The Resurrection Of Christ: A Historical Inquiry

by Gerd Ludemann

Overview

In this thorough exegesis of the primary texts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, New Testament expert Gerd Lüdemann (University of Göttingen) presents compelling evidence that shows the resurrection was not a historical event and further argues that this development leaves little, if any, basis for Christian faith as presently defined.Beginning with Paul's testimony in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8, in which the apostle declares that Jesus "has been raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures," Lüdemann systematically evaluates every reference to Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament, as well as apocryphal literature. He examines the purpose of the text writers, the ways in which they reworked tradition, and the historical value of each account. Through this approach, he offers a reconstruction of the probable course of events as well as the circumstances surrounding Jesus' death on the cross, the burial of his body, his reported resurrection on the third day, and subsequent appearances to various disciples.Since the historical evidence leads to the firm conclusion that Jesus' body was not raised from the dead, Lüdemann argues that the origin of the Easter faith must be sought in the visionary experiences of Christianity's two leading apostles. From a modern perspective this leads to the inescapable conclusion that both primary witnesses to Jesus' resurrection, Peter and Paul, were victims of self-deception.In conclusion, he asks whether in light of the nonhistoricity of Jesus' resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good conscience still call themselves Christians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591022459
Publisher:	Prometheus Books
Publication date:	10/01/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.08(d)

About the Author

Gerd Lüdemann is a professor of the history and literature of early Christianity at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Professor Lüdemann's published conclusions about Christianity aroused great controversy in his native Germany, where the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony demanded his immediate dismissal from the theological faculty of his university. Despite this threat to his academic freedom, he has retained his post at the university, although the chair he holds was renamed to disassociate him from the training program of German pastors. Lüdemann is also the author of Jesus After 2000 Years, Paul: The Founder of Christianity, The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry, and many other works.

Table of Contents

	Preface	7
1	On the Need for a Fresh Investigation into the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus	11
2	The Various Early Christian Texts on the Resurrection of Jesus: Survey and Classification	29
3	Translation and Analysis of the Early Christian Texts on the Resurrection of Jesus	39
	1 Cor. 15:1-11: The Easter Traditions in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians	40
	The Easter Narrative in the Gospel of Mark	83
	The Easter Narrative in the Gospel of Matthew	90
	The Easter Narrative in the Gospel of Luke	100
	The Easter Narrative in the Gospel of John	114
	The Easter Narrative in the Gospel of Peter	131
	The Easter Narrative in the Epistle of the Apostles (Epistula Apostolorum)	134
	In Retrospect	138
4	The Faith of the Early Christians in Jesus' Resurrection-Origin and History of a Self-Deception	153
	The Origin of the Self-Deception	154
	The History of the Self-Deception Concerning the Resurrection of Jesus	172
5	Can We Still Be Christians-Despite the Nonresurrection of Jesus?	189
	The Result	190
	A Historical Survey	191
	Alternatives to David Friedrich Strauss	193
	Epilogue	209
Appendix 1	Mary Magdalene-A Confidante of Jesus and a Rival of Peter	213
Appendix 2	An Analogy from Hellenistic Religions Concerning the Relationship between the Appearances of Jesus and the Empty Tomb	227
Appendix 3	Some Critical Comments on Mel Gibson's Movie The Passion of the Christ in the Light of Historical Criticism	231
	Select Bibliography	241
	Index of Modern Authors	245