Product Description

"A phenomenal resource that is both user-friendly and up-to-date, [and will] equip believers to defend this crucial issue." - Josh McDowell. Includes an interactive CD in a game-show format to test your memory of the key issues and concepts. (20060701)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #137375 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Habermas, who has written several apologetic works on the resurrection, and Licona, a speaker and budding New Testament scholar who was once Habermas's student, offer a comprehensive and far-reaching argument for the historical veracity of Christ's resurrection. In fact, at times it is too far-reaching, as when the authors digress into refutations of Mormonism, alien activity and Elvis sightings; this book would be much improved if it had been trimmed by about a third. Many evangelicals will appreciate the authors' broad evidentiary claims and marshalling of historical, theological, archaeological, biomedical and literary data to support their belief in the resurrection. Yet despite its strong content, the book is poorly written, and is organized in a workmanlike outline format that seems more appropriate for a seminary lecture than a seamless book. A closing chapter offers practical tips for evangelical Christians who wish to share their faith with others.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Carolyn Keefe Church and Synagogue Library Association : "This outstanding teaching tool has multiple uses for church congregants: individual or small group study, visitation and evangelism preparation, church school elective courses, and theological fortification of secular university students. In addition, it provides stimulating study for pastors who have not taken an apologetics course in seminary or who need a refresher."

L.R.K. Church Libraries : You will find this book to be the most practical and reader-friendly book in defense of Jesus' resurrection on the market today.

From the Publisher
The review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY for Gary Habermas’s and Michael Licona’s CASE FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS, which appears on your website, was based on the unedited manuscript. In the process of editing, the "workmanlike outline format" was deleted in order to make it a seamless book. The book also boasts a free interactive CD in a game show format.

Many thanks for making this clarification. Jim Weaver Kregel Publications

Customer Reviews

Equipping Believers to Evangelize the Resurrection
To be candid, I am not a fan of most popular apologetics -- especially on the resurrection. But when I saw that this book was 384 pages long, I thought it was perhaps an exception and would cover the issue in more detail than others. I was wrong. So why do I still rank this book so high? Because it does what it intends to do effectively.

This book effectively equips Christians to witness to their friends, neighbors, and families using the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Habermas and Licona begin with a discussion about the importance of the resurrection of Jesus to Christianity. Though this seems obvious, the discussion is helpful because it wisely recommends focusing on the resurrection without getting bogged down in, presumably, issues such as inerrancy and a complete harmonization of the resurrection narratives. This is a common failing of Christians trying to share their faith. The authors' emphasis on keeping the eye on the ball extends throughout the book.

After the opening chapter, the book turns to the core of the issue, the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. The strength of this section is that it distills down, accurately, a high level of scholarship on the issue. Habermas and Licona present five "minimal facts." That is, they focus on five historical facts that are accepted by most scholars:

1) Jesus' death by crucifixion;
2) Jesus' disciples believed that he rose and appeared to them;
3) Paul, a persecutor of the church, has suddenly changed to faith in Jesus;
4) James, skeptical of Jesus during his ministry, was suddenly changed to faith in Jesus; and,
5) The tomb of Jesus was empty.

No. 4 is perhaps more disputed than Habermas and Licona discuss (and by far the least important of the five), but the rest of the discussion accurately represents the state of historical scholarship. Although their discussion will not supplant the more probing discussions of N.T. Wright or William L. Craig, it will equip the reader to accurately present to their friends, neighbors, and family the persuasive historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. They fit their "minimal facts" together effectively to present a strong case for the resurrection of Jesus.

Most of the rest of the book deals with various objections to the resurrection. This includes the usual suspects, such as the hallucination theory or the forgotten grave site. But it also includes others that scholars tend to ignore but which actually pop up in real conversation, such as whether Jesus could have been an alien (don't laugh, I've heard that one) and how do we know that even if there was a resurrection that God had anything to do with it. Their response effectively focuses on the context of Jesus' ministry and claims about himself.

There are a few sections that appear out of place, such as the discussion of near death experiences and even the section about the existence of God. But the book closes with its strength, a helpful discussion of how to take the knowledge conveyed by the book and convince others about the resurrection of Jesus.

Christians wishing to share effectively the core of their faith with those they care about will find this book very helpful. And for that reason, I recommend it.

One of the most useful books on the Christian faith
Knowing why you believe what you believe is one of the hardest parts of being a Christian. Just as parents answer a child's endless supply of "why?" questions and usually run out of answers, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas ensures that we Christians don't. It begins with "why" it is important for us to know the information provided in this book. The answer is found in God's Holy Word, I Peter 3:15, "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

This book takes several arguments disputing the resurrection of Christ and tears them to shreds. It demonstrates that the very sources used against the resurrection are biased and partial. The amount of information and biblical knowledge contained within is astounding. It includes a CD-ROM which is pure genius, educating the public about the resurrection.

Habermas dissects common questions that argue against Jesus' resurrection, making it an easy reference for the future. For example, say the person you are witnessing to says, "The disciples stole the body;" it is easy to find the information to refute that false belief. Every known argument for why the resurrection didn't happen is accounted for in this book, and proven wrong.

This book is an excellent learning tool for every Christian. I recommend it for pastors as a reference tool and a study guide, regardless of where they are in their walk with the Lord. All of life is a time to learn, and learning never stops. We can never know too much about God.

With the inclusion of a detailed outline of the arguments contained in this book, the notes taken to write the book ( listed by individual chapter),and the bibliography of other reference books used in this one, there is an limitless supply of Bible studies and/or sermons. What pastor could not use this book? This book is by far one of the most useful books on the Christian faith. -- Tammy Hornbeck, Christian Book Previews.com

The Excellent Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
I have used the "minimal facts" approach several times since I finished reading "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus." Three weeks ago I used it to witness to a Muslim, and she granted that Jesus could have risen from the dead, but she argued this would not mean Christianity was true. However, I pointed out that Jesus' resurrection would have served in confirmation of the claims He made, and she agreed with me.

I also used the "minimal facts" approach while witnessing to and debating three agnostics at once this past Saturday night. The approach was extremely effective against their objections, and the best they could come up with was that the disciples were subconsciously predisposed to believe Jesus rose from the dead, grave robbers stole Jesus' body, and that Paul was just sick of his job so he converted to the Christian faith. However, I pointed out that the disciples were not in the right frame of mind to believe Jesus had risen from the dead, because they had just seen their leader, and friend die a horrible death. I also explained how the grave robber theory could not account for the resurrection appearances to Paul, nor James. Regarding Paul's conversion I reminded them of Paul's own words stating that he was an excellent Pharisee, and he apparently loved his job before his conversion. The agnostics also tried to negate the four minimal facts by pointing out that many people sincerely believe they have been abducted by aliens, and that more people have claimed to have been abducted by aliens than those who claimed to have seen the risen Jesus. However, I pointed out that this objection failed to address the minimal facts presented.

Needless to say, I found "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus" to be a very powerful, and effective witnessing tool.