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 PrintableVersion The case for the resurrection of JesusGood minimum raiseTHE CASE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS For those who engage in ‘apologetic’ evangelism, the resurrection of Jesus is familiar territory. Not only are the arguments well-rehearsed, but the very subject takes us to the heart of the gospel. It is not surprising, therefore, that over the years many books, booklets and articles have appeared on it. To that considerable list, Habermas and Licona’s book can be added. So what is distinctive about their work? Well, two things. First, they have an unusual way of presenting the evidence for Jesus’s resurrection, adopting what they call a ‘minimum facts approach’. They define this phrase as ‘data that are so strongly attested historically that they are granted by nearly every scholar who studies the subject, even the rather sceptical ones’ (p.44). Restricting themselves in this way, they argue four facts: (1) Jesus died by crucifixion; (2) Jesus’s disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them; (3) the church persecutor Paul was suddenly changed; (4) the sceptic James, brother of Jesus, was suddenly changed. To this they add a fifth fact — the empty tomb — which they place at a second level, because it is not so broadly accepted. This ‘4 + 1’ series is presented in chapters 3 and 4 of the book. Interactive CDThe second distinctive characteristic of the book is the interactive CD that accompanies it. This contains two quizzes, designed to test assimilation of the arguments. A score of 80% on the first quiz is required to unlock the second. Unfortunately the CD crashed my computer so I never got to take the second quiz! There is much to commend the book, especially in the opening three chapters. The biggest criticism of it, however, would be that it does not know when to stop! In Part 3 (chapters 5 - 8) the writers address ‘opposing theories’. I suspect that many readers may find this section bewildering (particularly as the book is presenting arguments to be learned for use!). Chapter 8, on naturalism and the so-called ‘scientific’ objections, is a prime example; although the material in this chapter is excellent, its complexity and depth merit being treated in a separate publication. The writers wisely point out early on that a person cannot be ‘reasoned’ into becoming a Christian, and that only God can draw people to Christ. A useful chapter on ‘people skills’ reminds us to be loving, humble, prayerful and good listeners, while a concluding chapter gives some examples of how the ‘minimum facts’ approach works. An extended Appendix gives a detailed outline of the book’s main arguments and is extremely useful once the book has been read. The fact that it runs to nearly 30 pages, however, is a further reminder of this excellent book’s main drawback. Andrew Wilson,
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