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Wednesday 10 March 2010

Is the resurrection of Jesus a historical event?

        Anyone hoping to cast a dark shadow over Jesus' resurrection will have to take note of dr William Lane Craig, being one of the foremost New Testament Scholars of our time. He holds PhD's from the University of Munich in Germany, and Birmingham in England. He debated Gerd Ludemann (whom I featured earlier) some time ago. The debate was edited and published as a significant book. I put a link to a FREE Google excerpt at the bottom of the post. But first a YouTube video summarizing the evidence for Jesus' resurrection, presented by dr Craig:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYdzUYyIKMM


The book by William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludeman:


http://books.google.nl/books?id=kPhL1w9-JbEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=william+lane+craig+Gerd+Ludemann&source=bl&ots=CIYsl0qhAJ&sig=e3hafgVmE3EOwtfKJdDKaBQ8aYE&hl=nl&ei=bTiYS_zEHovZ-QbNgLHNCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=william%20lane%20craig%20Gerd%20Ludemann&f=false

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you Brother!! Stephan-St Ives, Cambridgshire

Anonymous said...

Funny isn't it. I'd describe him as one of most popular Christian apologists and debaters. I don't really consider him as an independent critical scholar of New Testament.

steph

Frederik Mulder said...

Hi Steph,

Some Americans might think Craig is only an "apologist" and good debater, but he actually has two PhD's: one from the University of Birmingham, England, in Philosophy, 1977 (under John Hick); and the other from the Universität München, Germany, in New Testament exegesis(under Wolfard Pannenberg). On top of that he has written hundreds of scientific articles, several of which are published in the top five New Testament Journals.
Most New Testament scholar of note working on resurrection interacts with his research.
I don't know whether this applies to you Steph, but some people will only call a person "an independent critical scholar of New Testament" if that person's interpretation of the relevent data goes against the more traditionally held views.
Hey, but no hard feelings! Everyone have a right to their own opinion.
Best regards
Frederik

Anonymous said...

actually frederik, I'm well aware of his work and qualifications and I'm definitely not american. I do regard him as a good debater but he is a Christian apologist and I don't find the arguments or methodology of his work convincing. and no, that is not my definition of an independent minded critical scholar. It is the ability to work independently, without appealing to any particular social subgroup with an analytical critical mind. It is the ability to honestly go where the evidence leads and be prepared to change one's mind. It is about asking questions, not proving assumptions. Take Roger Aus for example, a Lutheran pastor and scholar. It is the procedure, not the outcome. But 'hey' thanks for the patronising reply.

steph

Frederik Mulder said...

Thanx for this Steph,
I really want to learn - I'm still a young guy. Can you give me more details about Roger Aus - if he's good - then I need to know about him. I can't find anything on Google when I put in his name.
Best Frederik
NS - Where are you from? Are you in ministry or doing research?

Anonymous said...

For examples closer to your heart, two more truly independent and critical scholars are in fact John Barclay and Kingsley Barrett...

Roger Aus has a profound knowledge of rabbinic and Jewish literature. His books include 'The Stilling of the Storm: Studies in Early Palestinian Judaic Traditions' (2000) which argues that it is Jewish Christian midrash, and 'My Name is 'Legion'' (2003) which argues also that the story of the so called Gadarene demoniac is a Jewish Christian midrash partly inspired by stories of Samson. Although he now attends SNTS, he is not very well known partly because he was a pastor during the Cold War in East Berlin and couldn't get to the SNTS meetings and partly because his work on Jewish traditions is too learned for most scholars to cope with.

I am from New Zealand with a scholarship in Nottingham finishing off a doctorate on the synoptic problem with Maurice Casey - another truly independent and critical scholar, and an expert in Semitic languages including especially Aramaic - and the Aramaic since the DSS.

Best wishes,
stephanie louise fisher

Frederik Mulder said...

Dear Stephanie,
Thank you so much for this. I appreciate the valuable information! James Dunn whom I got to know quite a bit in Durham used to be from Nottingham (England) if I'm not mistaken?
Prof Barclay taught me Paul last year - he's indeed a great scholar. I think he is visiting New Zeeland some time soon or has already?

You are always welcome to challenge me on this blog. Will be nice to keep contact - especially about your PhD research.
What do you make of Richard Bauckham's work: Jesus and the Eyewitnesses? Have you interacted with him at all in your research?

Best regards
Frederik Mulder
NS - I'm originally from South-Africa (supporting the Springboks) - I suppose you support the All Blacks?

Anonymous said...

Have critiqued both Dunn and Bauckham for faulty methodology and inability to engage competently with sources. Bauckham's dependence on patristics is also uncritical and flawed. I like John Barclay alot. He went to Dunedin in September and we both attended a conference there last month (I went back to NZ to see family and go to the conference for three weeks in February) so it was good to catch up on my turf. He loves New Zealand and goes there when he can ever since he taught for a short spell at Otago several years ago. I think he's due to return to England in April.

Couldn't give a hoot for rugby. Went right off it when NZ split over the Springbok Tour in 1981 when apartheid ruled there. I protested against the game at the time. I believe it to be morally wrong to play a team condoning that treatment of it's indigenous people - with one 'token' black player on their team as if that would make a difference! Nearly all those who were pro tour at the time, ironically now, admit they were wrong. But I've never been a spectator. I like to play! Not rugby though - I used to run and now I swim.

stephanie louise fisher

Frederik Mulder said...

Wow! That's a mouth full. I should've added the interresting engagements I had with dr William Telford too. I did an essay on William Wrede's The Messianic Secret in Durham.

Mandela was a great president. He used rugby at least in one sence to unite white and black... the current movie Invictus captures something of that...

Hope all the stuff at Sheffield will be sorted out..I read bits and pieces about it in Christianity today and also your response to it...

Best
Frederik

Anonymous said...

Bill Telford is a sweetie - and his wife - but nothing significant in scholarship. John B is delivering a couple of free lectures in Dunedin this week - see http://dunedinschool.wordpress.com
for pretty pictures...
Mandela is a saint. I still remember chanting 'Free Mandela!!'...

steph