Craig’s Empty Tomb & Habermas on Visions (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 4E of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   The Resurrection of Jesus Two chapters are devoted to the resurrection of Jesus. First, Craig argues that Jesus was miraculously resurrected and that we can know this from an analysis of […]

Clark’s Survey of Other Religions (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 4C of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   The Problem of Competing Claims David Clark aims to tackle a particular problem defined by Hume: as Clark puts it: “If Christian televangelists and New Age cultists both appeal to miracles in support […]

Geivett’s Exercise in Hyperbole (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 4B of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   Going Too Far Douglas Geivett’s basic conclusion that it is possible to use miracles as evidence for the existence of God is formally correct (as is his reversed version of the argument, which I […]

Beck’s Argument for God (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 3D of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   Here I will point out the errors in Becks’ argument for God. Because they are typical of those used by Christians everywhere, sophisticated or not, I think this survey will be of use on […]

Moreland’s “Christian Science” (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 3C of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   Christian Science, Moreland Style Moreland correctly identifies the fact that many scientists and atheists erroneously hold that miracles are beyond science because they are not natural, not repeatable, and not governed by law. And I […]

Nash on Naturalism vs. Christian Theism (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 3B of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   Claiming Victory After Only One Battle Ronald Nash’s basic argument is that naturalism, which excludes miracles, is unreasonable, but Christian theism, which includes miracles, isn’t. The chapter begins by explaining why worldviews […]

The Problem with Miracles and the Shaky Groundwork of Corduan and Purtill (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 3A of a larger Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   Defining “Miracle” Purtill defines a miracle as “an event brought about by the power of God that is a temporary exception to the ordinary course of nature […]

What’s Good and Bad in In Defense of Miracles (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 2 of a more comprehensive Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   Many of the chapters in the book In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God’s Action in History (1997) make arguments that need to be addressed, or at […]

Summary Review of In Defense of Miracles (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   [Part 1 of a more comprehensive Review of In Defense of Miracles.]   In 1997, InterVaristy Press published In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God’s Action in History (1997), edited by Gary Habermas and R. Douglas Geivett. This is a well-composed defense […]

Review of In Defense of Miracles (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier   1. Summary 2. What’s Good and Bad 3. The Philosophical Problem (a) The Shaky Groundwork of Corduan and Purtill (b) Nash on Naturalism vs. Christian Theism (c) Moreland’s “Christian Science” (d) Beck’s Argument for God 4. The Historical Problem (a) Beckwith on Historiography (b) Geivett’s […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   11. Did No One Trust Women? 11.1 No Evidence Women Were a Problem 11.2 Testimony of Women Was Trusted 11.3 Why Mark Places Women at the Empty Tomb 11.4 Conclusion   11.1. No Evidence Women Were a Problem James Holding argues that “if Christianity wanted […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   3. Was Resurrection Deemed Impossible? 3.1 The Popularity of Resurrection 3.2 How the Pagan Mission Changed Christianity 3.3 Jewish Background 3.4 Was There a Better Idea? 3.5 Conclusion   3.1. The Popularity of Resurrection James Holding’s next argument is that pagans would not buy a physical […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   Not the Impossible Faith: Why Christianity Didn’t Need a Miracle to Succeed Now available as a book, fully updated and reorganized. This is the definitive edition of “Was Christianity Too Improbable to Be False?” Even better than online, improved and revised […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   16. Were Christian Teachings Too Radical for Anyone to Buy? Holding then throws in a hodgepodge of miscellaneous difficulties we might categorize under the general argument that “Christian teachings were too radical to be popular.” That may be true—after all, Christianity […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   8. Who Would Want to be Persecuted? 8.1 Social Foundations of Martyrdom 8.2 Paul and Tertullian 8.3 Where Holding Gets It Wrong 8.4 Where Holding Gets It Right   8.1. Social Foundations of Martyrdom James Holding rightly downplays the issue of martyrdom, since legend and […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   4. Was the New Always Bad? James Holding argues next that for the Romans, “Old was good. Innovation was bad,” and “this was a big sticking point for Christianity, because it could only trace its roots back to a recent founder.” […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   5. Who Would Join a Moral Order? Every scholar of antiquity has noted the broad interest among the ancient Greeks and Romans in philosophies that promoted a strong moral order. Every great philosophy was morally demanding—in fact, that is precisely why […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   18. How Successful Was Christianity? 18.1 Assumptions 18.2 Numbers: What the Christians Say 18.3 Numbers: What the Experts Say 18.4 With Whom Did Christianity Begin? 18.5 The Rise of World Christianity 18.6 Conclusion   18.1. Assumptions In previous chapters, we have sufficiently demonstrated that there was nothing […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   6. Who Would Join an Intolerant Cult? James Holding quotes DeSilva’s comment that “the message about this Christ was incompatible with the most deeply rooted religious ideology of the Gentile world, as well as the more recent message propagated in Roman […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   9. Was the Idea of an Incarnate God Really Repugnant? James Holding cites Earl Doherty for the argument that Jews would never believe “that a human man was the Son of God,” much less deserved “all the titles of divinity and […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   14. Was the Apparent Ignorance of Jesus a Problem? James Holding argues that “if you want a decent deity, you have to make him fully respectable,” yet “ignorance of future or present events” is embarrassing and would be a big hurdle […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   12. Did No One Respect the Opinions of Uneducated Laymen? James Holding argues that “Peter and John were dismissed based on their social standing,” citing Acts 4:13, which “reflects a much larger point of view among the ancients,” of hostility to […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   2. Who Would Follow a Man from Galilee? 2.1 Two Key Problems 2.2 Getting the Context Right 2.3 Working Class Rabbi 2.4 The Galilean Connection 2.5 The Gospel of John 2.6 The Role of Messianic Prophecy 2.7 Why a Virgin Birth? 2.8 Conclusion   2.1. Two Key Problems James […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   7. Was Christianity Highly Vulnerable to Inspection and Disproof? 7.1 General Argument 7.2 The Problem of Differing Research Paradigms 7.3 The Problem of Luke’s Methods as a Historian 7.4 First Example: Luke on Paul’s Trial 7.5 Holding’s Argument Backfires 7.6 Second Example: Luke on Agrippa’s Cause of […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   1. Who Would Buy One Crucified? 1.1. Precedents and Distinctions 1.2. How Converts Differed from Critics 1.3. How Things Really Looked 1.4. Many Converts Expected a Humiliated Savior 1.5. Conclusion   1.1. Precedents and Distinctions James Holding asks: “Who on earth would believe a religion centered […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   17. Did the Earliest Christians Encourage Critical Inquiry? 17.1 Holding’s Bogus Evidence 17.2 Method as Revealed in Paul 17.3 Survey of Passages Relating to Method 17.4 Conclusion   17.1. Holding’s Bogus Evidence Holding claims that “throughout the NT, the apostles encouraged people to check” and […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   10. Would Groupthinkers Never Switch Groups? 10.1 Getting it Backwards 10.2 What Do Malina & Neyrey Really Say? 10.3 How Christianity Fits the Malina-Neyrey Model 10.4 Malina & Neyrey on the Role of Revelation 10.5 Lack of Evidence for Holding’s View 10.6 Conclusion   10.1. Getting it […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   15. Who Would Follow an Executed Criminal? Not much needs to be said about Holding’s next point, which simply duplicates what he already argued earlier: that “Jesus endured disgrace–and thereby also offended the sensibilities of his contemporaries” by being mocked and […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction]   Richard Carrier   13. Would the Facts Be Checked? 13.1 Boiling away the Hyperbole 13.2 Evidence from Acts 13.3 Evidence from Early Apologists 13.4 Conclusion   13.1. Boiling away the Hyperbole Revisiting an earlier argument, James Holding contends that “Christian claims would have been easy to check out […]

Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) Richard Carrier   Not the Impossible Faith: Why Christianity Didn’t Need a Miracle to Succeed Now available as a book, fully updated and reorganized. This is the definitive edition of “Was Christianity Too Improbable to Be False?” Even better than online, improved and revised throughout. Available at […]