Doubting Jesus' Resurrection: What Happened In The Black Box? [Paperback]

Kris D. Komarnitsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2009

With endorsements by several notable scholars (Dr. Robert M. Price, Dr. Richard Carrier, Dr. Robert J. Miller, Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, and others), this book begins at a place where believer, non-believer, and those who are not quite sure about Jesus' resurrection can meet - at the Bible's account of a discovered empty tomb three days after Jesus' death. Considering scholarship from both sides of the aisle, this book explains in clear and easily understood terms what many scholars have been saying for years - there is good reason to conclude that this tradition is a legend. If true, the historicity of Jesus' resurrection collapses. Following up on this possibility, this book offers a non-traditional explanation for the birth of Christianity. Specifically, it examines in detail the rise of the earliest known Christian beliefs and traditions: Jesus died for our sins, was raised on the third day, and appeared to many people (1 Corinthians 15:3-7).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rare is it when a lay author puts in the effort of wide research, gathers the references to every point together, interacts with the leading disputes, and offers something soundly argued that hadn't been so well argued before. Komarnitsky does all of that and presents a surprisingly excellent demonstration of how belief in the resurrection of Jesus could plausibly have originated by natural means. Though I don't always agree with him, and some issues could be discussed at greater length, everything he argues is plausible, and his treatise as a whole is a must for anyone interested in the resurrection."
--- Richard Carrier, Ph.D. Ancient History

"If you liked my book Beyond Born Again, you're going to love this one by Kris Komarnitsky! He shows great acuity of judgment and clear-eyed perception of the issues. He does not claim to have proof of what happened at Christian origins, but he does present a powerfully plausible hypothesis for what might have happened, which is all you need to refute the fundamentalist claim that things can only have gone down their way. By now it is a mantra - it is also nonsense, and Kris shows that for a fact."
--- Robert M. Price, Ph.D. Theology, Ph.D. New Testament

"Komarnitsky is addressing an important topic in a considered and rational way. This book offers the open-minded reader an opportunity to work through some of the key questions surrounding the Easter mystery that lies at the heart of Christian faith."
--- Gregory C. Jenks, Ph.D. FaithFutures Foundation

"Clearly written and well argued, Doubting Jesus' Resurrection lays out a plausible and intriguing case for a non-supernatural explanation of the New Testament resurrection accounts. Don't be put off by the fact that Komarnitsky is not a scholar - his book makes a solid contribution to the historical-critical understanding of these immensely important texts. This book deserves serious attention from scholars and all those interested in Christian Origins."
--- Robert J. Miller, Professor of Religious Studies, Juniata College

"Proving the exception, this book shows that if a layman takes the time to investigate a topic, including learning how the relevant disciplinary tools are applied and familiarizes themselves with what experts have already written on a subject, they can draw balanced and even insightful conclusions that enhance the conversation. Those interested in a plausible natural explanation for the birth of Christianity will want to seriously consider this book."
---James F. McGrath, Associate Professor of Religion and Clarence L. Goodwin Chair of New Testament Language and Literature, Butler University

"A well researched book that should be valuable to individuals or study groups interested in how the resurrection tradition may have originated."
--- The Fourth R Magazine, Westar Institute, Nov 2009

Product Details

• Paperback: 186 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441463305
• ISBN-13: 978-1441463302
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,068,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to the Topic., May 10, 2009

By 

John W. Loftus (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doubting Jesus' Resurrection: What Happened In The Black Box? (Paperback)

Let's say you wanted to read a book length skeptical treatment on the resurrection of Jesus. Which one should you read? Which one do you recommend? There are several of them to choose from. If you follow the advice of Christian apologists Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona who wrote: "Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler," [The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, p. 14], then I have a good suggestion on the skeptical side of the fence. This book by Kris D. Komarnitsky.

Komarnitsky begins by presupposing Jesus existed and that I Corinthians 15:3-7 is not a later Christian interpolation. (p. 8). Then author focuses on the discovery of the empty tomb tradition. This tradition is "unique in that it is not itself a supernatural event and so any associated bias is not a factor, and it is a tradition upon which the resurrection of Jesus stands or falls." (p. 4). What happened between the time Jesus was crucified and the traditions expressed by Paul in I Corinthians 15:3-7, which is the mysterious "black box" skematic represented on the cover? Komarnitsky argues from the literary evidence itself that the discovered empty tomb is "plausibly a legend." Then he takes the reader through the questions that must be answered in order to get to Paul's expressed traditions in I Corinthians 15:3-7 "without a discovered empty tomb." (p. 9)

In Chapter One, "The Discovery of an Empty Tomb, Fact or Fiction?," Komarnitsky offers three lines of literary evidence that the empty tomb is a fiction: 1) Paul's silence about it; 2) The ending of Mark; and 3) The Jewish charge of a stolen body. He does an excellent job here and offers a few new insights on these topics.

Chapter Two: An Obscure Burial
Chapter Three: The Belief Jesus Died for Our Sins and Was Raised
Chapter Four: The Appearance Traditions
Chapter Five: Raised on the Third Day
Chapter 6 Conclusion and Meaning.

Appendix: Myth Growth Rates.

I think Komarnitsky's book is a great introduction to this topic, especially if you haven't read anything on it before. Even though I know quite a bit about the topic, I learned enough by reading his book that I recommend it even for people who are more acquainted with the topic. The author is well-read. He thinks well. He writes well. He argues well. He'll make you think.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review: Komarnitsky, Doubting Jesus' Resurrection: What Happened in the Black Box, April 22, 2009

By 

Peter Kane, M Div, MS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doubting Jesus' Resurrection: What Happened In The Black Box? (Paperback)

For many, the validity of Christianity hinges on Jesus' bodily resurrection, but this belief is increasingly challenged by the enlightenment and modern New Testament scholarship. Modern scholarship understands the passion and empty tomb narratives as relatively later literary embellishments added to prior collections of Jesus' sayings. A counter argument is that Christianity could not possibly have so rapidly spread over the Roman world without a belief in bodily resurrection. A key piece of evidence offered that such a resurrection understanding did exist from the earliest days is 1 Cor. 15:3-7, Paul's reference to a formal tradition of death and resurrection that he received and passed on, a tradition that therefore would have existed within only a few years of Jesus' death.
Is there a way in which the modern understanding of the empty tomb stories can be acknowledged, and yet somehow still reasonably explain the early origins of the death and resurrection traditions Paul received and passed on to others? The author speaks to this question as a layman to laymen, yet he has a detailed understanding of the relevant current scholarship, and a precisely reasoned approach to the subject. He starts with a case for why the empty tomb narratives are late and mythical in character, and then leads the reader through discussions of 1st century burial practices, cognitive dissonance reduction and the belief that Jesus died for our sins, and Hellenistic understandings of bodily assumption. The etiology of each segment of Paul's creedal formula; `...died...for our sins...was buried...raised...on third day...according to the Scriptures...', is considered, as the author seeks to show an alternate path to the genesis of Paul's formula.
If a rational consideration of the origins and development of earliest Christian resurrection beliefs is of interest, then this is a book for you.

Peter Kane
Purdue University, Retired
April 22, 2009

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well researched but leave you wanting for more, July 22, 2009

By 

slowmothe1st (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doubting Jesus' Resurrection: What Happened In The Black Box? (Paperback)

I'm more impressed by the author's detailed research into this topic than the arguments themselves, there's no doubt the arguments are sound but the best and most favorable arguments are simple, direct, and explain the most. Compared with the arguments from the christian side, I can only split the score 50/50, and I'm not a believer.

You'll find when the author presents his arguments, it's presented very laboriously in great detail, but that also makes it very drawn out even though he's already made his point, this diverts the attention away from the main argument and is counter-productive to the points the author tries to make, which are really quite simple. This leaves the reader wonder if this book was intended for a lay person or a scholar.

As a warning, the reader can easily get lost reading the (oftentimes way way too) detailed presentations as the author makes his points, make sure you have a good cup of coffee next to you before you begin. :)