Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on Think Apologetics. Tabernacle of David considers this resource trustworthy and Biblically sound.
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Even though I read this book several years back, I decided to provide a short review here.
This book has set the bar on resurrection scholarship! Michael Licona has done us all a service by giving us his doctoral dissertation on the resurrection of Jesus. This book isn’t just an apologetics book. He discusses philosophy of history which is so important. He also is very detailed about the quality of sources we have for the resurrection (the New Testament documents). Everyone may not agree with all his points. But Licona is honest and confesses his own struggles in examining the evidence for the resurrection. Licona spends great time discussing the proposals of other scholars and how they have tried to provide alternative explanations to the resurrection of Jesus. Licona provides a response to the naturalistic alternatives to the resurrection and shows how they don’t meet what he calls the requirements of:
1. Plausibility
2. Explanatory scope and explanatory power
3. They are less ad hoc
4. Illumination
For anyone that is interested in the central event of our faith, this is required reading! What a treat!
