The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach

723 Pages·2010·7.89 MB·English

by  Michael R. Licona

The Resurrection of Jesus
A New Historiographical Approach
Michael R. Licona
“Licona has tackled his subject energetically, with near-obsessive thoroughness. He
concludes that if one approaches the sources without an a priori commitment to the
impossibility of resurrection, the ‘Resurrection Hypothesis’ is the interpretation
that most adequately accounts for the evidence. Thus, the book boldly challenges
the naturalistic presuppositions of post-Enlightenment historical criticism. At the
very least, Licona has shown that the usual naturalistic explanations of the resurrec-
tion tradition are, on the whole, weak, speculative and often tendentious.
“I am not aware of any scholar who has previously offered such a thorough and
fair-minded account of the historiographical prolegomena to the resurrection
question. Furthermore, Licona’s discussion of the ‘bedrock’ historical evidence is
appropriately nuanced and carefully modulated, not claiming more than can be
supported by the consensus findings of qualified scholars. This lends credibility
to his conclusions. Licona has presented a fair and vigorous case for his position.
No doubt many readers will be unconvinced by his arguments, but no one can
accuse him of naiveté or of ignoring counterarguments.
“This study spans fields that are too rarely brought into conversation: New
Testament studies and historiographical theory. Licona is to be commended for
this undertaking and for producing a study that has both wide range and signifi-
cant depth.”
Richard B. Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament and dean, Duke
Divinity School
“This book is the most thorough treatment on the resurrection and historiogra-
phy to date, useful also to those studying the intersections of philosophy of
science, history and theology. Drawing masterfully from a wide range of disci-
plines, Licona builds a coherent case showing that the best explanation for our
evidence involves Jesus’ historical resurrection. Licona’s research also makes
clear that the frequent skepticism about this claim in much of the academy re-
flects not serious historiographic consideration but the mere inheritance of out-
dated philosophic assumptions.”
Craig S. Keener, professor of New Testament, Palmer Theological Seminary
“Michael Licona’s thorough study of beliefs in Jesus’ resurrection is to be recom-
mended, since it is informed of the social sciences, ancient data, . . . attends to the
New Testament witnesses and engages most of the recent discussions. He rightly
argues that the early Christians did not interpret Jesus’ resurrection in a metaphor-
ical or poetic sense to the exclusion of a literal event that had occurred to his
corpse.”
James H. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary
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“At first glance this book is very provocative even for a theologian who is convinced
that the Easter faith is based on an authentic encounter with God. But at second
glance I became aware that Michael Licona is not dealing with the ‘resurrection
faith’ but more modestly with the ‘resurrection hypothesis’—in other words, with
those aspects of the resurrection faith that are accessible to historical arguments. It
is fascinating to follow his arguments step by step in his investigation of the resur-
rection of Jesus as a unique event in history. I once learned that historiography is
limited to events with analogies, immanent causality and sources that must be crit-
icized. These are, according to Ernst Troeltsch, the great theologian and philoso-
pher of historicism, the three principles of modern historical research. Must we
revise these principles? Must we reformulate them? Perhaps! In any case, it is re-
freshing to be confronted with quite another approach that evaluates carefully the
historical data, discusses respectfully the arguments of opponents and demonstrates
a humility concerning the results, claiming only historical degrees of plausibility for
its own hypothesis. Many arguments are valuable also for readers who do not agree.
It is a necessary book, and I recommend it to all who are interested in a responsible
way to interpret the Bible and the Christian faith.”
Gerd Theissen, University of Heidelberg
“No episode in the life of anyone in history is more important than the resurrection
of Jesus of Nazareth. Vehemently denied or vigorously defended, it has intrigued the
world for twenty centuries. A host of scholars have addressed the phenomenon, so
what more could be said? In The Resurrection of Jesus, Michael Licona tells us in-
deed. In brilliant detail, he begins with the anomaly that I, as an ancient historian,
have noted for years: that secular historians often have a much higher regard for the
New Testament as source material than do many theologians and scholars of reli-
gion. The latter tend to overlay their research with preconceived and hopelessly
subjective opinions, often ignoring the basic rules of historiography. Licona corrects
all this in showing how the research and writing of history ought to be done objec-
tively, especially in dealing with Jesus. I warmly commend this book to all who want
to know if the resurrection of Jesus really happened.”
Paul L. Maier, Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan
University
“With impressive erudition, Licona marshals all possible evidence of Jesus’ resur-
rection and considers its significance in a careful, methodical way. He then com-
pares several alternative explanations of the disciples’ faith in the resurrection,
judging them according to important criteria, and concludes that Jesus’ bodily
resurrection provides the best explanation of their conviction, and so is worthy of
belief. This is an astonishing achievement and a major contribution to the ongo-
ing debate. It is clearly written and full of fresh insights and arguments that will
enrich discussion for years to come.”
C. Behan McCullagh, author of The Logic of History
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“The resurrection of Jesus is—in many ways—too important a topic to be left to
theologians! In this thoroughly researched and well-argued volume, Mike Licona
brings the latest in discussion of historiography to bear on the question of Jesus’
resurrection. In a discipline that is often overwhelmed by theological special-
pleading, it is refreshing to have this sober and sensible approach to the resurrec-
tion that evaluates the historical data and the arguments of many of the scholars
writing on the subject. There are few biblical scholars who will not learn some-
thing from this important book.”
Stanley E. Porter, president, dean and professor of New Testament,
McMaster Divinity College
“This rich volume is not only a storehouse of valuable information pertinent to
the historical credibility of the resurrection of Jesus but also an important con-
tribution to the discussion of the historiographical problems raised by the inves-
tigation of so singular an event. Licona rejects the pessimism that characterizes
many historical Jesus scholars with respect to a resolution of these problems. He
explodes the myth of a postmodern historiography while recognizing the ineluc-
tability of personal horizons. As a friend of Mike Licona, I know how mightily
and honestly he wrestled with the issue of his own horizons in tackling the ques-
tion of Jesus’ resurrection. The result is as objective an assessment of the
evidence as one might reasonably demand.”
William Lane Craig, author of Is God Real? and contributing editor,
God Is Great, God Is Good
“What Licona calls a new historiographical approach is nothing of the sort. Rather,
it is an old, time-honored approach still found among the great majority of histori-
ans. What is new is the application of genuine, rigorous historical investigation—
methods and theories as defined by professional historians, not biblical scholars—to
the question of whether Jesus was raised from the dead. He leaves no stone unturned
in his examination of the evidence, and engages those with different views fairly yet
with a tour de force that unmasks their lack of explanatory adequacy concerning the
resurrection.
“The book is clear and logical, written in an irenic, respectful tone, yet with
passion, self-criticism and an engaging style. In short, Licona models what a true
historian should do as he investigates the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. He has
succeeded in making a compelling case with which all biblical scholars, as well as
any who are concerned with whether Jesus was raised from the dead, must wrestle.
When it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, the metanarrative of our lives hangs in
the balance. But that metanarrative goes beyond what Licona has presented. An
unbiased reader (if there were such a thing!) will have to work out the implications
for him- or herself.”
Daniel B. Wallace, executive director, Center for the Study of New Testament
Manuscripts, and professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
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“The most important event in the story of Christian beginnings is the resurrec-
tion of Jesus of Nazareth, who was widely believed by his followers to be the Mes-
siah of Israel and the very Son of God. Their conviction that Jesus was such a
being was confirmed by the resurrection. Without the resurrection of Jesus there
really are no grounds for Christian faith. Consequently, there is no topic more
important than this one and this is why Michael Licona’s book on the resurrec-
tion of Jesus is so welcome. Licona demonstrates expertise in every field that is
germane to the question. He knows the philosophical arguments inside and out,
as well as the relevant historical, biblical, cultural and archaeological data. This is
the book for believers and skeptics alike.”
Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity
College, Nova Scotia, Canada
“Treatments of the resurrection from various angles have become fairly common in
recent years, though careful assessments are rare. But efforts that place the resurrec-
tion of Jesus against the meticulous backdrop of historiographical principles are per-
haps the rarest of all. The brilliance of Mike Licona’s approach is his attempt to look
far beyond his own discipline of New Testament studies in an effort to develop a
rigorous method by which he could analyze and evaluate a historical claim such as
the resurrection. His approach is original, and accompanied by painstaking honesty
regarding the prospects of arriving at the best answer on this matter. Those who take
the time to work through the various conclusions will, in my opinion, be rewarded by
a cautious, thorough and painstaking study that could scarcely be outdone. I can
vouch for the extent of Mike’s gut-wrenching level of soul-searching before and dur-
ing this time of study, and can attest that it was a real effort to come to grips with a
final conclusion, wherever that might lead. There is no question that the reader is the
one who will benefit from this process. This is simply required reading for anyone
who wants to master this subject.”
Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor, Liberty University and
Theological Seminary
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The Resurrection of Jesus
A New Historiographical Approach
Michael R. Licona
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InterVarsity Press, USA
P.O. Box 1400
Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426, USA
World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com
Email: [email protected]
©2010 by Michael R. Licona
Michael R. Licona has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as
Author of this work.
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This book is dedicated to my two children, Ally and Zach,
who were almost always very patient and understanding while
I spent countless hours over several years involved
in the research contained in these pages.
Please know that I love you very much!
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