Posted by Holly Ordway in Apologetics, Podcasts | 5 Comments
The Resurrection: Fact or Myth? Part 1 (podcast)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:38 — 48.2MB)
The Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, died, and was resurrected, and ascended bodily into heaven, to live eternally as the Incarnate and Risen Lord. This is indeed an astounding claim. Skeptics have challenged it; Christians who have been influenced by the fact/value split have tried to spiritualize it; well-meaning evangelists have tried to water it down to make it easier to accept; but it is precisely this claim that is the basis for the Christian faith. Did it really happen? Did Christ rise from the dead?
Is the Resurrection of Jesus a fact or a myth?
The answer is — Yes.
That is, it is a historical fact — an event that really happened, on a particular day in a particular place.
It is also a ‘myth’ in the sense that it is part of a story – the grandest story of all, the story of God’s rescue operation for fallen humanity – a story that also happens to be completely true.
In this first of two lectures, I provide an overview of the evidence for the Resurrection, making the argument that the best explanation for the facts is that Jesus really did rise from the dead. No other explanation can account for all aspects of the situation.
You can listen to the podcast through the player above, or by clicking on this link.
Here are some useful resources on the subject:
Blomberg, Craig L. Making Sense of the New Testament: Three Crucial Questions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004.
Bruce, F.F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1943, 1981.
Craig, William Lane. “The Empty Tomb of Jesus.” In In Defense of Miracles, edited by R. Douglas and Gary R. Habermas Geivett, 247-261. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
Habermas, Gary R. The Historical Jesus. Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 1996.
—. The Risen Jesus & Future Hope. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003.
Kreeft, Peter and Ronald K. Tacelli. Handbook of Christian Apologetics. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Pres, 1994.
Lewis, C.S. Miracles. New York: HarperCollins, 1947.
Wright, N.T. Judas and the Gospel of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006.
—.The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
Oh, this looks like a fantastic podcast, Holly! I can’t wait to listen this weekend!
PS: Thanks for providing these wonderful book suggestions. I purchased Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God this morning, and I look forward to reading it! I have heard you speak about this book before in your podcasts, and if I recall correctly you also referenced this book in your own book. I look forward to reading some of the others listed here. Do you have any favorites out of this list?
Thanks, Ali! Of this list, I like different books for different reasons. I would probably pick Lewis’s Miracles as my favorite, because he gets to the heart of the matter, and gives us powerful metaphors and images to think through the ideas. NT Wright’s Resurrection of the Son of God is the best for sheer depth of scholarship on the historical question. Habermas’ The Risen Jesus and Future Hope is excellent for examining the question of ‘how does the Resurrection make a difference in my life?’ The FF Bruce book is great for settling the question of whether we can trust the Gospel accounts.
Good job, Holly! This is a nice overview of evidence for the historicity of Christ’s resurrection. It truly is, as you say, the core of the Christian faith. Looking forward to Part 2.
Thanks, Mary! I just uploaded Part 2 to come out on Friday. Hope you enjoy it!