In the meantime, if you'd like to continue to study this topic, I suggest you get one or more of these books. From least to most intense, they are: Josh McDowell: More Than a Carpenter Lee Strobel: The Case for Christ Josh McDowell: The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict *** Let me also just mention the following book, along with a little story. I spent a year examining the historical evidence surrounding what happened before, during, and after Jesus' death, with the goal of destroying the idea of the resurrection. I became increasingly uncomfortable with how the evidence seemed to point away from naturalistic explanations and towards a literal resurrection. If the resurrection were true, then Jesus' words are to be listened to, his explanations of who God is etc., needed to be accepted, and so forth down a chain that would lead to accepting Jesus as the one way to become reconciled with God. ANYWAY The following book is the transcript of a debate between two able scholars: Gary Habermas, Antony Flew, and Terry Miethe: I read this book towards the end of my studies, when I was practically begging for the "magic bullet" that could explain the events without invoking God or a resurrection. I was disappointed by the weakness of Dr. Flew's position that we couldn't know what had happened two thousand years ago, and blown away by Dr. Habermas' succinct listing of 10 historical facts surrounding Jesus' death that virtually all historians, whether Christian or no, accept as true. (Dr. Habermas incorporates these facts in all of his books, in case you can't find this particular debate book). I knew these facts were correct from my studies, and they clearly disproved any and all naturalistic theories that I or other, abler, scholars could devise. I remember reading his facts, and feeling as if I had been hit by a sledgehammer. Interestingly, after I called Dr. Habermas to discuss these facts (he is a wonderful man, and was very patient with my questions), he informed me that Dr. Flew had actually changed his opinion from atheist to theist, meaning he now believes God exists. I found this book, although I haven't read it: Antony Flew and Roy Varghese: BTW, Dr. Habermas also kindly granted permission for me to use his list of historical facts in Lever |
