Whether or not Jesus rose bodily from the dead is perhaps the most critical and contentious issue in the study of Christianity. Until now, scholars have concentrated on explicit statements in the New Testament to support their views, but Richard Swinburne argues for a wider approach, asking instead whether the character of God and the life of Jesus support the probability of the Resurrection. His book will be of great interest not only to academics but to anyone with an interest in religious philosophy and doctrine. ~ Publisher’s Description

Table of Contents

• • Introduction 1
• Pt. I General Background Evidence
  • 1 Principles for Weighing Evidence 9
  • 2 God’s Reasons for Incarnation 32
  • 3 The Marks of an Incarnate God 55
• Pt. II Prior Historical Evidence
  • 4 The Historical Sources 69
  • 5 The Life and Moral Teaching of Jesus 83
  • 6 Jesus Implied his Divinity 98
  • 7 Jesus Taught his Atonement 117
  • 8 Jesus Founded a Church 127
• Pt. III Posterior Historical Evidence
  • 9 The Appearances of the Risen Jesus 145
  • 10 The Empty Tomb and the Observance of Sunday 160
  • 11 Rival Theories of what Happened 174
  • 12 The Significance of the Resurrection 187
• Pt. IV Conclusion
  • 13 The Balance of Probability 201
  • App.: Formalizing the Argument 204
  • Index of Biblical References 217
  • Index of Names and Subjects 222