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Paul and the Resurrection: Testing the Apostolic Testimony
For the contemporary believer, Paul’s role in the historical setting of the Resurrection is far more than a matter of theological curiosity. The Christian justification for rational belief in the Resurrection is in large part anchored in Paul’s justification for rational belief in the authenticity of his own experience. In Paul we find the earliest and best attested documentary evidence for a historical investigation of the miraculous event. Moreover, his epistles are an indispensable source of independent corroboration of the gospel narratives.Opponents of Christianity have formulated a variety of hypotheses to account for Paul’s experience on the Damascus Road. Some propose that Paul was deceptive; others argue that he was deluded; and still others contend he came to believe a legendary development. Yet according to the Christian hypothesis, Paul’s claim to have encountered the risen Jesus is dependable, and his testimony can be shown to withstand the scrutiny of critics. In this innovative, interdisciplinary study, Pagán combines the analytic tools of history and philosophy to explore and evaluate competing explanations of Paul’s belief in the Resurrection of Jesus.
114 pages, Paperback
Published March 10, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 6, 2020
Paul and the Resurrection,
Testing the Apostolic Testimony,
This is an incredibly brief book suitable to academic treatments and introductions to apologetics in college classrooms or perhaps in a retreat setting for pastors and interested lay people.
On first glance, a person wonders why they should believe Paul’s account of the the resurrection of give any Creedence to PRB (Paul’s resurrection belief). Here was a man who evidently fell off his donkey and hit his head rather hard. The concussion blinded him and he then claimed to have seen a man he had previously believed to be dead. Why should anyone listen to this? Or so the dismissal is set up, regardless of whether or not a donkey was present at the scene on the road to Damascus.
Joshua Pagan takes up this challenge. He looks at all the common objections to the Biblical account of Paul’s conversion and, more importantly, Paul’s various presentations of the resurrection as the foundation for the Christian faith. In actual fact, Paul’s are the earliest written presentations of the resurrection of Jesus that we have in recorded history. Joshua Pagan gives special attention to 1 Cor. 15 in this text.
After discussions concerning various approaches to historiography and objections to miracles as first developed by Hume, and later reformulations of the same arguments, Joshua narrows the discussion down to four hypotheses that a person can adopt in relation to Paul’s Resurrection Belief. 1. Deception, this hypothesis maintains that Paul intentionally deceived his audience. 2. Delusion, this hypothesis maintains that Paul himself was deluded and delusional. 3. Development, this hypothesis is that Paul is relaying a legend that has developed around Jesus Christ but is not actually true. 4. Dependability, this hypothesis is that Paul’s testimony is actually true and dependable.
Obviously, Joshua Pagan argues against the first three hypotheses and for the fourth hypothesis. In my own dealings with unbelievers I find 3 is most often the more popular of the hypotheses. Joshua Pagan does a great job in showing why it is untenable. That Paul’s writings and history otherwise show him not to have been the type of person susceptible to visions, and that it is highly coincidental that Ananias would have at roughly the same time but in a different place a vision exonerating Paul for his past sins against the church in Jerusalem. Paul is able to do a great amount of positive work and hold intimate friendships and working relationships with various people who follow his leadership. In other words he is not the type of man one takes to the tailor to be fitted for a straightjacket.
I did receive a copy of this book for review.
Testing the Apostolic Testimony,
This is an incredibly brief book suitable to academic treatments and introductions to apologetics in college classrooms or perhaps in a retreat setting for pastors and interested lay people.
On first glance, a person wonders why they should believe Paul’s account of the the resurrection of give any Creedence to PRB (Paul’s resurrection belief). Here was a man who evidently fell off his donkey and hit his head rather hard. The concussion blinded him and he then claimed to have seen a man he had previously believed to be dead. Why should anyone listen to this? Or so the dismissal is set up, regardless of whether or not a donkey was present at the scene on the road to Damascus.
Joshua Pagan takes up this challenge. He looks at all the common objections to the Biblical account of Paul’s conversion and, more importantly, Paul’s various presentations of the resurrection as the foundation for the Christian faith. In actual fact, Paul’s are the earliest written presentations of the resurrection of Jesus that we have in recorded history. Joshua Pagan gives special attention to 1 Cor. 15 in this text.
After discussions concerning various approaches to historiography and objections to miracles as first developed by Hume, and later reformulations of the same arguments, Joshua narrows the discussion down to four hypotheses that a person can adopt in relation to Paul’s Resurrection Belief. 1. Deception, this hypothesis maintains that Paul intentionally deceived his audience. 2. Delusion, this hypothesis maintains that Paul himself was deluded and delusional. 3. Development, this hypothesis is that Paul is relaying a legend that has developed around Jesus Christ but is not actually true. 4. Dependability, this hypothesis is that Paul’s testimony is actually true and dependable.
Obviously, Joshua Pagan argues against the first three hypotheses and for the fourth hypothesis. In my own dealings with unbelievers I find 3 is most often the more popular of the hypotheses. Joshua Pagan does a great job in showing why it is untenable. That Paul’s writings and history otherwise show him not to have been the type of person susceptible to visions, and that it is highly coincidental that Ananias would have at roughly the same time but in a different place a vision exonerating Paul for his past sins against the church in Jerusalem. Paul is able to do a great amount of positive work and hold intimate friendships and working relationships with various people who follow his leadership. In other words he is not the type of man one takes to the tailor to be fitted for a straightjacket.
I did receive a copy of this book for review.
March 28, 2024
Pagan writes a book packed with logical arguments for the rationality and truth of Paul's eyewitness testimony on the road to Damascus and thus defends Christianity as a whole.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews