Contemporary Theologians position on the Resurrection of Christ?

Question

I am curious about the position of contemporary theologians on the resurrection of Christ. I've encountered a number of "Bultmannians" who regard it as merely metaphorical. Does anyone have a list of some big names who believe that Jesus was actually resurrected from the dead? I know Richard Hays and Jurgen Moltmann are in the latter camp. Any others? Is Walter Brueggemann? Sandra Schneiders? N.T. Wright? Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza? John Shelby Spong?

Answer 1

Most all reputable theologians say that Jesus was raised from the dead. If you go to any seminary like Dallas theological seminary you will find no other opinion expressed by the staff.

It's only liberal theologians who try to "de-mystify" the Bible and find natural explanations for miracles who insist on categorizing things like the resurrection as a metaphor. People like that are walking oxymoron's because a theologian is supposed to be someone who studies the divine nature of God, not someone bent on coming up with a natural explanation for every supernatural act of our Creator.

Besides being written as factual and as attested to by eyewitnesses, the weight of evidence provides proof that would carry the weight of conviction in a courtroom that Jesus really rose from the dead.

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/jesus/greenleaf.html

Testimony of the Evangelists by Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853)
Greenleaf, one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School, originally set out to disprove the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was certain that a careful examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would dispel all the myths at the heart of Christianity. But this legal scholar came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen.

Answer 2

The resurrection of Christ is true. However, what the disciples saw and experienced was a spiritual body. The resurrection narratives can be explained through a Jewish literary device called Midrash.

There are many accounts in the Bible, which employ a literary device used by Jewish Old and New Testament writers called Midrash. Midrash is the substantive of the Hebrew word darash which means to search, to investigate, to study and, also, to expound on the fruits of the research. The aim of Midrash is to draw from Scripture a lesson for the present.

Midrash could also be defined as a "reflection on Scripture in the light of the actual situation of God's people and of the developments of God's action on its history." It proposes to explain the meaning of Scripture in the light of the later historical experience of God's people. This kind of interpretation often opened the door to embellishments of the sacred accounts, anachronisms, and a freedom in handling and maneuvering the data of tradition that were at times a little too candid and certainly very imaginative.

For more information about Midrash go to this link.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04157a.htm
Peace and every blessing!

Answer 3

hi, Wally: some baptized contributors contained in the Corinth church were wondering if the resurrection happened; the saints who had died nonetheless lay contained in the tomb. The surviving saints doubted the blessed desire: the resurrection of the useless. So the Apostle Paul wrote them a letter, stating that Jesus had risen from the grave, and on condition that the daddy raised Him, then Jesus replaced into the Firstfruits of the final harvest, and the significant different and children of religion would also be resurrected. a million Corinthians 15:12 "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the useless, how say some between you that there is not any resurrection of the useless? 15:13 yet when there be no resurrection of the useless, then is Christ no longer risen: 15:14 And if Christ be no longer risen, then [is] our preaching ineffective, and your faith [is] also ineffective. 15:15 Yea, and we are got here upon pretend witnesses of God; because we've testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised no longer up, if so be that the useless upward push no longer. 15:16 For if the useless upward push no longer, then isn't Christ raised: 15:17 And if Christ be no longer raised, your faith [is] ineffective; ye are yet on your sins. 15:18 Then additionally they that are fallen asleep [died] in Christ are perished. 15:19 If in this existence in straightforward words we've desire in Christ, we are of all men maximum depressing. 15:20 yet now must be Christ risen from the useless, [and] change into the firstfruits of them that slept. Paul then will change right into somewhat antagonistic and says: "Else what shall they do that are baptized for the useless, if the useless upward push by no potential? why are they then baptized for the useless [Savior]?" (verse 15:29). Paul is belittling those who may imagine they were baptized for a useless Savior. regrettably this verse isn't taken in context with something of this "resurrection financial disaster" and some Christians as we talk are truly baptized for the deceased. This pretend doctrine is lacking biblical priority as is "holy underclothes." So what does Christ's resurrection recommend to me? that's the testimony of the daddy that Jesus' sacrificial atonement replaced into finished, and Jesus because the Lamb of God has received the victory over devil's temptation and loved His existence no longer unto lack of life. And that substitutionary lack of life, and His next resurrection, guarantees that the straightforward will ascend to heaven even as He comes back. enable's bypass! Shalom, peace in Jesus, Ben Yeshua

Answer 4

The "resurrection" of Christ is only as important as we choose to make it. It only serves as story to try to support the divinity of Jesus as a "supernatural" being, doing something that "mere mortals" can't do. That story started 2000 years ago when humanity was far more ignorant and believed in all kinds of ridiculous hooha. We are now not little babies anymore, and have grown up enough that science shows us that many things that earlier superstitious societies believed are things that are completely impossible. Whether Jesus "resurrected" or not has no bearing on what he was teaching that we should all be more compassionate with one another. Jesus himself was not perfect. He lost his temper in the temple and that triggererd the Sanhedrin's "witch hunt" for him and ultimate crucifixion. His near last gasping words "why has thou forsaken me" show his own awakening that he was as mortal as the rest of us. What makes a good "Christian" has little to do with whether you believe the "doctrines" of Nicea agreed to by commitee centuries after Jesus' death (whenever that was). Being a good Christian, or Buddhist, or Muslim, or Jew or Atheist for that matter is whether you live your life in consideration and compassionate understanding in regards to others or whether you live your live in a vain and selfishly inconsiderate manner. It is that simple. Peace be with you

Answer 5

For a minute, I thought you were serious. But I've been a Christian for my whole life, and I've never heard of any of those "big names" that you mention.

The Pharisees got it wrong....maybe "modern day theologians" can get it wrong too.

Why not ask yourself the question?
Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead?

Answer 6

Without the resurection, we have no hope. If Christ lived a perfect life and died for our sins, but did not rise again, how can we have hope that he paid for our sins in full? Wouldnt he still be paying for them if he did not rise again?

The resurection is proof the elects sins were paid for.

Answer 7

they missed the Resurrection of Christ he came like martin Luther king !! they were both Capricorns

Answer 8

Do you really think these guys found the real God in their colleges?