Audio: The Minimal Facts Approach by Dr. Gary Habermas


Hello Everyone! In this brief audio, Dr. Gary Habermas explains his "minimal facts" approach for arguing persuasively for the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

By using only the facts that 95% of critical and non-critical scholars concede as historical established, Dr. Habermas is able to present a compelling case for the validity of the resurrection account.

This short piece of audio can be found here; and for more on Dr. Habermas and to view his works, I highly recommend his website.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad A. Gross

Comments

Anonymous said…
I just blogged on his approach here:
http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/how-every-christian-can-learn-to-explain-the-resurrection-of-jesus-to-others/

He actually uses different facts than Craig or Wright. Have you ever read anything on Wright's mutations argument? He argues that the early Christian community would never have invented a single resurrection since the expectation was for a general resurrection at the end of the age.
Anonymous said…
Hello WK,

Hope all is well with you. Thank you for taking the time to comment and for providing the link. I appreciate the manner in which you paralleled the facts used by Craig with the ones used by Habermas. Great idea!

I am somewhat familiar with Wright’s argument and I seem to remember WLC using a variation of this argument in a debate Q and A; however, I can’t recall which one! I’ve listened to a lot of Craig’s debates.

For our readers, you can read a brief explanation of Wright’s argument that the WK mentions here: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Historical_Problem.htm

I believe that Wright argues persuasively for this point and it’s also worth mentioning that the Jews would have been looking for a Messiah that was going to overthrow Rome and take political control. Jesus and the idea of a “suffering Messiah” would have been completely contrary to what they were expecting; this is one of the reasons the disciples would have been so dejected after Christ’s crucifixion.

Regarding the different facts used by Habermas, Wright, and Craig, I know that Habermas has compiled his facts from over 3,000 sources that he is in the process of documenting. When he wrote “The Case for the Resurrection,” the count was 2,200. However, I recently heard Habermas, in his debate with Arif Ahmed; say that the count was now just over 3,000.

Moreover, one only has to listen to or read Craig to sustain that he is well acquainted with the relevant literature.

Of the three, I am least familiar with Tom Wright.

Finally, for what it’s worth, I myself have blogged on Habermas’s approach a few times in the past.

Minimal Facts

http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2008/03/febmarch-truthbomb-apologetics.html

Resurrection Objections

http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2008/06/aprilmay-truthbomb-apologetics.html

Dr. Habermas’s Personal Apologetic

http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2008/12/example-of-dr-gary-habermas.html

Great to hear from you!

Godspeed
Jake said…
It's funny how sometimes we get wrapped up in looking for a hidden or mystery answer, and all along its in the facts. Great audio clip!!
I think the great Scholar Sgt Joe Friday (Dragnet) said it "Just the facts..." (j/k)

See you guys soon,
Jake
Anonymous said…
Hello Jake,

I'm glad that you enjoyed the audio! And yes, let us never forget the words of bible scholar- Sgt. Joe Friday...:-)

Godspeed