Preview

Theories of resurrection of the body are logically incoherent.

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2689 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Theories of resurrection of the body are logically incoherent.
Resurrection is a Christian, materialist view that the body rises after death in a physical form, with the main evidence of this being the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Resurrection is central to the Christian faith as it marks the start of Christianity from the Jewish scriptures. There are many differing views about the plausibility of resurrection. Some may believe that resurrection is only based on theories, therefore not proved beyond doubt, and that these theories don't make sense. Hard materialists such as Hume will support this view, saying that death is the end and the decomposing body is evidence of that.

However this opinion may not necessarily be true. The base of many theories of resurrection is the bible, which suggests that talk of physical resurrection of Jesus is logical as there is recorded evidence through the accounts of Luke, Matthew, Mark and John. These accounts can be seen as evidence that theories of resurrection are logical because they are classed as eye witness accounts. Matthew reported that Jesus appeared to the disciples and said "peace be with you". They came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.' (Mathew 28 V9) Mark also says that Mary saw a man in the tomb and he said 'You are looking for the Jesus of Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!'(Mark 16 V6) but Mary was too scared and didn't tell anyone. Another source of evidence was Luke's statement when Jesus appeared; 'They gave him a piece of cooked fish, which he took and ate' (Luke 24 V41-43). Then finally John said Jesus appeared to Thomas, saying 'put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side' (John 20 V27). These accounts support a Christian materialist view that Jesus' resurrection was physical as he could eat, be touched, walk, speak and breathe. They are considered as evidence as they are written historical accounts. The evidence must be reliable; would they risk their lives for made up stories?

Not only is there

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    In his book, Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope, Jonathan Kozol pulls back the veil and provides readers with a glimpse of the harsh conditions and unrelenting hope that exists in a community located in the South Bronx called Mott Haven. Mr. Kozol provides his own socially conscious and very informative view of the issues facing the children and educators in this poverty ravaged neighborhood. Just his commentary would paint a very bleak picture of the future. It is the words of the children that give this book optimism and meaning. The courage and care exhibited by the volunteers of St. Ann's after school program and the creativity of the teachers at P.S. 30 are utterly inspiring. They work long hours and go beyond the call of duty to protect the innocence and cultivate the hope that resides in the hearts of Mott Haven's youngest residents.…

    • 2149 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When you are attempting to explain the resurrection of Jesus to an unbeliever it is important to stay on topic, and not be sidelined into a discussion on the inerrancy of the Bible. As Christians, we believe in our heart that while this is true, it may be difficult to expect a nonbeliever to hold to these beliefs. In order to stay on topic, we must take the “minimal facts approach”. In this approach, we are discussing information that is so “strongly attested historically that they are granted by nearly every scholar who studies the subject, even the rather skeptical ones” (Habermas & Licona, 2004, p. 44). The data selected for discussion meets two criteria: “They are well evidenced and nearly every scholar accepts them” (Habermas & Licona, 2004, p. 44).…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The second fact is that Jesus’ disciples believed that He rose and appeared to them. What could transform a group of “fearful, cowering individuals who denied and abandoned Him [Jesus] at His arrest and execution into bold proclaimers of the gospel of the risen Lord” (Habermas & Licona, 2004, p. 50)? These men had nothing to gain from their claims. In fact, they remained consistent with their beliefs even in the face of beatings, torture, imprisonment, and their own martyrdom. Nine early and independent sources confirm that the disciples claimed the resurrection. These fall into three categories: the testimony of Paul about the disciples, the early church’s oral tradition, and the written works of the early church. Succinctly put, even when merely viewing the New Testament as an ancient collection of writings, there is strong evidence to assert…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Should the resurrection of Jesus be considered one of the "signs" of the Gospel? Why or why not? This by far is a very controversial debate and is tossed to and fro with the theological community. The Gospel of John does not state that the resurrection is a “sign” even though the event was miraculous in and of itself, there is no biblical evidence to back up the event as a sign. The purpose of the resurrection was not to prove that Christ was who He claimed to be rather it was necessary. A sign like raising Lazarus was not for any purpose except to help those who doubted as Thomas did to believe. [1]The apostle Paul went so far in emphasis as to argue that if there is no resurrection, there is no Gospel. All that we teach and preach today would be pointless if it had not been for the resurrection, unlike a “sign” that was not necessary for our salvation. I am not saying this because of the importance of Christianity, I am simply pointing out a fact of the difference in the two. I have never been asked this question before nor have I thought about a possible argument to back up the theory. On studying and researching into this question I would have to say I am leaning toward the fact that Christ resurrection is not a sign or miracle base on specific verses in the Bible itself. Not to say that right because it is an opinion, however as I stated above, Christ didn’t rise again as a sign to help those who did not believe. I have read that the eighth sign was called the “book of glory” being the resurrection of Christ [2] instead of the miraculous catch of the fish. [3] Leon Morris says this, the miraculous catch fish in chapter 21 would certainly qualify, except for the fact that this lies outside the public ministry of Jesus. That being said I can understand both points of view and although I lean more toward it not being a sign, the argument presented makes good sense in the fact that the catching of the fish was not public.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lastly is the fact that Jesus is characterized as an actual touchable being, rather then just a spirit. In all four of the gospels, after Jesus returns, he is able to be touched and can move around. In the Book of Luke, 20:27, while Jesus stands among the disciples, Jesus says to Thomas “Put your finger here, and see my hands...” proving to all in the room that he truly was human, rather than a ghost.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Some people, also known as dualists, disagree with this statement, as they believe in the existence of soul in human beings. NDE is one their main arguments. They claim that NDEs show there must be a part of us that can exist without our bodies, because a patient once heard the conversation of the surgeons during her operation of the brain where her senses should be numb. This also proves that the soul is free from the body. Moreover, some dualists feel like there is something which is in charge of their body, however, separate to it and human beings are not simply a physical body. Also, they think the soul is what makes human unique and different to animals. Without that, humans are nothing special.…

    • 334 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The idea of disembodied existence is a dualist view; that the soul and the body are two separate things. Dualists believe that the soul can live on after the death of the body.…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (Dickens 359).…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gothic Poe and Hawthorne

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe are considered masters of American gothic fiction. Gothic is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Jennifer Palladino cited Herman Melville who wrote “Gothic was nothing if not new and varied; yet at the same time, there was an unexpected mental growth as well, a dimensional growth in acuity of intelligence and refinement of consciousness.” Poe wrote more of a horror genre, and Hawthorne wrote more of dark and allegorical literature. Their characters were people of a certain society, and in those times, people of certain standards would associate together. They wrote about life and their political parties and what people could expect. Poe and Hawthorne define American literature by the use of symbolism, setting, themes and characterizing.…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It may also be true that Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth, Noah and other persons named in Genesis 1-11 were indeed historical figures whose names have been preserved in the folklore of ancient Israel; and many scholars believe that the story of the great flood in Genesis 6-8 is based upon the actual occurrence of a major deluge in the ancient Middle East (c. 4000 B.C.). But it is doubtful that God created the world and mankind in the precise manner depicted in Genesis 1-2, that the fall of the human race took place exactly as described in Genesis 3, that the stories of Noah and the flood (Gn 6-9) and of the Tower of Babel (Gn 11) are literally true in all of their details, and so on. Were we to accept every detail of Genesis 1-11 as literally true, we should be committing ourselves to the view that man made his appearance on earth only about 120 hours after the world was created; that daylight existed before the sun came into being (Gn 1:3-5, 14-19); that the universe is surrounded by water (1:6-8); that the universe is no more than six or seven thousand years old (a figure arrived at by tracing the various genealogies found…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Three days after His death people began to see the resurrected Christ. He appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9) and other woman who went to the tomb (Luke 24:1-10). He appeared numerous times to the disciples (Luke 24:13-40, John 21:1-23) and later by five hundred disciples (Matt. 28:16-20). Also, evidence of Jesus resurrection is seen in how the lives of James and Paul were changed after Jesus appeared to them. Many of the disciples died proclaiming the truth that Jesus died on the cross and came back to life. It was through their works that many others believe in the Jesus resurrection…

    • 103 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The crucifix is an image of Jesus on the cross, it represents Jesus’ death and resurrection. A cross is a representation of the instrument of Jesus’ crucifixion. Both sacred objects are a sign of Christ himself and play a very important role in the christian faith. Before the ruling of Constantine during the 4th century, it was seen as dangerous to openly use the cross so christians were very reluctant to practice or show signs of their faith in public. This however changed when constantine converted to christianity, and got rid of the death penalty and used it to promote the crucifix as a christian symbol of faith, resulting in both objects became immensely popular in christian art and monuments.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The resurrection is important to the Christian Worldview, because with all the troubles of the world, we know that without faith the world would be a chaotic place. Jesus gives us something to be thankful and blissful for by giving us life with an abundance of forgiveness until will leave. Jesus resurrection gives us a new way of life, if we take it. Jesus gift allowed us to walk and give our life to him in exchange for Gods promise of benevolence toward us. Furthermore, being discipline in our heart and following the right path will leave us to have a homecoming worthy of our commitment to what we have done in the…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lazarus sister lost faith along the way arguing with Jesus that he took to long to come and see about his friend. I personally believe that Jesus delayed his visit on purpose so that Lazarus could have truly been considered dead. When Jesus came Lazarus body began to rot and decay this alone proves that Lazarus was considered dead and witness couldn’t just say that Lazarus was just asleep. This way Jesus was able to prove to all that he has the power to heal the sick and raise the dead. These types of miraculous acts have taken place throughout the bible proving to the readers as well as the participants in the story that Jesus has supernatural powers and he is lord of all. These particular passages remains close to my heart, because passages such as these are the foundation to my faith, it gives me the confidence that the God I have come to know or able to do miraculous acts then as well as…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Resurrection Of Nazareth

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is an authentic event as verified by many sources and is historically and biblically true.…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays