Most people who believe in resurrection have no idea what this concept entails. It's the product of Jewish Messianic theory which says that a Jewish priest-king will one day establish an earthly paradise, and all the righteous Jews who died before the establishment of "the Kingdom" will be raised from the dead to enjoy the rewards of remaining faithful to Jehovah. Since they are coming back to this earth, they need their body back. The problem with the Messianic theory of the soul is that it is incompatible with the God theory of the soul that talks of an immaterial heaven and immaterial soul. What possible meaning could physical resurrection have in a non-physical afterlife? This book by the Pythagorean Illuminati, the oldest secret society in the world, traces the extraordinary story of how the materialistic theory of resurrection became hopelessly confused with the Platonic theory of the immaterial soul, leading to insanely illogical religions such as Christianity.

Edited by Paul Copan and Ronald Tacelli, this is a lively and provocative debate between Christian philosopher William Lane Craig and New Testament scholar and atheist Gerd Lüdemann on the historical truth of the resurrection.

Is the Christian message of Jesus Christ and his resurrection true? Using ten lines of historical evidence, Dr. Craig defends the probability that Jesus was resurrected following his crucifixion. He examines the origin of the Christian movement, and more provocative subjects, such as the Shroud of Turin, parapsychological phenomena and hallucinations.

Is there enough evidence to believe Jesus rose from the dead, or must such a judgment be based only on faith? Can the resurrection story be considered a fact of history, or should it be viewed as an ahistorical account? Two renowned professors, atheist Carl Stecher and Christian Craig Blomberg, engage in a groundbreaking new debate on these very questions. Other experts on the resurrection, atheist Richard Carrier and Christian Peter S. Williams, comment on the outcome. Presenting new approaches to these centuries-old questions and taking into account the latest scholarly research, Resurrection: Faith or Fact? is a must-have not only for all those following the resurrection question—but also for those skeptics and Christians alike who are interested in determining for themselves the truth behind this foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.

This book provides an original and comprehensive assessment of the hypotheses concerning the origin of resurrection Christology. It fills a gap in the literature by addressing these issues using a transdisciplinary approach involving historical-critical study of the New Testament, theology, analytic philosophy, psychology and comparative religion. Using a novel analytic framework, this book demonstrates that a logically exhaustive list of hypotheses concerning the claims of Jesus’ post-mortem appearances and the outcome of Jesus’ body can be formulated. It addresses these hypotheses in detail, including sophisticated combinations of hallucination hypothesis with cognitive dissonance; memory distortion; and confirmation bias. Addressing writings from both within and outside of Christianity, it also demonstrates how a comparative religion approach might further illuminate the origins of Christianity. This is a thorough study of arguably the key event in the formation of the Christian faith. As such, it will be of keen interest to theologians, New Testament scholars, philosophers, and scholars of religious studies.

The question of the historicity of Jesus' resurrection has been repeatedly probed, investigated and debated. And the results have varied widely. Perhaps some now regard this issue as the burned-over district of New Testament scholarship. Could there be any new and promising approach to this problem? Yes, answers Michael Licona. And he convincingly points us to a significant deficiency in approaching this question: our historiographical orientation and practice. So he opens this study with an extensive consideration of historiography and the particular problem of investigating claims of miracles. This alone is a valuable contribution. But then Licona carefully applies his principles and methods to the question of Jesus' resurrection. In addition to determining and working from the most reliable sources and bedrock historical evidence, Licona critically weighs other prominent hypotheses. His own argument is a challenging and closely argued case for the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Any future approaches to dealing with this 'prize puzzle' of New Testament study will need to be routed through The Resurrection of Jesus.

Are the canonical Gospels historically reliable?​ The four canonical Gospels are ancient biographies, narratives of Jesus’s life. The authors of these Gospels were intentional in how they handled historical information and sources.​ Building on recent work in the study of ancient biographies, Craig Keener argues that the writers of the canonical Gospels followed the literary practices of other biographers in their day. In Christobiography he explores the character of ancient biography and urges students and scholars to appreciate the Gospel writers’ method and degree of accuracy in recounting the life and ministry of Jesus. Keener’s Christobiography has far-reaching implications for the study of the canonical Gospels and historical Jesus research. He concludes that the four canonical Gospels are historically reliable ancient biographies.

This updated edition by one of the world's leading apologists presents a systematic, positive case for Christianity that reflects the latest work in the contemporary hard sciences and humanities. Brilliant and accessible.

This book is a must-read for serious Christians hoping to obey the Great Commission to make disciples in Africa. Vernon strikes an admirable balance between academic depth and practical application, helping us to appreciate the interface between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the traditional African worldview. I heartily recommend this book to all thinking Christian leaders in Africa pastors, teachers, and missionaries. Kevin G. Smith, DLitt, PhD Vernon Light wrote this book with an apostolic passion in the way the apostles presented and proclaimed the Gospel to world religions and cultures. It is an exciting study of African traditional religion and its relation to Christianity. It shows that for Christianity to thrive and be relevant, biblically and transformationally, in Africa, firstly, Christian scholars and theologians are needed who understand and address Africa's traditional heritage and Western modern, postmodern, and pluralistic ideologies and, secondly, the Gospel must be contextually, relevantly, meaningfully, and practically taught through an effective discipleship program. The book, based on extensive research and massive use of resources, is a valuable tool for students, pastors, scholars, and theologians interested in the state of Christianity and religious change in Africa. Professor Yusufu Turaki, PhD Much more than being a useful resource, this is a book with a mission. Like Jeremiah of old (Jer 20:9), Vernon is a man with a passion and message from God to the society to which God has called him. Like Jeremiah, Vernon is totally convinced of the absolute truth of his message in the midst of a myriad of conflicting opinions and that his message will change society from disaster to hope. Would that it is heard! Professor David T. Williams, DTh The Rev. Vernon E. Light (BSc, BDHons, MTh) is a member of the academic staff at the South African Theological Seminary.