Raised on the Third Day: Defending the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus

Did Jesus rise from the dead? Is resurrection even possible?

There are numerous historical and philosophical challenges to belief in Jesus’ resurrection. For many, these questions are insurmountable.

Raised on the Third Day approaches these questions with critical and believing eyes. Edited by W. David Beck and Michael R. Licona, Raised on the Third Day collects essays from prominent contributors in the fields of philosophy, history, and apologetics. Contributors—including J. P. Moreland, William Lane Craig, Craig A. Evans, Beth M. Sheppard, and Sean McDowell—evaluate scriptural, historical, moral, and apologetic issues related to Christ’s death and resurrection. Essays on the Shroud of Turin and near-death experiences round out the volume. Inspired by the foundational work of Gary Habermas—arguably the greatest contemporary Christian thinker on the resurrection—these essays build upon his work and move the discussion forward.

Readers will better appreciate how Habermas has shaped scholarship on Christ’s resurrection and further areas for exploration and discussion.

392 pages.

• Introduction by Michael R. Licona and W. David Beck
• Note from Gary Habermas
• “On Habermas’s Minimal Facts Argument” by Robert B. Stewart
• “The Soul and Near-Death Experiences: A Case for Substance Dualism” by J. P. Moreland
• “The Image on the Shroud: A Best Explanations Approach” by Mark W. Foreman
• “The Uniqueness of Christianity in a World of Religions” by Craig J. Hazen
• “John Rawl’s Political Liberalism and the Problem of Taking Rites Seriously: From Abortion to Same-Sex Wedding Cakes” By Francis J. Beckwith
• “On the Organic Connection between Jesus’ Atoning Death and Resurrection” by William Lane Craig
• “The Moral Argument and the Minimal Facts” by David Baggett
• “The Logical Structure of Moral Arguments” by W. David Beck

• “The Testimony of Josephus and the Burial of Jesus” by Craig A. Evans
• “Near-Death Experiences and Christian Theology” by Dale C. Allison, Jr.
• “The Deaths of the Apostles and Belief in Jesus’ Resurrection” by Sean McDowell
• “The History and Current State of Modern Shroud Research” by Barrie M. Schwortz
• “Racing toward the Tomb: Purity and Sacrifice in the Fourth Gospel” by Beth M. Sheppard
• “A Note on Women as Witnesses and the Empty Tomb Resurrection Accounts” by Darrell L. Bock
• “Historical Epistemology and Divine Action” by Benjamin C. F. Shaw
• “The Primacy of Paul in Discussions on Jesus’ Resurrection” by Michael R. Licona
• “What Aspiring (and Veteran) Apologists May Learn from Gary Habermas” by Alex McFarland
• “What Everyone Should Learn from Gary Habermas” by Frank Turek