Case for the Resurrection of Jesus

Rating:
Summary: Resurrection School
Review: (...)

New Testament scholars Gary Habermas and Michael Licona have produced quite possibly the most comprehensive book on the market, at the popular level, in regards to examining the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Habermas and Licona build the case for the resurrection around 5 data points accepted widely by New Testament scholars, 4 of which are accepted by virtually ever scholar: 1) Christ's death by crucifixion; 2) The disciples' sincere belief of Christ's post-mortem appearances to them; 3) The conversion of the skeptic James; 4) The conversion of Paul; 5) The empty tomb.

Following a discussion of some of the evidence that establishes these data points on very solid historical ground, the authors discuss a wide range of alternative theories to Christ's resurrection touted over the centuries by critics (e.g. The Swoon theory; Fraud theories; Hallucinations), demonstrating each to not satisfactorily account for all of the widely accepted data. So thorough is the authors' treatment of alternative theories that they cover probably about anything, no matter how outlandish (e.g. Jesus was a space alien), that has ever been reasonably popular, in some detail.

Included within this book is a helpful discussion of the nature of the resurrection body (i.e. spiritual vs. physical); a brief chapter on Christology; a brief chapter detailing common apologetic arguments for the existence of God; and very informative data in their end-notes section. What makes this book truly unique is its design, however. The authors' intent is to prepare the reader to be able to share with others the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Helpful flow charts are presented throughout the book; the last chapter is dedicated to suggestions regarding how one should approach a spiritual seeker with the data; and an outline of the main points of the book are placed in an appendix at the end. The book even comes with its own CD with quizzes for the reader on material presented!

While the authors could have added other widely accepted historical facts regarding Christ's resurrection to augment their case, they still compellingly debunk all alternative theories and established that the only reasonable fit for the data is a bonified resurrection. This book should be of value to all students of the resurrection of Jesus on a beginners and even intermediate level.