they can be reconciled (such as whether the figure who confronted Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb was an angel or not, if there were more than one, etc.). Does a nice job of looking at these events from a variety of perspectives. Morison seems to have left no stone unturned in his examination of the resurrection in Who Moved the Stone.

Rating:
Summary: Book is Not Misrepresented
Review: This interesting study that deserves to be read despite having been written over 70 years ago. Despite what a previous reviewer said, the book is not misrepresented nor is "Morison's entire argument is based on the acceptance of the Bible as historical fact, word for word". This assertion is flat out untrue. Consider Morrison's novel conclusion that the indiividual Mary Magadelene and Women met in the Tomb on Sunday morning was a ordinary man. Mark says a young man (Mk 16:5) but Matthew and John's gospels both say it was two angels. Luke clearly implies an Angel as well. Morrison argues in favor of a Young man not an Angel. He does not take the Bible word for word. Nor is it true that Morrison cites "no references but Biblical ones". It is worth noting Thomas Paine wrote his deist polemic "THE AGE OF REASON" a scathing criticism of the bible using ONLY the bible and nothing else. However, Morrison does cite extra-biblical books that are NOT in the Bible such as the Gospels of Peter, Hebrews, as well as the works of Josephus, the Jewish Historian and the few historical writings on the character of Pontius Pilate. The above mentioned Gospels of Peter and Hebrews are NOT in the Bible. One wonders if a previous reviewer was aware of this fact for Morrison gives a lengthly quote from it (gospel of Hebrews) on the last page of WHO MOVED THE STONE. One of the more telling arguments put forth by Morrison is that there is NO historical evidence that tomb was not indeed empty; There are only assertions by Jewish authorities that the disciples had stolen his body. The truth is Morrison was a skeptic in the tradition of 19th Century Biblical scholarship that is still with us today with such annual events as the Jesus Seminar and the Historical Jesus movement that discount the historical reliability of the New Testament accounts.

Rating:
Summary: God Came to Earth as its Savior--Investigative Report @11
Review: This prominent English journalist set out to investigate and disprove once and for all the myth of Christianity, the resurrection.

In the process, he found faith in the life, death and resurrection for his own salvation.

Most of us have heard the historic story retold so many times we think there's no way it can continue to captivate us.

Morrison does this through his own testimony of being brought into faith, and the analysis he went through. Fascinating stuff. Great for teens and anyone searching.

Apologetics at its best!

Rating:
Summary: a non-optional doctrinal study.
Review: Verily verily, the Christian Bible is very clear on the foundational importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Regardless of personal interpretation, Scriptures such as Romans 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 15:14 clearly state that for the believer, Jesus' resurrection from the dead must be regarded as a non-optional issue, and must be personally subscribed to doctrinally. Obviously, this can be an affront to the modern intellect and have the potential to collide with our reasoning faculties and idea of intelligence. In fact, that was exactly the case for English journalist Frank Morison when he began to write "Who Moved The Stone" over 70 years ago. As a skeptic, he set out to prove that the story of Christ's resurrection was only a fabricated myth... what he found, however, was a seamless validity in the biblical and extra-historical record.

I call this book a "study". By that I mean that it is not a light read, and one ought to follow up on all Biblical references and make notes as one goes along. I filled up half a notebook with detailed timelines, summaries, and diagrams, with the end result being that my initial understanding of the resurrection was further strengthened in a way that is impossible to exaggerate. For me, one of the greatest testimonies to the FACT of the resurrection has always been that the authorities at the time did not dispel the "myth" by simply displaying the crucified body. In the early stages of the apostles' preaching, when the church was gaining converts left and right... all the authorities would've had to do was PRODUCE the body of Jesus! Why didn't they do it? Read Morison's book with even a half-open mind and I believe that you will finish it in agreement with me... that they DID not, because they COULD not.