Customer Reviews

Did the Resurrection Happen?: A Conversation with Gary Habermas and Antony Flew (Veritas Forum Books)

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This book covers the third and probably final debate between the (now former) atheist Antony Flew and Gary Habermas, the well-recognized expert on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By this point in their relationship Habermas and Flew have become good friends and the debate possesses the atmosphere of a casual conversation between two colleagues.

Habermas presses the historical argument which Flew acknowledges is very strong. However, Flew is not convinced that the historical argument by itself is sufficient to argue for something as extraordinary as a resurrection and raises the point that it may still be more likely that an event like a mass hullucination may be the cause for the appearances than an actual resurrection. Habermas is in his prime and Flew is perhaps not at the top of his game in this exchange as is evident when they get to the closing statements.

The book also contains two chapters about Flews conversion to theism (not Christianity). One is a dialogue between Flew and Habermas that recounts his journey from atheism to theism. The other is review of Flew's book "There is a God" by Habermas. These are reprints from other sources but are a welcome addition to this volume rounding out the relationship between these two thinkers that is a model of what philosophical dialogue should be.

The real gem of the volume is Baggett's analysis of the debate and general argument for the resurrection. Baggett rightly divides the question into two parts: the historical evidence and the inferential issue. Baggett assesses that Habermas has successfully made the historical case, but that an inference to resurrection is another question. He points out that many non-believers may not find the historical case compelling due to worldview commitments. A Christian theist himself, Baggett is nevertheless fair and balanced in his analysis of the argument for the resurrection acknowledging its strengths and weaknesses. His essay is worth the price of the book itself.

"Did Jesus of Nazareth rise from the dead?"

In 2003, Gary Habermas and Antony Flew met at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, to debate that very question. Habermas is a Christian philosopher widely known for his evidentialist argument for the resurrection. Flew was an atheist philosopher, perhaps the most famous such philosopher in the 20th Century. In 2004, he announced to a somewhat stunned philosophical world that he had abandoned atheism for deism. He does not believe in the resurrection, however, nor in any religions based on personal revelation.

Habermas and Flew's 2003 debate was not their first. Their first debate occurred in 1985 and was published as Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?, edited by Terry L. Miethe. Their second occurred in 2000 and was published as Resurrected? An Atheist and Theist Dialogue, edited by John F. Ankerberg. Did the Resurrection Happen? contains a transcript of their 2003 debate and is edited by Christian philosopher David Baggett. Over the years since their first debate, Habermas and Flew have become friends, and that friendship no doubt explains the very cordial tone of their interactions at the 2003 event.

In addition to a transcript of the 2003 debate, Did the Resurrection Happen? includes the transcript of an interview of Flew by Habermas about the reasons why he abandoned atheism for deism. Despite the rise of an impressive philosophical defense of theism in the late twentieth century, Flew's "conversion," if that's the appropriate term, was driven by more scientific arguments: Big Bang cosmology, cosmological fine-tuning, and intelligent design. Some atheists disappointed at Flew's abandonment of them have claimed that he is an old man rooked into deism by friendly Christians. Flew simply claims to be following the evidence wherever it leads him.

Flew laid out the reasons for his change of mind in a 2007 book he co-authored with Roy Abraham Varghese, There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. (Flew was not happy with the publisher's choice of a subtitle.) Habermas' review of that book is the third major component of Did the Resurrection Happen?

The fourth, longest, and most substantial component of the book is an essay by David Baggett, "Resurrection Matters: Assessing the Habermas Flew Discussion," which I'll come back to in a moment.

To be perfectly honest, I was underwhelmed by the Habermas/Flew debate. In my opinion, Habermas talked too much, and Flew conceded too much. At a few points, even the moderator seemed to jump in to make Flew's case for him. Habermas' interview of Flew was far more interesting to me, and I got a much better taste of how Flew's reasons about the evidence for God and against the resurrection by reading it.

Baggett's essay was worth the price of the book. In it, he explains the character of Habermas' argument for the resurrection. It is an abductive case, in which one makes an inference to the best possible explanation. Starting with certain historical facts that believers and skeptics might agree upon, Habermas reasons between competing explanations, ultimately inferring that the fact of the Christ's resurrection (which is controversial) makes best sense of the agreed-upon historical facts (which are non-controversial). Baggett goes on to outline various skeptical responses to Habermas (some of which Flew employs), as well as the underlying philosophical issues in debates over the resurrection. Throughout, he defends Habermas' argument and suggests that if Flew continues to follow the line of argument that led him to deism, he may very well land on Christian theism.

One more thing about this book. It is rare to see debaters change their minds because of a single debate, especially when those debaters are well-known advocates of contrary points of view. That's part of the reason why I was drawn to this book in the first place. Why did Flew changes his mind, at least on the question of God's existence, though not on the question of Christ's resurrection? The answer, according to Flew, is evidence. But I can't help but wonder the degree to which his friendship with Habermas also affected him.

Those who would convince others of their points of view would do well to remember that winning a person is at least as important as winning an argument.

If you want to be a witness for Jesus Christ, then I strongly, STRONGLY recommend you obtain a copy of Did the Resurrection Happen? from Intervarsity Press.


There are many things that could be said for this book, but I don't want to distract from the central issue. Our Christian faith is built on the resurrection of Christ, not on the age of the earth, not on a particular eschatology, not even on inerrancy. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS BUILT ON THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

This book, Did the Resurrection Happen? says something I have felt for years now, but needed to hear someone else say it in order to announce it, myself:

Even if we take the New Testament as simply an ancient text with excellent credentials, which it surely is at a minimum, there is enough historical evidence to make a very strong case for the resurrection of Christ.

The point I'm trying to make which is made in the book is that the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith. Don't waste your time battling with skeptics over ancillary issues. Take them directly to the resurrection of Christ. There is room for a very good discussion there and you will be standing on high ground. That conversation ends in one of three places:

The person decides he has an almost invincible belief.
The person develops substantially more thoughtfulness about Christianity than he ever had before and continues to reflect on the matter.
The person comes to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Read this book and become a better witness than you've ever been.

This is one of the best books I have ever read on the subject of the resurrection. Since the first part is basically a transcript of an actual conversation between two of the most learned and influential people in their respective fields (one from a Christian perspective, the other from an atheist perspective), it is easy to read and extremely engaging. Because the basic context is one of historical evidence rather than a debate over interpretations of the bible, the information is thought provoking for Christian and atheist/agnostic alike. In my opinion, I believe Christians will find their faith strengthened and non-Christian readers will find answers to valid arguments on the subject. Most important, I found that even though some parts of the book (especially the final chapters) are highly intellectual in nature and use an extensive vocabulary, nevertheless the text flowed well, making the relative points easy to understand and follow.

Great Read!

This is a neat book, featuring a cordial dialogue between two great thinkers on the most important question of all. Flew's conversion to Deism is fascinating, and the fact that this debate happened just months prior to that conversion makes it all the more important. Besides being a model dialogue, the book also makes it clear what some of the deeper philosophical issues involved in the debate are all about, and why they're the real points of divide between Habermas and Flew. Although the editor makes it clear that a committed and intelligent atheist may not be convinced by the resurrection argument taken by itself because of his or her commitments, he also stresses that the argument poses an important set of challenges to those atheistic and skeptical commitments. I recommend this book strongly to anyone interested in this question so vital to the truth and intellectual credibility of Christianity.

Did the Resurrection Happen?: A Conversation
Gary Habermas & Anthony Flew
(IVPress, 185pgs)

A few years ago we learned the surprising news that Dr. Anthony Flew, one of the world's most acclaimed philosophers and outspoken atheists, had renounced atheism. Thirty years earlier he had argued in his book, "The Presumption of Atheism," that one should presuppose atheism until empirical evidence surfaced for the existence of God. Apparently, something did surface--he changed his mind and wrote "There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind," published in 2007. Flew's conversion from atheism sent shockwaves through the academic world and until his death earlier this year he was the subject of considerable controversy. Atheists felt betrayed; Christians felt vindicated. But, as it turned out, it was a mistake to think that Flew became "Christian," at least in the orthodox sense. He simply accepted that there was a Supreme Power, an Ultimate Intelligence, behind creation. There is no evidence that he ever believed it was the God of Jesus.

During the period in which Flew was coming to grips with the existence of God he was engaged in a friendly debate, both publicly and in private correspondence, with Dr. Gary Habermas, one of the world's leading authorities on the historicity of Christ's resurrection--Flew the skeptic and Habermas the apologist. Their prolonged but congenial debate began in the mid-80's and continued until Flew's death earlier this year. Portions of that "conversation" have now been published in a book edited by Dr. David Baggett, entitled, "Did the Resurrection Happen? A Conversation with Gary Habermas and Anthony Flew." It is an intellectual, some might say ivory tower, approach to the efficacy of the most fundamental of Christian tenets.

Their final debate, published earlier this year, is of special interest because it contains Flew's revised thoughts following his conversion to theism. The book is in three parts: Part I is the transcribed text of the Habermas-Flew California Polytechnic University debate in January 2003, near the time of Flew's earth moving announcement that he had embraced a belief in a Supreme Being. Part II details Flew's journey from atheism to theism from both his and Habermas' perspectives. Part III is Baggett's somewhat heady but insightful assessment of the debate.

Of course, just giving cerebral agreement to the existence of God is not the same as having faith--it is possible to know things, even scientific facts, without believing anything. Still, I think it is important that we sort through available information if, while doing so, we realize that we can never know everything, a presumption atheism has to acknowledge to be consistent with its claims. To be a true atheist--to "know" God does not exist--one would have to know everything. Still, as Habermas demonstrates in the dialogue, there is strong enough intellectual and empirical evidence to support belief in the resurrection of Christ, a belief I accepted by faith a long time ago without observable evidence. Faith is, after all, the evidence of things not seen.

Gary Habermas and Antony Flew, two dissimilar scholars, had communicated on numerous occasions before this debate was recorded within these pages. Some time later, Flew became a theist (he declared the evidence for theism compelled him change his position). He was one of the most outstanding and well-known public atheists; nonetheless he changed his belief system and professed theism, but not Christian theism. Habermas is known as the leading apologetic specialist in the historical evidence of the Resurrection of Christ. This book records a wonderful exchange of views between two friendly philosophical rivals. The two-decade-long philosophical relationship came to a head in this remarkable intellectual discussion.

The dialogue is intriguing, challenging, and educational and will stimulate even the well-versed apologist. The apologetic contest is robust and sharp, yet the two scholars pursue their perspective with warmth and humor. Considering the disagreements are so basic and pointed, it is easy to discern the differences in the primary rational bias each man brings to the argument. The majority of the evidence may preside in Habermas' demonstration, but the fight over rational pre-commitments must be debated further by a different set of scholars. Since this collection is unique and intellectually invigorating, I advise all budding apologists to acquire this fine evidential discussion.
The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most key point of his divinity. "Did the Resurrection Happen?: A Conversation with Gary Habermas and Antony Flew" discusses the realty of the resurrection. Covering historical records and scientific evidence, this debate will provide much food for thought in this religious debate which holds one of the most vital beliefs of Christianity in the balance. A top pick for any scholarly collection on Christianity, "Did the Resurrection Happen?" is enthusiastically recommended.

An outstanding book for those interested in the debate about whether or not we have good reason for believing it. The discussion occurs between two undeniable authorities for their respective positions, who are friends as well as sparring partners. I strongly recommend this book to anybody interested in the topic.

Congratulations for the cover design, it deserves a prize. We will now let the stone door roll open to see inside the spirited debate.
"Did the Resurrection happen?" is a topic that has been discussed for nearly two thousand years, protagonists believing or rejecting the event on the bases of faith or reason. Second to third century CE Greco-Roman philosophers, arguing more aggressively against the new creed, considered it no more than the faith of fools.
Habermas offers us a modern version of the old debate. His forum comes closer to a gentleman's agreement where arguments are always very fair and nothing finally really disturbs. Readers will close the book with the impression of having listened to counter-arguments that cannot compete against their personal beliefs. The discussions do not come across any disruptions, no `killer ideas' or anything that can really move the reader's curiosity or build an impression of insecurity, questioning one's previous stand. No more in any case than the comments written two thousand years ago.
To enliven the discussion opposing a believer and a skeptical philosopher, a third discussant is missing: one who realizes that Jesus was initially... I'll tell you all the same, was no more than a party label, as were the previous Essene Messiahs. This radically changes the perception we have of the Gospels, and had second century philosophers understood the meaning of the Gospels to those who wrote them, they would have smiled at their credulity and be amazed by the political chart they expressed. Jesus and John the Baptist were no more than the elephant and the donkey party labels within a changing and quarrelling Essene community.
The story of the open door and the empty tomb was a political slogan devised to show that God arbitrates in favor of the new avant-garde Essene party against Essene traditionalists and Temple affiliates. Just as God had previously been made to arbitrate and light a match beneath the offerings of Elijah on Mount Carmel, designating the winner of the `true God contest', eliminating the competing Baal priests. The Gospel's resurrection story shows the winner of the `eternity contest', and this time it is Elijah, the Temple's Messiah, who is implicitly eliminated.
During the first century before and after the CE, different groups were competing to administer the eternity creed. The Essene avant-garde party, designated under the Messiah Jesus sticker, wants to be the only one to control life in eternity. Resurrection was not an Essenian deception, as is often contemplated by philosophers, but a later Pauline swindle, conveying the message at face value.
Future round-tables, whatever the theme of the debate, will not be able to ignore that new trends are coming into focus.