Did the Resurrection Happen . . . Really?: A Dialogue on Life, Death, and Hope

Coffee House Chronicles #3

by Josh McDowell, Dave Sterrett

With over 40 million books sold, bestselling author Josh McDowell is no stranger to creatively presenting biblical truth. Now, partnering with fellow apologist Dave Sterrett, Josh introduces a new series targeted at the intersection of story and truth. The Coffee House Chronicles are short, easily devoured novellas aimed at answering prevalent spiritual questions. Each book in the series tackles a long-contested question of the faith, and then answer these questions with truth through relationships and dialogue in each story. In Did the Resurrection Happen, Really?: A Dialogue on Life, Death, and Hope , the college campus is rocked by a shooting spree that leaves nine students dead. Their up-close experience with mortality allies the coffee house discussion group together to really wrestle with the spiritual and eternal ramifications of whether or not Jesus rose from the dead. The other two books in the Is the Bible True, Really? and Who is Jesus, Really? continue the unfolding story at the college campus and the coffee house down the road.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Christian Living, Christian Non Fiction, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Theology

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2010

About the author

Josh McDowell is a bestselling Christian apologist, evangelist, and author of over 150 books, including Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter. Once an agnostic, he converted to Christianity while investigating its historical claims. He went on to earn degrees from Wheaton College and Talbot Theological Seminary. For decades, McDowell has been a prominent speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ, addressing issues of faith, character, and youth culture worldwide. His work emphasizes historical and legal evidence for Christianity and tackles challenges posed by skepticism and non-Christian beliefs. He lives in California with his wife, Dottie, and is the father of four children, including fellow apologist Sean McDowell.

Reviews

[Patricia Wolverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simplified explanations

The book was interesting, but it missed a few points. The author didn't go into why Christ suffered and died for us. He missed explaining about sin and why Christ had to be the one to rescue Man. Our nature is so corrupt that only God Himself could rescue us by his suffering and death and then prove who he was by resurrection and show us our future with him!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of my comments extend to the whole trilogy. This is book three.

I am not the hugest fan of either Josh McDowell's apologetics or didactic fiction. Yet I read this whole trilogy of apologetic prose and admittedly enjoyed it. The characters are formulaic (the chief apologist in the first two books is a tall, athletic African American who is smarter than everyone he talks to, and most of the 'atheists' convert from hearing their 'superior' arguments). Most of the Christian arguments in this book are lifted from McDowell's earlier publications and put in the mouth of the characters (or from Gary Habermas's, Dave Sterrett's mentor). That being said it was an engaging format and I believe beneficial for college age believers who are confronted with some of the secular arguments against the resurrection, miracles, the supernatural (and if you include the earlier installments of the trilogy, the reliability of the Bible, and the divinity of Christ). For people with specific doubts about Christian truth, many of these arguments will be overly simple. In general the answers get better through out the trilogy (I think the resurrection answers in this book are better than the Bible answers in the first).

For a better, less formulaic fictional apologetic conversation, I recommend Randall Rauser's The Swedish Athiest, A Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails.

[Ann Feutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a gift for Christmas. I’m not familiar with the other books in this series, but that’s okay. It tells the story of the resurrection and historical proof of it in a fairly simple manner. I’m not sure that using a fictional narrative was the right choice for a framework though. We’re initially hit with a school shooting that affects a university. Then, we have college students (Christians, Agnostics, and Atheists) quoting scholars as part of every day conversations. It felt...disconnected from the information it wanted to present. At least, it had a good ending.

[Patrick S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by William Lane Craig you've pretty much read this book. There are a few added details but it's really only the style that you're paying for that's new. The conversation scheme has been done since Plato so there's no hate on the style. however, if you're not into the fictional conversation then this would be a pass. There might have been more ways to take the narrative structure but this is a "college students in a coffee shop" setting. Fine information and if you read a chapter a day it'd be a quick 10 minutes max a day. Final Grade - C-

[Bill Byars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Presentation needs help.

I think for people who know nothing about the Bible or the Lord this may not make
much sense. I know there is a lot of information from people who did some research but I think that as believers we forget how lost the lost are. I think there needs to be way more information about the proofs in a linear fashion, so it won't be confusing.

[Bob Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read with great evidence for the truth of the resurrection

Opened my eyes to the truth of the resurrection. Easy to read and kept my attention. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand the resurrection.

[Larry Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good examination of the evidence for Christ's resurrection, put into the form of a novel, which is more distracting than helpful.

[Sandirae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the coffee shop style dialogue that the author used.

[Patricia Couvillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

The disagreements were well presented. The conclusions were very well documented. A very good book. I would definitely recommend it to someone searching for Christ.

[Juan Firex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Básico para introducirse en el caso de la resurrección.

[Brent Rosendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an introductory look at the resurrection of Christ and McDowell does a good job proving the resurrection in terms that anyone would be able to understand. Although the book is loaded with information, it isn't dry at all and it is written as a conversation among friends that are curious about the resurrection. Although the conversation is a little corny at times, the format made the book very easy and enjoyable to read. Read the whole book as I waited for my truck to get fixed (just a couple hours).

[Clark Goble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh McDowell takes an interesting approach in presenting this introductory book on apologetics by crafting his presentation around an imaginary shooting on a college campus. The shooting leaves both staff and students searching for answers. Christians, atheists, and skeptics come together in the aftermath to investigate the reliability of Scripture. The evidence, arguments, and logic offered the book is quite convincing and is presenting is a very approachable manner.

I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it especially for young adults.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike most similar books, this one was written in novel format. Through several characters and conversations, Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett gave evidence of the resurrection while defending it from common arguments that are made against it's reality. It is a great and easy-to-read book if you are interested in becoming more knowledgeable about the resurrection. I rate it five out of five stars!

[Jason Grubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in just a few hours. It was very interesting, full of facts and evidences of the resurrection of Christ. The fiction genre also kept my attention as the author disclosed the proofs of the resurrection and dismantled popular arguments against it. I highly recommend it for Christians and those who are not believers but open minded to the raw facts.

[Leigh Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final of the three books and my favorite by far. This questions the validity of the resurrection, but does it with scientific proof. It was neat to see the story of the various characters and their faith evolve throughout these three books.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, quick look at the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Done in a conversational style, it was a quick read and very enjoyable. It's a great way for the beginner student or experienced theologian to review the evidence.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good quick read for those who have any doubt about the resurrection. Written in a coffee house conversation style, the college professor convinces several students who are doubting and want to debate after a shooting spree kills a couple of their friends.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dialogue flows well and the information flows well in the conversational format. I am not particularly fond of that format, but I think it works well for the angle Josh McDowell wanted. The information is valid and well documented.

[Lyndsey520971 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ending to the series! I loved this series so much! It REALLY helped me. i'm even going to go buy my own set so people can borrow them and I can look back and re-read and stuff! So good!!!

[Donna]

This was a very quick read and was enjoyable

[Sean McGowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good dialogue on the resurrection and the fact that, when all the evidence is weighed historically, Jesus' resurrection from the dead is the best and only conclusion.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright, sort of a dialogue between some college students and professor about some life values and the evidence for the resurrection.

[Susan Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

An apologetics book wrapped in a storyline. Fairly well done story, and, of course, a good, well-reasoned defense of the resurrection.

[Donna Peake · Rating 4 out of 5]

another good read for the Easter Week. Lots of questions I've often thought about.