Redescribing the Resurrection: Beyond the Methodological Impasse?

Abstract

The resurrection of Jesus is the central claim of the Christian faith. It is what makes Christianity a distinctive, perhaps even unique religion—the claim that “ God raised Jesus from the dead.” That is also what makes the claim so vulnerable to critics. Why? Because it presupposes the existence and agency of God. Historical hypotheses, however, presuppose human agency and natural causation, not supernatural interventions by God. It is not surprising that contemporary discourse on the resurrection of Jesus is at an impasse. This article explores the current state of research on this subject—a field polarized between apologetic defense and rationalistic expose—and examines various attempts to redefine, reimagine, and redescribe the resurrection tradition within early Christianity.