Philosophy of History (CS151) establishes a theory of history and then applies it to a historical investigation of the resurrection of Jesus. It provides an extensive and detailed consideration of the many issues related to historical investigation—including the uncertainty of historical knowledge, the influence of one’s worldview in historiography, the historian’s right to investigate miracle claims, burden of proof, and arguments to the best explanation.
The course then walks through this strictly-controlled historical method to investigate the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus. You’ll learn the relevant biblical and non-biblical sources which are identified and evaluated according to their historical reliability. Finally, the course weighs two prominent hypotheses that account for the historical bedrock according to the historical method set forth above. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is shown to be a near-certain historical probability, and thus, a solid basis for one’s faith in God—a faith that produces an eternal hope in the resurrection life.
Introduction
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
5m
Theory of History
Second-Guessing and the Challenge of History
9m
Defining Terms and Challenges to Knowing the past: Part 1
8m
Challenges to Knowing the past: Part 2
8m
Transcending Horizons
7m
The Role of a Consensus
6m
The Uncertainty of Historical Knowledge
5m
Postmodernist History
8m
Problems with Postmodernist History
7m
Three Views of History, Historical Facts, and Burden of Proof
8m
Theory and Historians
9m
What Historians Do
3m
Method to History
Arguments to the Best Explanation
7m
Arguments from Statistical Inferences
8m
Criteria of Authenticity
7m
Application of the Criteria of Authenticity to the Historical Jesus
9m
Miracles and the Historian
Defining Miracles
9m
David Hume and the Impossibility of Miracles
7m
The Principle of Analogy and Philosophical Assumptions
10m
Bart Ehrman and the Reliability of the Gospels
7m
Contradictions
7m
Most Probable Explanation
7m
James D. G. Dunn, the Interpretation of Data, and Burden of Proof
8m
Preponderance of Evidence and a Turning Point for Historians
8m
Historical Sources and the Resurrection of Jesus
Relevant Sources
7m
Canonical Gospels
8m
Matthew’s and Luke’s Use of Mark
8m
Reliability of the Gospels and the Letters of Paul
10m
Q and Speeches in Antiquity
9m
Speeches in Acts and Oral Formulas in Paul
9m
Origin and Reliability of the Oral Tradition in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7
7m
Josephus
9m
Tacitus, Mara Bar Serapion, and Thallus
9m
Lucian, Celsus, Babylonian Talmud, and the Apostolic Fathers
8m
Gospel of Thomas
9m
Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Judas, Revelation Dialogues, and Pseudo Mark
8m
Historical Bedrock Pertaining to Jesus’ Fate
Jesus’ Life and Death
9m
Jesus’ Death by Crucifixion
5m
Appearances to the Disciples
8m
Three-Day Motif and the Nature of the Appearances: Part 1
9m
Legitimization of Authority and Nature of the Appearances: Part 2
7m
Gospel of Mark and Resurrection Appearances
7m
Appearances to Women, the Emmaus Disciples, and the Doubters
10m
The Apostles’ Testimony and Appearance to Paul: Part 1
10m
The Fate of Paul and Appearance to Paul: Part 2
9m
Paul’s View of the Resurrection: Part 1
11m
Paul’s View of the Resurrection: Part 2
8m
Paul’s View of the Resurrection: Part 3
8m
Appearance to James
6m
The Empty Tomb and Historical Bedrock
6m
B-Grade Facts
5m
Weighing Hypotheses
Michael Goulder’s Hallucination Hypothesis
8m
Analysis and Concerns of Goulder’s Hypothesis
11m
Marian Apparitions and Weighing Goulder’s Hypothesis