The question of the resurrection of Jesus
Perspectives of two distinguished NT scholars
By Lee Greer, AToday.org.

"'God raised him [Jesus] from the dead,' is probably the earliest distinctively Christian affirmation and confession. It is presuppposed again and again in the earliest Christian writings"¹ and "is the faith to which Paul was converted...(1 Cor. 15.3-8)" notes James D. G. Dunn, Lightfoot (Professor of Divinity, University of Durham, UK) in his monumental work on the historical Jesus.² In chapter 18, "Et Resurrexit" ("and he rose from the dead" cited from the Latin of the Apostles' Creed), Dunn suggests two major categories of tradition behind the resurrection belief: (1) the empty tomb tradition and (2) the appearances tradition.

(1) The empty tomb tradition

• Apparently there were variable versions of the empty tomb, seen first by women who were disciples of Jesus, which is surprising since the value assigned to eye witness evidence by women at that time was lower than that of men (Mark 16:1-8; Matt. 28:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; cf. Mark 16:2; Luke 24:12; John 20:1-10).
• At a time when tombs of famous people were deeply venerated (cf. Acts 2:29), when secondary burial of bones in ossuaries was practiced, there is no evidence (a) of a Jesus tomb-veneration tradition, (b) of any reference to a known but undisturbed tomb location, or (c) that his tomb was unknown. The presence of any of these would have doomed the early Christian case for resurrection.

(2) The appearances or christophanies tradition. According to a number of passages, the risen Christ appeared

• To Mary (John 20:11-18; Luke 24:10; cf. Mark 16:9, which is not present in the earliest manuscripts)
• To the women (Matt. 28:8-10; cf. Luke 24:10)
• To Peter (Luke 24:34; I Cor. 15:5; cf. John 21:1-23)
• To two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35; cf. Mark 16:12-3, not present in earliest manuscripts)
• To the 11 disciples in Jerusalem on more than one occasion (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-23, 26-9; I Cor. 15:5)
• To 120? about 40 days later in Jerusalem (Acts 1:3-11)
• To the 11 in Galilee (Mark 16:7; John 21:1-23)
• To 500+ (I Cor. 15:6)
• To James (I Cor. 15:7)
• To all the apostles (I Cor. 15:7)
• Lastly, to Paul on the way to Damascus (Acts 9, etc.; I Cor. 15:8).

Professor Dunn, a confessed believer, argues that even though we don't know details of how the traditions developed, beyond reasonable doubt, the experiences of "resurrection appearances" were added to the growing impact of Jesus' words and actions. The traditions enshrining them have been ultimately transmitted to us. These remain the historical materials with which we can approach this question.

With some contrast, there is Gerd Lüdemann (professor of History and Literature of Early Christianity, University of Göttingen, Germany), a liberal theologian participating as a Fellow of the new Jesus Project, an undertaking of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion or CSER (Council for Secular Humanism / Center for Inquiry) intended to investigate if Jesus actually existed and what we can know about him.³ In an inaugural piece⁴ for the Project, Lüdemann makes only brief mention of the tomb tradition stating that "the Roman authorities apparently allowed Jesus' body to be taken down from the cross; thereupon either Jewish leaders entrusted its entombment to Joseph of Arimathea or persons unknown buried or otherwise got rid of the corpse." Lüdemann goes on to describe the christophanies as "visionary experiences" such as that of Peter who "had a visual and auditory experience of Jesus's [sic] presence." The disciples' reports of "postmortem appearances" embodied in these "personal visionary encounters with the 'Risen One'" accordingly "proved so infectious" that more than 500 saw the risen Jesus on one occasion. Lüdemann comments that "at this point, surely, any non-ecstatic interpretation comes to grief." From there, the early faith then grew, cultivating Jesus' presence or spirit through (a) the act of breaking bread, (b) repeating the words and works of Jesus, and (c) argumentation from the messianic portions of Scripture. Although setting aside the empty tomb tradition, Professor Lüdemann is still left with a tradition of many "visionary experiences."

Ultimately by almost any definition, Dunn joins many others in pointing out, 'resurrection' from the dead is beyond what can be scrutinized by historical investigation. However, the resurrection faith is an inextricable part of the impact which memories of Jesus made on his contemporaries. The central event of Christian faith remains exactly that, an article of hope which continues to inspire millions of Christians worldwide.

¹"(Rom. 4.24-25; 8.11; 1 Cor. 6.14; 15.4, 12, 20; 2 Cor. 4.15; Gal. 1.1; Col. 2.12; 1 Thes. 1.10; Eph. 1.20; 2 Tim. 2.8; Heb. 13.20; 1 Pet. 1.21; Acts 3.15; 4.10; 5.30; 10.40; 13.30, 37)".
²Dunn JDG. 2003. Christianity in the Making (Volume 1): Jesus Remembered. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmanns; 1019 pp.
³Flynn T. 2007. "Prospective impact: The Jesus Project" Free Inquiry 27(3): 14-5.
⁴Lüdemann G. 2007. "What really happened? The rise of primitive Christianity, 30-70 C.E." Free Inquiry 27(3): 24-31.

Andrews Receives $8.5 million Gift
"It's been a week for celebration at Andrews University. At a special chapel assembly on Thursday, April 12, President Niels-Erik Andreasen announced that the university had received the largest gift from a private donor in its history, a gift which rings in at the grand total of $8.5 million. The donation was sent via a personal check in a simple, white envelope, unpretentious and certainly not the kind of packaging in which one expects to receive such a generous gift. The donor is an Adventist couple from the Northwest, whose name is not being released at this time.... This gift will literally transform the campus in several ways. Per the donor's request, the money has been allotted to several specific campus projects. Funds will be disbursed as follows:

• Construction of the new entrance on Old US 31
• Two endowed chairs: one for the Marketing Department in the School of Business Administration and the second in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary's Christian Ministry Department 
• Construction of a milking parlor for the Andrews Dairy 
• Refurbish the kitchen and dining facilities in the Campus Center
• Support for the educational program of the Aeronautics Department

The largest portion of the gift is designated for the refurbishment of the top floor of the university's Campus Center. Built in 1962, the building is long overdue for an overhaul. The Campus Center is home to the cafeteria--the Terrace Cafe, Student Life, International Student Services, Campus Ministries, and the Student Association Offices, and serves as the general campus meeting place for students. Plans exist for a total refurbishment of the building, but renovations will start with Food Service." [More of the press release].

AToday has been sent the following open letter to Danny Shelton which has been revised by the author. 

 

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REVIEW of the Review 
(Summaries by Indra Greer)

In "Are we still Protestant?" (AR, 22 March 2007), Stephen Chavez is concerned because it seems that "Adventists are quoting Ellen White more and more and citing the Bible less and less," contrary to the traditional Protestant principle of sola Scriptura, i.e., defending one's beliefs on the basis of "the Bible, and the Bible only." He mentions an article in one of the church's union papers about "our assurance of salvation." It contains six citations of White as proof of the writer's thesis. And Bible references? None. He complains that "In many Adventist articles, books, and sermons, Ellen White is quoted in a manner that says, 'Period! End of discussion!'" He closes by quoting from Paul's epistle to Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration...." (2 Tim. 3:15-17). 

Editorial comment: Although concerned, Stephen Chavez should not be surprised. The adoption of the "27 [now 28] fundamentals" in Dallas in 1980  for the first time explicitly and officially held Ellen White along with the Bible as "authoritative" for the church, hardly a very Protestant claim. Almost immediately (August 1980), there was a credal use of the 27 made against the employment of Dr. Desmond Ford for questioning Article 23 (the 1844 doctrine), from which many in the church dissent. Since that time, the tendency that worries Chavez has been increasingly operative. Reflecting on the credal history of Christianity, John Loughborough, a 19th century Adventist minister, wrote in 1861, "The first step of apostasy is to get up a creed, telling us what we shall believe. The second is, to make that creed a test of fellowship. The third is to try members by that creed. The fourth to denounce as heretics those who do not believe that creed. And fifth, to commence persecution against such." (Review & Herald 18 (19): 148). Thankfully, there is a cheerful, hopeful sign of health – pluralism continues to flourish within Adventist Christianity.

"The Prayer-Flower" By Nathan Brown (AR, 08 March 2007). Robert McGrum was a successful London publishing executive who suffered a severe stroke when he was 40 years old. In his book, My Year Off, he describes his year of fear and frustratingly slow recovery. An avowed atheist, yet during his periods of greatest desperation he finds himself reaching out to something – he reflects: "I pray to a God I don't believe in. But I had an absurd thought the other day that the thing about God is that even if you do not believe in Him, He listens to you." Brown remarks, "Before we are able to summon... whatever we think we might need to pray 'properly,' God is already answering. In prayer, it seems the readiness of God to listen is infinitely more important than our readiness to pray."

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, 
unuttered or expressed, 
the motion of a hidden fire 
that trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
the falling of a tear,
the upward glancing of an eye,
when none but God is near.
– James Montgomery (1771-1854).

Feedback on our critique of "Four-finned dolphin evidence of evolution?" (14 December 2006). Tim Standish of the Geoscience Research Institute felt that the ATNewsbreak (12 February 2007) critique was unfair and personally-demeaning in assessing his article as giving the impression that the only evolutionary case for whale origins were developmental anomalies, and for only citing a Fox News report, and not citing "the mounting data published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature on the evolution and common ancestry of whales with some other land mammals," given his scientific training. He said that literature citation was not possible within a 300-word limit, and in any case the editors of the Review had deleted his references. He also argued that the ATNewsbreak critique had not cited any literature, and had not offered any alternative hypothesis to common ancestry. He was offered an opportunity to make a reply in the ATNewsbreak, which he declined. Hence, the attempt to summarize his points. 

Editorial comment: I regret giving any personal affront with my critique. On literature citing, the ATNewsbreak suggestion was that readers know that such a body of scientific literature exists containing evidences of common ancestry between whales and certain land mammals, and not that specific lists of references should have been cited. On alternate hypotheses to common ancestry, I gave a presentation at the North American Division Science and Faith Conference in Glacier View, Colorado in 2003, which proposed one possible test (among others that might be devised) to differentiate at what level the relatedness of living things results from common ancestry as distinct from common design: Postulate the existence of lineage-specific gene clusters within the major categories of living things. To date across 17 vertebrate genomes such clusters have not been found, but there are growing multiple data sets indicating common ancestry as the vehicle of common design. Either way, as we wrote before, "these data certainly don’t constitute 'evidence God did not create them [whales, etc.]' – but they just may be evidence for how!" Our main point remains: When coming to the public as an authority, whether to Adventist Review readers or others, a scientist has a responsibility to accurately represent the current status of the science topic at hand, even if only in 300 words. – LFG.

PERSPECTIVES: Supreme Court Ruling on Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (April 20, 2007; Episode no. 1034) 
[See the interview]. Differing reactions: 

Cardinal Welcomes Supreme Court Decision Upholding Federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban.
".... Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, is Chairman of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The full text of his statement follows: 'Today, after a decade of struggle in legislatures and courts, the U.S. Supreme Court finally upheld a federal law prohibiting the brutal and inhumane partial-birth abortion procedure. This is the first time in 34 years that the Court has upheld a ban of any type of abortion. The Court’s decision does not affect the legal status of the great majority of abortions, and does not reverse past decisions claiming to find a right to abortion in the Constitution. However, it provides reasons for renewed hope and renewed effort on the part of pro-life Americans. The Court is taking a clearer and more unobstructed look at the tragic reality of abortion, and speaking about that reality more candidly, than it has in many years.'"

Supreme Court Decision A Devastating Setback for Women's Health and Freedom of Conscience.
".... In her dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg referred to the drastic change from the court's previous decisions....: 'Today's decision is alarming. It refuses to take Casey and Stenberg seriously. It tolerates, indeed applauds, federal intervention to ban nationwide a procedure found necessary and proper in certain cases by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). It blurs the line, firmly drawn in Casey, between previability and postviability abortions. And, for the first time since Roe, the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception safeguarding a woman's health.' ('Casey' refers to the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision of 1992.) On April 18, the United States Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, to uphold the 'Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003.' Under this decision, it will be a criminal offense for a physician to perform 'dilation and evacuation' procedures used in the second-trimester and in the third-trimester when the physician determines that these are the best procedures medically to prevent damage to the woman's health or future ability to bear children. This is the first time an abortion procedure has been banned since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 and the first time that women's health (as well as life) was not the paramount concern of the court.'"

A failure in generalship
By Lt. Col. Paul Yingling, The Armed Forces Journal (April 2007). 
"You officers amuse yourselves with God knows what buffooneries and never dream in the least of serious service. This is a source of stupidity which would become most dangerous in case of a serious conflict." – Frederick the Great
For the second time in a generation, the United States faces the prospect of defeat at the hands of an insurgency. In April 1975, the U.S. fled the Republic of Vietnam, abandoning our allies to their fate at the hands of North Vietnamese communists. In 2007, Iraq's grave and deteriorating condition offers diminishing hope for an American victory and portends risk of an even wider and more destructive regional war. These debacles are not attributable to individual failures, but rather to a crisis in an entire institution: America's general officer corps. America's generals have failed to prepare our armed forces for war and advise civilian authorities on the application of force to achieve the aims of policy. The argument that follows consists of three elements. First, generals have a responsibility to society to provide policymakers with a correct estimate of strategic probabilities. Second, America's generals in Vietnam and Iraq failed to perform this responsibility. Third, remedying the crisis in American generalship requires the intervention of Congress." [More of the opinion piece]. 

One-Size Politics Doesn't Fit All
Evangelical social reform is a many-splendored thing.
A Christianity Today editorial  (4/23/2007).
"These are anxious days in the trenches of the culture war. The Federal Marriage Amendment is dead. A rollback of President Bush's restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research appears likely after he leaves office. Human cloning looms ominously. What's more, Christians who speak publicly on these vital causes are called theocrats and worse. This faith-hostile context makes productive debate over contentious issues, such as global warming, ever more difficult among evangelicals. Little wonder, then, that evangelicals who dispute the cause of and remedy for global warming are critical of fellow evangelicals who signed the Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI) statement last year. They have three complaints, outlined in a March letter to L. Roy Taylor, chairman of the board of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). First, they believe too many evangelicals are uncritically joining the global-warming campaign. Second, they criticize the campaign for adding another priority to our crowded agenda, shifting emphasis away from 'the great moral issues of our time.' And third, they argue that evangelical leaders lack 'the expertise to settle the controversy, and that the issue should be addressed scientifically and not theologically.'... Evangelicals from the Left, Right, and center are wise to heed Paul's words: 'If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?' (1 Cor. 12:17). So let's stop questioning each other's evangelical credentials and just do the work we believe God has called us to." [Entire CT editorial].
Editorial comment: For non-evangelical Chistians and others, a healthy pluralism in evangelical Christianity is welcome. 

Bill Moyers' Journal Selling the War (Premiered 25 April 2007 on PBS; see local listings).
Veteran journalist and documentarian, Bill Moyers explores how the media helped the administration market the propaganda that led the US into its current quagmire in Iraq on his new PBS show, Bill Moyers' Journal: "How the administration marketed the war to the American people has been well covered, but critical questions remain: How and why did the press buy it, and what does it say about the role of journalists in helping the public sort out fact from propaganda?" Watch the entire program online. Also watch the interview with Bill Moyers and extended excerpts of the documentary on Democracy Now. Preview (4 min 49 sec):

NAE Endorses Statement Against Torture
Declaration calls for churches and individuals to act on "non-negotiable" issue.
Sarah Pulliam, ChristianityToday.org (3/16/2007).
"Torture is not an option, says the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), which endorsed a statement against the practice of torture this week. The newly-formed Evangelicals for Human Rights, comprised of 17 activists and scholars, spent more than six months drafting the 18-page document, 'An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture: Protecting Human Rights in an Age of Terror.' The document is intended to be both a moral and theological statement. 'From a Christian perspective, every human life is sacred. As evangelical Christians, recognition of this transcendent moral dignity is non-negotiable in every area of life, including our assessment of public policies,' the statement begins." [More of the story].

"Impeachment Summer Launched with Historic Day of Pro-Impeachment Events in More than 125 Locations Nationwide!" Calls for impeachment of the US President and Vice-President from around the country on April 28, 2007, further intensified with the introduction of Articles of Impeachment (H Res 333) against Richard B. Cheney in the US House of Representatives (HR 333 documents, 25 April 2007). From a few weeks ago, the image of a march to the Pentagon (17 March 2007):

 

Articles in the current issue of Adventist Today: Subscribe today!

May-June 2007 (Vol. 15; No. 3). On the issue of plagiarism, and other articles.

CONTENTS

• 02 | Editorial: In "Term Limits" John McLarty reflects on the denominational health benefits of church leadership term limits, and how after 10 years as Adventist Today editor, promoting open discourse and news within the Adventist Church, it is time for him to "it’s time for me to acknowledge my own dispensability" as AToday sets out to find a new editor, in order to spend more time with his church and family. 
• 04 | Letters | AT readers
• 06 | Letters on Abortion | AT Authors and Readers Response
• 10 | 3ABN used by Adventist Retirees for Inspiration and Witnessing | Edwin D. Schwisow
• 11 | Adventist College and University Enrollment Figures Released | James Stirling

Features

• 12 | Defining Plagiarism – Article Review | James Stirling
• 14 | Posner is Wrong on Plagiarism | Jim Walters
• 16 | The Specter of Plagiarism Haunting Adventism | T. Joe Willey, reporting on a presentation by Dr. Frederick Hoyt
• 19 | Unity and Tolerance in the Church – Parts I-III | Mark F. Carr
• 22 | Buckle Up – A Commentary on the Adventist Soul | Alden Thompson
• 24 | Contemporary Adventism: The Owl and the Aging Tiger | Dr. Milton Hook

Save Small and Independent Publishers
Postal regulators have accepted a proposal from media giant Time Warner that would stifle small and independent publishers in America. The plan unfairly burdens smaller publishers with higher postage rates while locking in special privileges for bigger media companies. In establishing the U.S. postal system, the nation's founders wanted to ensure that a diversity of viewpoints were available to 'the whole mass of the people." Time Warner's rate increase reverses this egalitarian ideal and threatens the marketplace of ideas on which our democracy depends. It's time [to] stand up for independent media.'" Robert McChesney writes, "What the Post Office is now proposing goes directly against 215 years of postal policy. The Post Office is in the process of implementing a radical reformulation of its mailing rates for magazines. Under the plan, smaller periodicals will be hit with a much larger increase than the big magazines, as much as 30 percent. Some of the largest circulation magazines will face hikes of less than 10 percent. The new rates, which go into effect on July 15, were developed with no public involvement or congressional oversight, and the increased costs could damage hundreds, even thousands, of smaller publications, possibly putting many out of business. This includes nearly every political journal in the nation. These are the magazines that often provide the most original journalism and analysis." "Post Office to the First Amendment: Drop Dead," CommonDreams.org (17 April 2007); emphasis added (see also the Nation magazine article posted by Free Press). Please sign the petition to Congress and the US Postal Service opposing the unfair postal rate hikes, which would hurt small publishers, like your own AToday.

Earthlike planet around a star only 20.5 light-years away. A photo of the star Gliese 581, and an artist's conception of the Gliese 581a,b,c planetary system. 


Astronomers Find First Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone
The Dwarf Carried Other Worlds Too! [A press release from the European Southern Observatory or ESO; the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere]

"Astronomers have discovered the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date, an exoplanet with a radius only 50% larger than the Earth and capable of having liquid water. Using the ESO 3.6-m telescope, a team of Swiss, French and Portuguese scientists discovered a super-Earth about 5 times the mass of the Earth that orbits a red dwarf, already known to harbour a Neptune-mass planet. The astronomers have also strong evidence for the presence of a third planet with a mass about 8 Earth masses. This exoplanet – as astronomers call planets around a star other than the Sun - is the smallest ever found up to now [1] and it completes a full orbit in 13 days. It is 14 times closer to its star than the Earth is from the Sun. However, given that its host star, the red dwarf Gliese 581 [2], is smaller and colder than the Sun - and thus less luminous - the planet nevertheless lies in the habitable zone, the region around a star where water could be liquid! The planet's name is Gliese 581 c.

'We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid,' explains Stéphane Udry, from the Geneva Observatory (Switzerland) and lead-author of the paper reporting the result. "Moreover, its radius should be only 1.5 times the Earth's radius, and models predict that the planet should be either rocky - like our Earth - or fully covered with oceans,' he adds." [More of the press release and other links].

Editorial comment: This finding is further evidence that habitable planets are likely to be far more common in the universe than many have thought. This discovery makes an elegant follow up to a recent paper (Raymond et al. September 2006, Science 313: 1413-1416) indicating that of 158 known giant planetary systems, 58 (34%) are likely to have earth-like planets in the habitable zone. 

How Carl Sagan would have enthused over and relished the epochal discovery of planet Gliese 581c! – LFG.