An Examination of “Minimal Fact” Argument for the Resurrection of Christ as Proposed by Gary Habermas
Michael Haggard
Advanced Topics in Contemporary Apologetics - Course Number: AP 661 IS R2 03
Trinity Theological Seminary
AN EXAMINATION OF “MINIMAL FACT” ARGUMENT FOR
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AS PROPOSED BY GARY HABERMAS
Gary Robert Habermas is distinguished Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy as well as department chairman of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University in Virginia.[1] He has devoted a large part of his career to the topic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and most likely has done more than any other scholar to defend its historicity.[2] In his research on the resurrection, over a two year period, Habermas tracked down more than twelve hundred publications dealing with the resurrection of Christ. Each source was published between 1975 and 2005, with the vast majority of them being written by critical scholars.[3] He found that the last twenty years have produced more than forty different suggestions favoring about a dozen different alternative explanations for the account of the resurrection of Jesus.[4] In his research, he has developed the "Minimal Facts" method of apologetics in defending the bodily, factual resurrection of Christ. Habermas calls his method the “minimal facts" method because in it he uses only those data that satisfy at least two major standards: each event must be either; exceptionally well attested to on multiple grounds; and the event must be recognized as historical by the majority of scholars who study this subject, especially when they oppose the conclusion that is nonetheless warranted.[5] In the end, he posits that the resurrection can be trusted to be true based upon only those few facts that meet these two standards. The essence of his approach is to use only those facts whose historical reliability enjoys almost universal agreement among scholars. As one example; quoting Reginald Fuller, Habermas points out that Jesus’ disciples belief that they had in fact seen the risen Jesus is one of
Advanced Topics in Contemporary Apologetics - Course Number: AP 661 IS R2 03
Trinity Theological Seminary
AN EXAMINATION OF “MINIMAL FACT” ARGUMENT FOR
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AS PROPOSED BY GARY HABERMAS
Gary Robert Habermas is distinguished Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy as well as department chairman of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University in Virginia.[1] He has devoted a large part of his career to the topic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and most likely has done more than any other scholar to defend its historicity.[2] In his research on the resurrection, over a two year period, Habermas tracked down more than twelve hundred publications dealing with the resurrection of Christ. Each source was published between 1975 and 2005, with the vast majority of them being written by critical scholars.[3] He found that the last twenty years have produced more than forty different suggestions favoring about a dozen different alternative explanations for the account of the resurrection of Jesus.[4] In his research, he has developed the "Minimal Facts" method of apologetics in defending the bodily, factual resurrection of Christ. Habermas calls his method the “minimal facts" method because in it he uses only those data that satisfy at least two major standards: each event must be either; exceptionally well attested to on multiple grounds; and the event must be recognized as historical by the majority of scholars who study this subject, especially when they oppose the conclusion that is nonetheless warranted.[5] In the end, he posits that the resurrection can be trusted to be true based upon only those few facts that meet these two standards. The essence of his approach is to use only those facts whose historical reliability enjoys almost universal agreement among scholars. As one example; quoting Reginald Fuller, Habermas points out that Jesus’ disciples belief that they had in fact seen the risen Jesus is one of
References: “Gary Habermas.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Habermas (Accessed November 7th, 2011). Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Dealing with Doubt.” Moody Press. Chicago. http://www.garyhabermas.com/books/dealing_with_doubt/dealing_with_doubt.htm (accessed 11-7-2011). Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. Habermas, Gary R. 2001. "The late twentieth-century resurgence of naturalistic responses to Jesus ' resurrection." Trinity Journal 22, no. 2: 179-196. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). Kreider, Glenn R. 2006. "The case for the resurrection of Jesus." Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 251-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). Parrish, Stephen E. 2005. "The risen Jesus and future hope." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 48, no. 1: 189-191. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). Loftus, John W. 2011. “Assessing the Minimal Facts Approach of Habermas, Licona, and Craig.” http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2011/10/assessing-minimal-facts-approach-of.html (Accessed November 7th, 2011). David, Tony. 2010. “Skeptical of Christian Apologetics, Part 2 - The Minimal Facts Argument.” http://www.examiner.com/skepticism-in-washington-dc/refutations-of-christian-apologeticspart-2-the-minimal-facts-argument (Accessed November 7th, 2011). ----------------------- [1] “Gary Habermas.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Habermas (Accessed November 7th, 2011). [2] Parrish, Stephen E. 2005. "The risen Jesus and future hope." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 48, no. 1: 189-191. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [3] Habermas, Gary R. 2001. "The late twentieth-century resurgence of naturalistic responses to Jesus ' resurrection." Trinity Journal 22, no. 2: 179-196. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [4] Habermas, Gary R. 2001. "The late twentieth-century resurgence of naturalistic responses to Jesus ' resurrection." Trinity Journal 22, no. 2: 179-196. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [5] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [6] Habermas, Gary R. 2001. "The late twentieth-century resurgence of naturalistic responses to Jesus ' resurrection." Trinity Journal 22, no. 2: 179-196. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [7] Parrish, Stephen E. 2005. "The risen Jesus and future hope." Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 48, no. 1: 189-191. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [8] Kreider, Glenn R. 2006. "The case for the resurrection of Jesus." Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 251-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [9] Kreider, Glenn R. 2006. "The case for the resurrection of Jesus." Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 251-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [10] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [11] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [12] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [13] Kreider, Glenn R. 2006. "The case for the resurrection of Jesus." Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 251-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [14] Habermas, Gary R. “Dealing with Doubt.” Moody Press. Chicago. 1990. http://www.garyhabermas.com/books/dealing_with_doubt/dealing_with_doubt.htm (accessed 11-7-2011). [15] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [16] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [17] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [18] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [19] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [20] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [21] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [22] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [23] Kreider, Glenn R. 2006. "The case for the resurrection of Jesus." Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 251-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [24] Habermas, Gary R. “Dealing with Doubt.” Moody Press. Chicago. 1990. http://www.garyhabermas.com/books/dealing_with_doubt/dealing_with_doubt.htm (accessed 11-7-2011). [25] Habermas, Gary R. 1990. “Jesus’ Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic. Part 2.” Criswell Theological Review. Vol. 4, No. 2. Winter. pp. 337-385. [26] Habermas, Gary R. “Dealing with Doubt.” Moody Press. Chicago. 1990. http://www.garyhabermas.com/books/dealing_with_doubt/dealing_with_doubt.htm (accessed 11-7-2011). [27] Loftus, John W. 2011. “Assessing the Minimal Facts Approach of Habermas, Licona, and Craig.” http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2011/10/assessing-minimal-facts-approach-of.html (Accessed November 7th, 2011). [28] Loftus, John W. 2011. “Assessing the Minimal Facts Approach of Habermas, Licona, and Craig.” http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2011/10/assessing-minimal-facts-approach-of.html (Accessed November 7th, 2011). [29] Loftus, John W. 2011. “Assessing the Minimal Facts Approach of Habermas, Licona, and Craig.” http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2011/10/assessing-minimal-facts-approach-of.html (Accessed November 7th, 2011). [30] David, Tony. 2010. “Skeptical of Christian Apologetics, Part 2 - The Minimal Facts Argument.” http://www.examiner.com/skepticism-in-washington-dc/refutations-of-christian-apologeticspart-2-the-minimal-facts-argument (Accessed November 7th, 2011). [31] David, Tony. 2010. “Skeptical of Christian Apologetics, Part 2 - The Minimal Facts Argument.” http://www.examiner.com/skepticism-in-washington-dc/refutations-of-christian-apologeticspart-2-the-minimal-facts-argument (Accessed November 7th, 2011). [32] Habermas, Gary R. 2005. “Recent Perspectives on the Reliability of the Gospels.” Christian Research Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. www.garyhabermas.com (accessed November 7th, 2011). [33] Habermas, Gary R. 2001. "The late twentieth-century resurgence of naturalistic responses to Jesus ' resurrection." Trinity Journal 22, no. 2: 179-196. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011). [34] Kreider, Glenn R. 2006. "The case for the resurrection of Jesus." Bibliotheca Sacra 163, no. 650: 251-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2011).