Resurrection of Jesus

by Gerd Lüdemann

Book Overview

What actually happened at the resurrection of Jesus? Gerd Luedemann suggests that this question-considered unanswerable by many-is of crucial importance to Christians and that it can be answered more specifically than has been the case in recent studies. Luedemann begins with the oldest list of witnesses to the resurrection (1 Corinithians 15) and proceeds from there to three texts from Paul and the Gospels to investigate the events of Good Friday,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080062792X
• ISBN13: 9780800627928
• Release Date: November 1994
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Highly informative

Ludemann does his usual masterful dissection of the Gospels et al to show the resurrection for what it is/was--a powerful visionary experience. A healthy dose of commonsense plays a role in his conclusions as well--the deceased do not return to life and go gallivanting about. This is painful fact for Ludemann--one that cost him his faith ... and his job! There's a reason why the miraculous happened to the Ancients, but do not happen today. They did not occur then, either. People viewed the miraculous far, far differently then we do in the 21st Century. It was quite normal for gods to appear to their creation, for statues to weep, for faith healers to cure the sick so forth and so on. This was the norm of the day ... and this the fact of the resurrection--visionary. I think James Robinson put it best when he stated: "... One by one, then in smaller or larger groups, the disciples experienced Jesus still calling on them to continue his message and lifestyle. Thus he reentered their lives as they experienced anew the reality of his message and in turn were commissioned to carry it on just as he had. This is the experience that was and is the reality of Easter."--The Gospel of Jesus, Robinson, James, M., p. 206 A personal note on the resurrection ... Not in recorded history has a miracle, like that which occurred in the Bible, been observed--ever. Jesus supposedly stated that this would not be the case--that believers would do greater miracles than he. Has never happened. No one has ever walked on water, calmed a storm, raised the dead, changed water into wine--nothing! Now, if they don't occur today ... they never happened to the ancients. The dead simply do not come back to life.