Jesus: Dead or Alive? Evaluating the evidence for the Resurrection (2013) (original) (raw)

Resurrection Debate: Applying Prior Probabilities and Assessing Eyewitness Attestations

The resurrection of Christ sits at the cornerstone of Christianity. However, the reality of the resurrection remains a point of contention. This article discusses two issues relative to the resurrection’s veracity: (1) the applicability of prior probabilities and (2) the evaluation of eyewitness attestations. On the first, I analyze under what conditions prior probabilities provide guidance on the probability an event occurred and discuss whether the resurrection fits those conditions. On the second, I propose an approach to collectively evaluate the multiple and various scriptural attestations to the resurrection and produce an overall likelihood.

The Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?

2000

In this essay we will take a look at the evidence for the Resurrection and see if this event is historical fact or fiction. But, first, we must establish the fact that Jesus Christ was a historical figure and not a legend. There are several highly accurate historical documents that attest to Jesus. First, let's look at the four Gospels themselves. The authors Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John recorded very specific facts of the events surrounding the life of Jesus, and archaeology has verified the accuracy of the New Testament. Hundreds of facts such as the names of officials, geographical sites, financial currencies, and times of events have been confirmed. Sir William Ramsay, one of the greatest geographers of the 19th century, became firmly convinced of the accuracy of the New Testament as a result of the overwhelming evidence he discovered during his research. As a result, he completely reversed his antagonism against Christianity.

Knowing that Jesus' Resurrection Occurred : a Response to Stephen Davis

1985

Dale J acquette a person in motion, while some interpos'd object conceals the rest of his body. Here 'tis certain. the imagination spreads out the whole figure. I give him a head and shoulders, and breast and neek. These members I conceive and believe him to be possess'd of." 13. Burne, Dialogues Conceming Natural Religion, p. 142. 14. Ibid., p. 211: "But let us still assert [hat, as this [supposed] goodness [of the Deity] is not antecedently established but must be inferred from the phenomena, there can be no grounds for such an inference while there are so many ills in the universe, and while these ills might so easily have been remedied, as far as human understanding can be allowed to judge on such a subject. I am skeptic enough to allow that the bad appearances, notwithstanding all my reasonings, may be compatible witb sueh attributes as you suppose; but surely they can never prove these attributes."

Reply to reviews of Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Routledge 2020)

Reply to reviews of Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Note: the book is available for download here https://www.academia.edu/42985421/Investigating\_the\_Resurrection\_of\_Jesus\_Christ and the bibliographic details of the sources cited in this document can be found in the Bibliography therein. This document will be updated on a regular basis in response to new reviews as I become aware of them. Last update 8/4/2023. My book Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Routledge, 2020) defends the conclusion that the historical evidences indicate that there were groups of people in the first century AD who claimed that they had seen Jesus alive after his crucifixion, they truly saw something, what they saw was not caused intra-mentally but extra-mentally, and the extramental entity was not anyone else but the same Jesus who died on the Cross earlier and was seen alive again later. Therefore, Jesus resurrected.

Evidence, Miracles, and The Existence of Jesus (Faith and Philosophy 2011)

The vast majority of Biblical historians believe there is evidence sufficient to place Jesus’ existence beyond reasonable doubt. Many believe the New Testament documents alone suffice firmly to establish Jesus as an actual, historical figure. I question these views. In particular, I argue (i) that the three most popular criteria by which various non-miraculous New Testament claims made about Jesus are supposedly corroborated are not sufficient, either singly or jointly, to place his existence beyond reasonable doubt, and (ii) that a prima facie plausible principle concerning how evidence should be assessed – a principle I call the contamination principle – entails that, given the large proportion of uncorroborated miracle claims made about Jesus in the New Testament documents, we should, in the absence of independent evidence for an historical Jesus, remain sceptical about his existence.

Evidence, Miracles, and the Existence of Jesus

Faith and Philosophy, 2011

The vast majority of Biblical historians believe there is evidence sufficient to place Jesus' existence beyond reasonable doubt. Many believe the New Testament documents alone suffice firmly to establish Jesus as an actual, historical figure. I question these views. In particular, I argue (i) that the three most popular criteria by which various non-miraculous New Testament claims made about Jesus are supposedly corroborated are not sufficient, either singly or jointly, to place his existence beyond reasonable doubt, and (ii) that a prima facie plausible principle concerning how evidence should be assesseda principle I call the contamination principle-entails that, given the large proportion of uncorroborated miracle claims made about Jesus in the New Testament documents, we should, in the absence of good independent evidence for an historical Jesus, remain sceptical about his existence.

Explaining the Resurrection: Conflicting Convictions

Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, 2005

Although explanations for the earliest Christian proclamation of Jesus' resurrection vary, certain standard arguments appear again and again. The present article introduces those explanations and those arguments as well as the essays in this theme issue of JSHJ, with a view to clarifying what they add to the traditional discussion.