What Jesus Said About Resurrection (Re-Airing)
Day of Discovery has a 2-part series entitled, “What Jesus Said About Resurrection.” I was interviewed mainly for my research of the pagan myths as you
will hear in the video. For more in-depth details about the pagan myth argument, please see my chapter in the new book: “Come Let Us Reason” -editors William Lane Craig and Paul Copan. The Day of Discovery episodes will be re-airing on Sunday, April 1st (Part 1) and Sunday, April 8th (Part 2) on ION TV.
will hear in the video. For more in-depth details about the pagan myth argument, please see my chapter in the new book: “Come Let Us Reason” -editors William Lane Craig and Paul Copan. The Day of Discovery episodes will be re-airing on Sunday, April 1st (Part 1) and Sunday, April 8th (Part 2) on ION TV.
Following is a brief description of the program:
Travel
to Israel with Mart DeHaan and hear from scholars and authorities in
the field of New Testament studies as they explore Jesus’ claims and
examine the evidence for his resurrection. In this 2-part DVD, you’ll
see Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified and buried, and Bethany where,
according to the Gospels, he was last seen on earth. Decide for yourself
whether or not the resurrection of Jesus is the single most important
event in history.
As a reminder Day of
Discovery can be seen on Ion TV Sundays at 7:30 a.m. Eastern and Pacific, and 6:30
a.m. Central and Mountain time. A
listing of local station air times can be found by visiting the Web site at www.dod.org
and following the
“Where to Watch” link in the left column. Additionally, the program is available to view at no cost via their Web site.
Discovery can be seen on Ion TV Sundays at 7:30 a.m. Eastern and Pacific, and 6:30
a.m. Central and Mountain time. A
listing of local station air times can be found by visiting the Web site at www.dod.org
and following the
“Where to Watch” link in the left column. Additionally, the program is available to view at no cost via their Web site.
EPS Annual Meeting 2011
I will be presenting: “Jesus & Pagan Mythology” Thursday Night, November 17th at the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s Annual Meeting in Berkeley, California. On Friday Night, November 18th, I’ll be presenting “Super Market Savior: Why Christ in a World Embracing Many Beliefs?” at the 5 Words Apologetics Student Conference, Calvary Chapel in Petaluma, California. The student conference will be taught by some of the best student communicators anywhere! Brett Kunkle & Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason will be there as well as Doug Powell of Selfless Defense and Nathan Hanson of Jesus University. The EPS Apologetics Conference routinely features the very best in Christian thought.
Below are a few links of interest related to my talk in Berkeley to be hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. See ya there!
What Jesus Said About Resurrection
Day of Discovery recently completed a 2-part series entitled, “What Jesus Said About Resurrection.” I was interviewed mainly for my research of the pagan myths as you will hear in the video. Others giving perspectives include Gary Habermas, Darrell Bock, Michael Licona, and many more. You can catch Part 1 in its entirety on the Day of Discovery website. Part 2 will be available beginning tomorrow, April 22nd. You can receive a DVD copy via the website with a donation of any amount. It is a great resource to have available!
“Resurrection” Myths vs. Resurrection of Jesus – Mithras
– This is the third in a series of posts on resurrection myths by Mary Jo
Main Question: Was the story of Jesus’ resurrection unique in the first century or did other written accounts of resurrections like Jesus’ exist before or during the time period of the New Testament writings?
Why Mithras? There is so much hype on the internet, TV, and airwaves about the similarities between Christianity and Mithraism. I recently saw a YouTube video of a British television show claiming that Christianity was based on Mithraism. The host declared this as if it was evidenced, historical fact!
Some writings I have read on Mithras suggest that Christianity is a more highly evolved and refined version of the story of Mithras. Usually, several similarities are referenced with this claim; these can be read at the Tektonics website article on Mithraism: “Mighty Mithraic Madness: Did The Mithraic Mysteries Influence Christianity?” Upon reading the historical evolution of the god, Mithras, though, I have come to be very skeptical that Christianity borrowed worship rituals and sacred texts from this ancient Iranian god. The similarities stand upon little to no evidence from the ancient world. I am particularly concerned that the evidence for these similarities is only found in the Roman worship of Mithras; dating about the same time as the Christian faith was flourishing. Due to the Roman absorption of the deities of cultures they conquered, a much better explanation is a Roman incorporation of Christianity’s appealing aspects into the rituals and symbolism of Mithraism.
The Cult of MithrasIranian/Persian – Mithra
Hindu – Mitra
Roman – Mithras (later)
Hindu – Mitra
Roman – Mithras (later)
“Mitra” = contract
Mithra was the preserver of law and order. Also was the god of war, described as riding his four-horsed golden chariot against the demons and their worshippers.
NAMA MITHRAS, DEUS GENITOR RUPE NATUS’ – Holy Mithras the God born from the Rock.[i]
The story:
Mithra was born of a rock on the banks of a river under a sacred fig-tree. As he came forth from the rock he clenched a dagger in one hand and a torch in the other hand, which he used to illumine the depths from which he came. After Mithra had clothed himself in fig-leaves he took to subjugating the beings already created in the world. He did so by first measuring his strength with the sun; afterwards he concluded this endeavor with a treaty of friendship, being that he was a god of contracts. These two allies have supported each other ever since.
Mithra was born of a rock on the banks of a river under a sacred fig-tree. As he came forth from the rock he clenched a dagger in one hand and a torch in the other hand, which he used to illumine the depths from which he came. After Mithra had clothed himself in fig-leaves he took to subjugating the beings already created in the world. He did so by first measuring his strength with the sun; afterwards he concluded this endeavor with a treaty of friendship, being that he was a god of contracts. These two allies have supported each other ever since.
In Iranian creation mythology, there exists a primeval ox that contained the “germs”[ii] of the animal species and even a certain number of useful plants. Mithra is supposed to have attacked the primeval ox with help from his ally, the sun. He seized the beast by the nostrils with one hand and plunged his dagger into the ox’s flank with the other.[iii] As Mithra killed the beast, the “germs” of life spilled out and brought forth life to the earth.
Mithra was not the Supreme Being that created the universe in the Iranian mythology. Instead there are two beings representative of good and evil which are Ahura Mazda, the good being, and his arch rival, Angra Mainyu who came from the abyss of endless darkness. In this story, Ahura Mazda created life, and Angra Mainyu formed evil demons to assist him in his battle against Ahura Mazda. Mithra was a created “god,” the god of contracts and law.
Around the 6th or 7th century B.C., the prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra) further shaped the “inherent dualism”[iv] of Persian faith by making Ahura Mazdah[v] alone worthy of absolute worship. In doing so Zoroaster, eclipsed the worship of the god, Mithra, but further refined Mithra by setting him up as part of a threesome of gods that judge the souls of man. “The threesome Mithra, Sraosa, and Rasnu also figure as judges of the souls of the dead, with the “righteous Rasnu” as the special weigher of men’s deeds.”[vi]
Roman Worship of Mithras
Rome originally came into contact with Mithraism through Cilician pirates somewhere around 67 BC according to Plutarch, the Greek writer. The worship of Mithraism spread through Rome via the military camps and was attractive to young warriors. The Roman emperors known to have worshipped Mithras were Commodus (reigned 180-192 AD), Septimius Severus (reigned 193-211 A.D.), Caracalla (reigned 211-217 AD) and Geta (reigned 209-212 AD.) Mithraism flourished under these and subsequent emperors.[vii] “The most detailed descriptions of Mithras are found in the religious texts of ancient India and Persia, which preceded the Roman worship of Mithras by many centuries. The Roman evidence for Mithras, on the other hand, consists chiefly of sculptures.”[viii]
The earliest practices of Mithras worship in Rome are evidenced at mithraea (Mithras sanctuaries) dating from around the 2nd century. The latest evidence dates from the fourth century. Despite its great popularity, Mithraism was never a state cult, and no public spaces were built for Mithras, nor holidays connected with this god. This evidence supports Mithraism as a distinctly private religion.[ix]
Basically, from what I researched, this deity underwent numerous changes in Rome from its original Iranian-Persian conception. Rome was a vast empire that extended over numerous cultures and those cultures’ mythologies. As stated in World Mythology, “the Romans absorbed the myths of their conquered subjects. For the modern observer, the result is an array of apparently contradictory images – temples of native Italian deities side by side with those of Greek or Easter gods; high-ranking “Roman” priests standing shoulder to shoulder with the foreign, flamboyant, self-castrated priests of the Great Mother. No wonder some Romans debated what “real” Roman myth or religion might be.”[x] This proves to be a better description of why the worship of Mithras in the mystery religions bears similarities to Christianity, rather than the other way around.
MJ
Note: To investigate Mithraism and the rise of the cult (because there is so much more than I have presented), visit your local library’s reference section on mythology and world religions. Also, please check referenced documents for further documentation. Articles quoted have many more sources than provided here.
For Further Reading:
Reference Books
Willis, Roy. Ed. “Persian Myths.” World Mythology. Richmond Hill, Duncan Baird Publishers: 1993.
Parrinder, Geoffrey. Ed. The Illustrated Who’s Who in Mythology. New York, MacMillan Publishing Company: 1985.
Carnoy, Albert J. “Iranian Mythology,” Volume Six, Mythology of All Races. New York, Marshall Jones Company: 1917.
Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press: 1987.
Online Articles
Metzger, Bruce. Historical and Literary Studies: Pagan, Jewish, and Christian. Available from: http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/mystery_religions_early_christianity.htm Accessed January 22, 2007.
McDowell, Josh. “Is The New Testament Filled With Myths”. Chapter 14 of A Reasoned Defense. Available from: http://www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch14/default.htm. Accessed January 22, 2007.
Endnotes:
[i] Picture available from: http://www.gnostic-institute.org/northeast.htm.
[ii] Carnoy, Albert J. “Iranian Mythology,” Volume Six, Mythology of All Races. New York, Marshall Jones Company: 1917. pgs.286.
[iii] Ibid. pgs. 287-288
[iv] Willis, Roy. Ed. “Persian Myths.” World Mythology. Richmond Hill, Duncan Baird Publishers:1993. pg.67.
[v] Ahura Mazda is both spelled with or without the last letter, h: Ahura Mazdah.
[vi] Puhvel, Jaan. Comparative Mythology. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press: 1987. pg.102
[vii] Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology. Tarrytown, Marshall Cavendish Corporation: 2005. pgs.891-898.
[viii] Ibid. pg. 891.
[ix] Ibid.
[x] Ibid. pg. 166
© Mary Jo Sharp 2007
© Mary Jo Sharp 2007
“Resurrection” Myths vs. Resurrection of Jesus – Osiris
This is the second in a series of posts on resurrection myths by Mary Jo
Main Question: Was the story of Jesus’ resurrection unique in the first century or did other written accounts of resurrections like Jesus’ exist before or during the time period of the New Testament writings?
The Cult of Osiris
Egyptian
Greek – Usiris: many of the names of gods differ for the Greek version of Osiris’ story
The story:Osiris was the Egyptian god of the underworld. Isis and Osiris were two of the children of the earth-god Seb (Geb) and the sky-goddess Nut; though Nut was also the wife of the sun-god, Ra. Osiris married his sister, Isis, and reigned as a king on the earth. He is allegedly the ruler of Egypt that brought the Egyptians out of cannibalism and introduced them to a corn diet along with help from Isis who discovered wheat and barley growing wild in the fields and introduced the cultivation of these grains to the people. Osiris also brought the Egyptians out of savagery by teaching them to worship the gods and giving them laws. He decided to share his blessings of civilization and agriculture with the rest of the world and traveled all over training mankind in these ways, leaving Isis to rule Egypt.
Upon Osiris’ return, he is duped by his brother, Set (Greek: Typhon), into laying down in a coffer made just for him. His brother and co-conspirators nail the lid on the coffer, solder it with lead, and throw the coffer into the Nile River. Isis sets out to find her beloved and wanders up and down the Nile searching for him. Osiris’ coffer floats out to sea and lands on the shores of Byblus, where it is engulfed by an erica-tree that springs up around it. Isis, with a tip from the god of wisdom, eventually finds Osiris’ coffer in a column of a palace that had used the tree in construction and takes the coffer back with her. However, when she leaves the coffer to visit her son, Horus, her brother, Typhon finds the coffer, and recognizing the body inside, tears Osiris into 14 pieces and spreads him out all over. Isis recovers all the pieces save one and buries each piece where she finds it. This spreading out of Osiris’ bodily burial is to explain the worship of him in numerous Egyptian cities and also to keep Typhon from finding Osiris’ burial spot.
The “resurrection”[1]:According to Egyptian tradition, Isis and her sister, Nephthys, lament over Osiris’ scattered, dead body and their lament catches the attention of the sun-god, Ra. Ra sends Anubis down from heaven and along with Isis, Nephthys, Thoth, and Horus, he pieces together the scattered Osiris. With help from Isis, Osiris is revived to the position of Lord of the Underworld, Lord of Eternity, Ruler of the Dead.
Similarities to the resurrection story of Jesus:
Both died, both were brought back to some kind of existence after life
Dissimilarities to the resurrection story of Jesus:Life: Osiris allegedly ruled on earth as a god-king over all of Egypt, Jesus did not rule as an earthly king, but proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven as having arrived on earth
Death: Osiris was duped into his demise, Jesus sacrificially and willingly died for all mankind
Resurrection: Osiris was pieced back to together by other gods out of Isis’ desire for her dead husband, Jesus was raised to a new life having conquered physical death giving hope to all mankind
Afterlife: Osiris was raised to the position of Ruler of the Underworld, Jesus was raised to a new body, the firstborn of the resurrected, and rules with God over all creation
What about the dating of these stories? Who is influencing who? A couple of quotes from two articles:
– The key here is dating. Most of the alleged parallels between Christianity and mystery religions, upon close scrutiny will show that Christian elements predate mythological elements. In cases where they do not, it is often Jewish elements which predate both Christianity and the myth, and which lent themselves to both religions.[2]
– In the case of all three, there is no evidence earlier than the second century A.D. for the supposed “resurrection” of these mystery gods.[3]
– For a discussion of certain parallels between the Osiris cult and Christianity, where “any theory of borrowing on the part of Christianity from the older faith is not to be entertained, for not only can it not be substantiated on the extant evidence, but it is also intrinsically most improbable.” see S. G. F. Brandon. “The Ritual Perpetuation of the Past,” “Numen”, vi (1959), 122-129 (quotation is from p. 128).[4]
Also, the Osiris myth directly relates to the corn crop cycle. As taken from The Golden Bough,
The foregoing survey of the myth and ritual of Osiris may suffice to prove that in one of his aspects the god was a personification of the corn, which may be said to die and come to life again every year.
and
But Osiris was more than a spirit of the corn; he was also a tree-spirit, and this may perhaps have been his primitive character, since the worship of trees is naturally older in the history of religion than the worship of the cereals. The character of Osiris as a tree-spirit was represented very graphically in a ceremony described by Firmicus Maternus.
A name for Osiris was the “crop” or “harvest”; and the ancients sometimes explained him as a personification of the corn.
I do not believe an alternative representation for Jesus’ life – specifically the crop cycle or the seasons – can be well evidenced. I also do not see any kind of story revolving around Jesus where the characters are gods and demi-gods, which is true to the plot of most mystery religion stories.
MJ
Note: Please check referenced documents for further documentation. Articles quoted have many more sources than provided here.
For Further Reading:Metzger, Bruce. Historical and Literary Studies: Pagan, Jewish, and Christian. Available from: http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/mystery_religions_early_christianity.htm.%3C/a Accessed January 22, 2007.
McDowell, Josh. “Is The New Testament Filled With Myths”. Chapter 14 of A Reasoned Defense. Available from: http://www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch14/default.htm. Accessed January 22, 2007.
Frazer, Sir James George. The Golden Bough. Available from: http://www.bartleby.com/196/79.html Accessed May 22, 2007.
Endnotes:
[1] The term “resurrection” is used here only for comparative purposes. I am currently looking into whether or not this term was a Judeo-Christian term borrowed by the mystery religions or if the mystery religions ever used this term at all.
[2] McDowell, Josh. “Is The New Testament Filled With Myths”. Chapter 14 of A Reasoned Defense. Available from: http://www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch14/default.htm. Accessed January 22, 2007.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Metzger, Bruce. “Methodology in the Study of Mystery Religions and Early Christianity.” from Historical and Literary Studies: Jewish, Pagan, and Christian. Available from http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/mystery_religions_early_christianity.htm. accessed January 22, 2007. This quote is a footnote from page 12.
© Mary Jo Sharp 2007
“Resurrection” Myths vs. Resurrection of Jesus – Tammuz and Adonis
This is the first in a series of posts on resurrection myths by Mary Jo.
Was the story of Jesus’ resurrection unique in the first century or did other written accounts of resurrections like Jesus’ exist before or during the time period of the New Testament writings? This is an important question to answer since it is at the root of an objection to Christianity’s claims of uniqueness. Over the course of the next couple of posts, I will look at other resurrection claims and the evidence surrounding those claims versus the evidence surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. Although, throughout these short posts do I in no way intend to accomplish a full treatment of this subject matter. Instead, I will lay down very minimal facts and point to other sources.
The Mystery Cults
Skepticism about the uniqueness of Christianity’s resurrection claim can be read in writings such as The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer (1906), Hellenistic Ways of Deliverance and the Making of the Christian Synthesis by John H. Randall (1970), and Those Incredible Christians by Hugh Schonfield (1968). However, upon a closer examination of the available source documents, it is shown that much of the written record of the mystery cults comes to us from the second to fourth century A.D. The appearances of “resurrections” in these myths do not emerge in their writings until after the resurrection accounts of the New Testament.
The Cult of Tammuz
Names:
Mesopotamian – Tammuz
Sumerian – Dumuzi
Phoenician – Adonis
The cult of Tammuz can be traced back to around 3000 B.C, and has a Babylonian-Sumerian origination.[1] Tammuz was allegedly resurrected by the goddess Inanna-Ishtar. Tammuz’s resurrection is “alleged” because the end of both the Sumerian and the Akkadian texts of the myth of “The Descent of Inanna (Ishtar)” had not been preserved. The story actually states that Dumuzi (Tammuz) did not return from death to an earthly life, but was placed in the underworld as a substitution for Inanna.[2] Apparently, there is only fragmentary evidence that Dumuzi had his sister take his place in the underworld for half of the year. Even so, the story of Tammuz is not like the resurrection story of Jesus. However, let’s take a brief look at Adonis.
The cult of Adonis has possibly been linked to the same parent deity of the cult of Tammuz. According to Jessie Weston in Ritual to Romance, “…the worship of the divinity we know as Adonis, may, under another name, reach back to an antiquity equal with that we can now ascribe to the cult of Tammuz.”[3] The earliest stories of Adonis report no death or resurrection and the “resurrection” of Adonis is not recorded until after A.D. 150.[4] Edwin M. Yamauchi, professor of history at Miami University, Ohio, in his article Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History states, “P. Lambrechts has shown that there is no trace of a resurrection in the early texts or pictorial representations of Adonis; the four texts that speak of his resurrection are quite late, dating from the second to the fourth centuries A.D. (“La ‘resurrection’ d’Adonis,” in Melanges Isidore Levy, 1955, pp. 207-40).”[5]
The story of Adonis’ death is not similar to that of the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ death. Adonis was mortally wounded by a wild boar. As described in Frazer’s The Golden Bough, “At last the fair youth was killed in hunting by a wild boar, or by the jealous Ares, who turned himself into the likeness of a boar in order to compass the death of his rival.”[6] Adonis, according to the story, was eventually given to Persephone, goddess of death, for part of the year, and to Aphrodite, goddess of love for the other. This is not a picture of a god dying for the sins of the world and being resurrected to new life that all people may partake in.
When comparing the stories of Tammuz, Dumuzi, and Adonis with the resurrection stories of Jesus, these stories only demonstrate strained similarities (in that they speak of the death and life of a being). It is also not likely the New Testament writers were mimicking later writings of dying and rising gods due to the second century appearance of the “resurrection” in the myths.
Mary Jo
Note: Please check referenced documents for further documentation. Articles quoted have many more sources than provided here.
For Further Reading:
Metzger, Bruce. Historical and Literary Studies: Pagan, Jewish, and Christian. Available from: http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/mystery_religions_early_christianity.htm Accessed January 22, 2007.
Nash, Ronald. Was the New Testament Influenced by Pagan Religions? Available from: http://www.equip.org/free/DB109.htm Accessed January 22, 2007.
Frazer, Sir James George. The Golden Bough. Available from: http://www.bartleby.com/196/79.html Accessed May 22, 2007.
Footnotes:
1 Weston, Jessie. From Ritual to Romance. Chapter IV: Tammuz and Adonis. Available from: www.sacred-texts.com/neu/frr/frr07.htm#fn_39>http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/frr/frr07.htm#fn_39. The Internet Sacred Text Archive. Accessed May 22, 2007.
[2] Yamauchi, Edwin M. Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History. Available from: >http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/yama.html. Accessed January 22, 2007.
[3] Weston, Jessie. Ritual to Romance.
[4] Habermas, Gary. Mike Licona. The Case For the Resurrection of Jesus. Grand Rapids, Kregel Publications: 2004. pg. 90.
[5] Yamauchi, Edwin M. Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History.
[6] Frazer, Sir James George. The Golden Bough. Available from: >http://www.bartleby.com/196/79.html. Accessed May 22, 2007.
© Mary Jo Sharp 2007
Minimal Facts Approach – Testing Hypotheses
This post is a continuation of a series of posts by Mary Jo on the Minimal Facts Approach.
Various Hypotheses Concerning the Resurrection
After establishing the four minimal facts surrounding the event of resurrection, I will now put to the test a few of the numerous hypotheses given as an explanation for these facts. The answer at the end of each fact demonstrates whether or not the theory in question can account for that particular fact.*
Swoon Theory – Jesus did not die on the cross; he fainted or swooned, and was eventually revived
Fact 1: Jesus died by Roman Crucifixion – NO
Fact 2: Jesus appeared to the disciples – NO
Fact 3: Jesus appeared to foes – NO
Fact 4: Jesus’ tomb was empty – NO
X This hypothesis does not account for all of the facts.
Hallucination Theory – The disciples had grief-induced or other type hallucinations, which explain the appearances of Jesus.
Fact 1: Jesus died by Roman Crucifixion – YES
Fact 2: Jesus appeared to the disciples – NO
Fact 3: Jesus appeared to foes – NO
Fact 4: Jesus’ tomb was empty – YES/STRAIN
X This hypothesis does not account for all of the facts.
Legend Theory – Jesus was most likely a man who led a small religious cult in first century Palestine, but legend about him developed over the years after his death in an effort to convert people to Christianity.
Fact 1: Jesus died by Roman Crucifixion – NO/STRAIN
Fact 2: Jesus appeared to the disciples – NO
Fact 3: Jesus appeared to foes – NO
Fact 4: Jesus’ tomb was empty – NO
X This hypothesis does not account for all of the facts.
Myth Theory – The story of Jesus Christ is a myth that developed much like the myths of other ancient near east religions.
Fact 1: Jesus died by Roman Crucifixion – NO
Fact 2: Jesus appeared to the disciples – NO
Fact 3: Jesus appeared to foes – NO
Fact 4: Jesus’ tomb was empty – NO
X This hypothesis does not account for all of the facts.
Jesus was resurrected – Jesus died by Roman crucifixion, was buried, and subsequently appeared to his disciples and others in bodily form.
Jesus was resurrected – Jesus died by Roman crucifixion, was buried, and subsequently appeared to his disciples and others in bodily form.
Fact 1: Jesus died by Roman Crucifixion – YES
Fact 2: Jesus appeared to the disciples – YES
Fact 3: Jesus appeared to foes – YES
Fact 4: Jesus’ tomb was empty – YES
This hypothesis accounts for all of the facts.
The inference suggested by historically exploring the evidence around the events of Jesus’ life is that a resurrected Jesus is the best explanation for the historical facts. What are the implications of a resurrected Jesus?
Mary Jo
Main Sources:
Habermas, Gary. Mike Licona. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Grand Rapids, Kregel: 2004.
*Licona, Mike. Resurrection of Jesus. Lecture. McLean Bible Church Apologetics Conference, “Loving God With All Your Mind.” November, 2006. Format for checking hypotheses from Licona’s lecture.
For further reading:Explaining Away Jesus’ Resurrection: The Recent Revival of Hallucination Theories – Gary HabermasThe Late Twentieth-Century Resurgence of Naturalistic Responses to Jesus’ Resurrection – Gary HabermasContemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – William Lane CraigDid Jesus Really Exist? – Paul L. Maier
© Mary Jo Sharp 2007