Is There Enough Historical Evidence to Believe Jesus Was Raised from the Dead? + “Spirit in the Sky” (Norman Greenbaum)

Atheist Richard Dawkins has defined faith as “a state of mind that leads people to believe something—it doesn’t matter what—in the total absence of supporting evidence.” But is the evidence for Christian faith really that weak? On this week's episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast, Timothy and Garrick explore historical evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ; then, in the second half of the show, they take a look at the theology of “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum. This week's question from the Infinity Gauntlet pits J.K. Rowling's Elder Wand in a battle to the death against J.R.R.Tolkien's One Ring.

What Questions Do We Discuss in this Episode about Historical Evidences for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

1. How is it that Richard Dawkins can claim there is a “total absence of supporting evidence” for faith?

2. What are some of the ways that historians determine what claims about the past are most plausible?

3. What are the results when we apply these approaches to historical evidence that relates to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus?

What Resources Do We Recommend?

If you want to dig deeper into apologetics, one great place to start is Reasons for Our Hope by H. Wayne House and Dennis Jowers. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com 

* N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God

* Michael R. Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus

* The Bible Project, "Heaven and Earth"

* Jonathan T. Pennington, Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew

If you are interested in earning a master's degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/

What Are We Discussing in the Next Episode?

So what do Superman, Captain America, Professor X, and Jesus Christ all have in common? According to the canonical accounts of their lives, each one has been raised from the dead. So why is it that, even in fiction, humans yearn for heroes who die and return to life? In the next episode, Timothy explores these questions with cohost Garrick Bailey and Western Seminary professor Todd Miles. In the second half of the program, Garrick and Timothy go digging for God’s truth in the music of Larry Norman, the father of Christian rock. This week's dilemma from the Infinity Gauntlet leads to a deadly duel between Jedi Master Yoda and Gandalf the White.

Do You Have Any Questions?

If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, ask us on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/ApologeticsPod. If you want to subscribe to the podcast, click here. If you’re interested in supporting this podcast, in suggesting future songs or topics, or in ordering Three Chords and the Truth merchandise, visit https://www.patreon.com/ThreeChordsandtheTruth.

What Else Do You Need to Know?

Music for the podcast has been licensed through ArtList.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly---even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Music identified as having been composed by Timothy Paul Jones may not be reproduced, used, adapted, or performed in any other context without his express written permission, except for the purposes of review with acknowledgment of the source. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (17 U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).