[B-Greek] OFF TOPIC: XTalk Seminar with Gerd Ludemann
Steven Lo Vullo
themelios at charter.net
Wed Dec 1 19:52:20 EST 2004
On Nov 30, 2004, at 4:00 PM, Jeffrey B. Gibson wrote:
> Although the resurrection is the keystone dogma of Christian belief,
> and
> Sunday churchgoers rarely if ever think to question it, scholarly
> research shows with the utmost clarity that from a historical
> standpoint
> Jesus was not raised from the dead. In fact, it is almost universally
> recognized among scholars of New Testament textual criticism that the
> gospel narratives describing the resurrection appearances are not
> reliable eyewitness accounts, but expressions of faith written by the
> first Christian believers long after the death of Jesus.
>
> 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 I 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 modem 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 non-historicity of
> Jesus'
> resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good
> conscience still call themselves Christians.
Jeffery:
I certainly don't mind the posting of your announcement. But I can do
without the bombastic, exaggerated, and narrow-minded declamation from
the fanatical, propagandistic clique at Prometheus. Is this kind of
inflammatory material really appropriate for this list? With people
being chastised for comparatively trivial one-sentence political
slogans after their signatures, I hardly think so.
============
Steven Lo Vullo
Madison, WI
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