The historicity of Christ, including his death by crucifixion, is a fact that about as well attested as any in the ancient world. The evidence for Christ's existence is much stronger than that for Socrates, Alexander the Great, and numerous figures of ancient times whose historicity no one doubts. Historians are unanimous that Christ was born, that he developed a following, that he antagonized the Jewish and Roman authorities, and that he was put to death. But what about the resurrection?
"If Christ had not been raised," Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:17, "our preaching is useless and so is your faith." The resurrection is the most important event in Christianity. (For this reason, Easter is actually a more important holiday for Christians than Christmas.) Other religions such as Judaism and Islam may feature miracles but miracles are not central to their theology. Christianity, by contrast, is based on the miracle of the resurrection.
Since the nineteenth century, some biblical scholars have refused to accept the biblical account of the Resurrection because it was produced by people obviously biased in Christ's favor. Interestingly Christ's followers, by their own admission, did not expect the resurrection. Arriving three days after his death, the women brought spices to his tomb to anoint and preserve his body. Only then did they observe that the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty.
The fact of the empty tomb was admitted by the Roman guards and also by the Jewish magistrates, who told the Roman authorities that Christ's followers must have stolen the body. In Jewish polemic against Christianity, this has been the standard explanation for the empty tomb. Yet it is prima facie implausible, since how could a handful of female disciples have subdued Roman guards and moved the stone blocking access to the tomb?
The apostles were deeply skeptical about reports of a resurrection, and Christ had to appear to them several times before these doubts were dispelled. Paul writes that Christ "appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, although some have passed away." Paul here appeals to direct empirical evidence: the testimony of multiple witnesses who actually saw Jesus alive after his execution. Of this group, Paul says that many are still alive, which means they are in a position to refute him if what he is claiming is wrong. In the history of hallucinations, is there a single instance in which five hundred people all saw the same person--a figure known to them--and were all equally mistaken?
But is the testimony of the early Christians reliable? Well, let us see. The disciples became so convinced of what they had seen that their dirges of lamentation were replaced with cries of joy. Proclaiming Christ crucified and Christ risen, they launched the greatest wave of religious conversion in history. Historians tell us that the number of Christians increased from around 100 at the time of Christ's death to around 30 million by the early fourth century, when the Roman emperor himself converted to Christianity.
These conversions occurred in the teeth of fierce political opposition and the persecution of the greatest empire in the ancient world, the empire of Rome. The early Christians did not hesitate to identify themselves with a man who had been branded a traitor and a criminal. They endured imprisonment, torture, exile, and death rather than renounce their commitment to a resurrected Christ.
Imagine a disputed event in court where numerous eyewitnesses gave evidence of the same fact and stood by their testimony so firmly that they would be willing to endure life imprisonment or even the death penalty rather than say the contrary. Would any jury doubt that such people, who would have little to gain and everything to lose, were telling the truth?
"Yes," an atheist friend of mine conceded. "But aren't the radical Muslims also willing to die in order to get the virgins in heaven?" Perhaps so, but the two cases are not comparable. The radical Muslims are taking on faith that their actions will take them to an Elysian place where the virgins will be waiting. By contrast, the Christians who went to their deaths at the hands of the Romans did so because they refused to renounce an event in their own experience. Why would someone be willing to die for something that he knew to be a lie?
Even from a secular point of view, the evidence for Christ's resurrection is surprisingly strong. It might even be sufficient to convince an impartial jury in a court of law. The big question surrounding Good Friday and Easter is not: did all this happen? It did. The big question is whether we will let Christ into our hearts, so that he can raise us up on the day of judgment.
This Easter reflection is adapted from my book What's So Great About Christianity.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 56)
1. Dinesh...I don't have to tell you that you're perfectly free to believe whatever you want. If you really think that Christ's resurrection happened then it happened in at least your mind.
Paul at 12:22PM on Mar 21st 2008
2. "How could a handful of female disciples have subdued Roman guards and moved the stone blocking access to the tomb?" --Dinesh D'Souza
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Two words, Dinesh: Sexual favors.
Paul at 12:26PM on Mar 21st 2008
3. Didn't they make a movie about that? "Dead Man Walking"
cynicalismo at 12:28PM on Mar 21st 2008
4. "Is there a single instance in which five hundred people all saw the same person--a figure known to them--and were all equally mistaken?" --Dinesh
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One word, Dinesh: Elvis
Paul at 12:28PM on Mar 21st 2008
5. Filed under: BREAKING NEWS??????
huh???
happy frickin easter, dude.
America's Most Gangsta at 12:39PM on Mar 21st 2008
6. "Why would someone be willing to die for something that he knew to be a lie?" --Dinesh
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One acronym, Dinesh: WMD
Paul Berror at 12:30PM on Mar 21st 2008
7. Dinesh...I could see why you chose journalism over law.
Paul at 12:31PM on Mar 21st 2008
8. Geez, Dinesh...completely shot down in less than one page of comments. That's gotta be a new record for you! (OK, maybe not.)
I'm really sorry to have done that to you on Good Friday. Still, I'd fight to the death to defend your freedom to worship how you feel.
Peace
Paul at 12:36PM on Mar 21st 2008
9. dd, I hope the easter bunny brings you everything you ask for:
Needless, pointless death and economic destruction for Americans, and Iraqis; astronomical oil prices and obscene corporate profits and corporate abuse of the common person; the richest 300 men in America get obscenely richer still, at the direct expense of the 150 million least rich in America.
And especially, the thing you really wish for the most: bush and cheney getting richer and richer, and caring not a bit about the death of our brave soldiers, as bush laughs and dances and says his time in office has been a real blast, and he will soon relax in crawford with his feet up...as soldiers die...just what you are wishing for.
Well, I admit you do not DIRECTLY wish for these things at Easter, or any other time, but by supporting this regime...trust me, you do.
Bush going to church this easter is like michael corleone in church baptizing his sister's kid, renouncing the devil and his works, as people die by his hand.
The only significant difference between this horseshit and vietnam is lyndon johnson was a human being who was torn apart inside by sending people to their deaths. And his cause was not to line his own pocket.
happy frickin easter, dude. Think about that while you're in church. Stare at the statues, Jesus on the cross, and just try to reconcile it all....I dare you.
America's Most Gangsta at 12:41PM on Mar 21st 2008
10. Oh... using easter to hawk a book. I shouldn't be surprised... and I'm not.
Actually, as an atheist, I don't doubt there was a Jesus. Put simply, I think that too much of history has been shaped for him to have simply been a literary creation. And I will even go so far as to believe that he held values that were revolutionary for humanity: forgiveness, tolerance, and humility. Jesus was one of the first liberals who said all people, regardless of social status, have value... be they kings or lepars... they are all equal in the eyes of God.
What gets an Atheist like myself's dander up is the miracles and the attributation of a divine agent. It's one thing to be a human and to, through belief or faith or simple experiance, have ideals that are beneficial. It's another thing to turn Jesus into a magical man. If anything, they detract from Jesus' appeal. It makes Jesus' death a suicide of convienience since, being a God with supernatural magic powers, he could have just turned the Romans into goats... and the pharises too. But to be a man persecuted for their beliefs and dying with dignity and even love for humanity itself is infinitely more powerful when it is just a normal person than god.
Dinesh, like many christians, fall into the miracle trap. "Our religion is true because miracles happened!" Really. And Moses crossing the red sea isn't just as important, and implausible, for the Jews? Or the mountain coming to Mohammed as proof of some God favoring Islam over Christianity? The fact is ALL religions, even scientology, make vast and grand claims of supernatural agency wantonly breaking the laws of science to favor these extremely remote cults. If the mormons had two golden tablets on public display in salt lake city, I'd be impressed... particularly if they were written in Sanskrit... but they don't. Instead they have a story. Just like every single solitary religion out there.
Somber at 12:48PM on Mar 21st 2008
11. This is totally off the subject, but why did the leaders of the Church have to set Easter based on the occurrance of a full moon?
It's Good Friday, and Chicago is in the process of getting 4 to 8 inches of snow.
Can the leaders of the various denominations around the globe all agree that the earliest date for Good Friday should be April 1?
My wife would actually like to go to church in a spring dress and an Easter bonnet, rather than a wool overcoat, boots, and gloves.
Sorry, Dinesh, but Easter is supposed to be in the spring, and it often isn't spring in Chicago on March 23. I just needed to vent.
Kent at 1:01PM on Mar 21st 2008
12. Stupid questions are asked by stupid people.
cynicalismo at 1:03PM on Mar 21st 2008
13. Q: Did the Resurrection actually happen?
A: Yes, it did. A historical fact. Not just belief.
Dave at 1:04PM on Mar 21st 2008
14. From the same book that gives us Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, Moses' burning bushes, Ezekial's wheel and dung eating, Samson, et al... Easter bunny, santa clause, bigfoot, lochness, oh sorry those four are from a different book.
mac at 1:11PM on Mar 21st 2008
15. Stupid people discuss the answers that stupid people give to stupid questions.
cynicalismo at 1:17PM on Mar 21st 2008