Ep. #93 – The Resurrection of Jesus w/ Dr. Morrow
Summary
Why think Jesus rose from the dead? Don’t we have reason to question whether Jesus was actually buried? And why opt for a supernatural explanation when there are many naturalistic theories? Dr. Jeffrey L. Morrow joins us to answer these questions as we discuss his book on the Resurrection of Jesus.
Guest Bio
Jeffrey L. Morrow is Professor and Chair of the Department of Undergraduate Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University, where he has taught since 2009. He specializes in the history of biblical interpretation and the history of modern biblical scholarship, as well as the history of the Roman Catholic Modernist controversy. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Dayton. He is a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and the author of several books including Jesus’ Resurrection: A Jewish Convert Examines the Evidence.
Resources Mentioned
Jesus’ Resurrection: A Jewish Convert Examines the Evidence by Dr. Jeffrey L. Morrow
Pretensions of Objectivity: Toward a Criticism of Biblical Criticism by Dr. Jeffrey L. Morrow
Professor Morrow’s Seton Hall University Page
Related Episodes
Ep. #71 – Why Take Jesus Seriously? w/ Michael Gormley
Ep. #70 – Minimal Facts & the Resurrection w/ Dr. Licona
Ep. #72 – Is Faith in Christ Irrational? w/ Fr. Pine O.P.
Great interview – thank you!
Hi John,
This is Ryan again. I’ve been wrestling with this one objection to the resurrection for awhile . It relates to my previous question of whether God can lie. Suppose I have no problems with miracles, I accept all of the minimal facts, and infer the resurrection (which I in fact do). I’ve heard other objections from Jews to the effect that the miracle could have occurred, but since Deuteronomy 13 allows for the possibility of false miracles by false prophets, the resurrection could have been a false miracle. How would you respond?
Thanks,
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
I think I would start by asking questions. What do you mean by “false miracle” or “false prophet” and how can we tell a true miracle? Raising someone from the dead seems to be a true miracle that only God could accomplish, so why would He do that as part of a “false miracle”?
Next, I might point out that Jesus has the marks of a true prophet. He can predict the future (e.g. the destruction of the temple in 70 AD), he speaks with authority, and has no obvious ulterior motives to gain wealth or earthly power (he willingly is crucified!). Additionally, one would have to look to Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and which are part of the broader religious-historical context. When all of this is taken into account, I think the best explanation is that God raised Jesus from the dead as a *vindication* that He was truly the son of God in a unique way, and that we should entrust ourselves to him and his message.
Hope that’s a helpful start!