Wednesday 4 April 2012

John Dickson on the Easter Story


Simon Smart, of Australia’s Centre for Public Christianity, interviews John Dickson (here in his capacity as New Testament scholar and ancient historian) about Easter, covering the date of Easter, Lent, the historicity of the resurrection narratives in the gospels, reasons for believing or not believing in Jesus’ resurrection, compelling evidence for the resurrection (including the early date of the testimony, dependence on the witness of women, the key eyewitnesses died for their claims) being a ‘plausible scenario’, the need to set the crucifixion and resurrection in the bigger story of the Bible (the Passover and temple being pointers to what is going on), what it means that Jesus died and rose again (that there is ‘something more’, the availability of eternal life, that God’s new creation is underway), and what enables us to believe and live today in the face of possible doubts.


Two videos, totaling just under 14 minutes, are available here.

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