Gerd Lüdemann

Carsten Peter Thiede

ein Streitgespräch

Die Auferstehung Jesu - Fiktion oder Wirklichkeit?

In this thorough exegesis of the primary texts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, New Testament expert Gerd Lüdemann (University of Göttingen) presents compelling evidence that shows the resurrection was not a historical event and further argues that this development leaves little, if any, basis for Christian faith as presently defined. Beginning with Paul's testimony in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8, in which the apostle declares that Jesus has been raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, Lüdemann systematically evaluates every reference to Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament, as well as apocryphal literature. He examines the purpose of the text writers, the ways in which they reworked tradition, and the historical value of each account. Through this approach, he offers a reconstruction of the probable course of events as well as the circumstances surrounding Jesus' death on the cross, the burial of his body, his reported resurrection on the third day, and subsequent appearances to various disciples. Since the historical evidence leads to the firm conclusion that Jesus' body was not raised from the dead, Lüdemann argues that the origin of the Easter faith must be sought in the visionary experiences of Christianity's two leading apostles. From a modern perspective this leads to the inescapable conclusion that both primary witnesses to Jesus' resurrection, Peter and Paul, were victims of self-deception. In conclusion, he asks whether in light of the nonhistoricity of Jesus' resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good conscience still call themselves Christians.

A Historical Inquiry

The Resurrection of Christ

Alf Özen

Were the resurrection appearances real physical events - or nothing more than grief-induced hallucinations? What does it mean to say, Jesus rose from the dead? Dissatisfied with what he regarded as evasive answers given by theologians and scholars about the nature of the resurrection of Jesus, Gerd Ludemann here subjects the New Testament traditions to a thorough investigation. In particular, Ludemann is concerned with the story of the empty tomb and the subsequent appearance stories first related by Peter. Ludemann's startling and somewhat radical conclusions have created a stir in Europe. This book, written for nonspecialists, presents Ludemann's provocative conclusions. Readers will find a positive, albeit a revolutionary, new way of viewing the resurrection.

A Historical Approach to the Resurrection

What Really Happened to Jesus

It is widely recognized by New Testament scholars that many of the sayings and actions attributed to Jesus in the gospels cannot be factually traced to him. To a considerable degree, these stories have been influenced, or even created, by the early church. Despite this gap between the "Jesus of history" and the "Christ of faith," the contemporary church continues to represent the traditional New Testament canon as a generally accurate record of the life of Jesus. The Great Deception exposes the dangers that accompany this disingenuous, unscientific approach and calls for a more rigorous treatment of the gospels. In a clear, straightforward narrative, Gerd Lüdemann establishes the criteria by which he believes it possible to distinguish inauthentic from authentic sayings and actions of Jesus, and then shows which quotes and deeds can be regarded as factual. His radical conclusion is that the Jesus of history, who emerges after the falsehoods attributed to him are pared away, cannot support the traditional Christian faith. Lüdemann's historical analysis reveals, nonetheless, a Jesus who remains a deeply sympathetic personality and one of the great religious figures of the world. But it also shows that Christian leaders who ignore the results of sound scholarship are selling the faithful a "great deception."

And what Jesus Really Said and Did

The Great Deception

Jesus von Nazareth ist für das christliche Abendland die zentrale Person. Über ihn sind Bibliotheken zusammengeschrieben worden. Die meisten Jesus-Bücher sind jedoch nur von begrenztem Wert, da sie den verkündeten Jesus mit dem geschichtlichen Jesus gleichsetzen und sich zugleich weigern, die historisch-kritische Methode in vollem Umfang anzuwenden. Inzwischen ist sich die internationale kritische Forschung darüber einig, dass die meisten Worte Jesu nachträgliche Zuschreibungen und das Gros seiner Taten Projektionen sind. In seinem großen analytischen Werk "Jesus nach 2000 Jahren."

Seine historischen Taten und Worte. Ein Lesebuch

Der echte Jesus

German scholar Gerd Ludemann asks the question of how we can continue to be Christians in the light of what he sees as "unholy" elements in Scripture, and in response points to the person of Jesus and his example.

The Dark Side of the Bible

The Unholy in Holy Scripture

ein Gang durch das Markusevangelium in Auseinandersetzung mit Eugen Drewermann

Texte und Träume

Was Jesus wirklich sagte und tat

Jesus nach 2000 Jahren

Lüdemann''s The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry talks straight, in an honest, open, direct way. He leads the lay reader through the maze of resurrection texts in a readable, even entertaining way. He has mastered an amazing quantity of ancient sources and scholarly literature, and published many highly-technical works. But here he writes simply, clearly, convincingly, in a way any intelligent reader can understand. He does not dodge issues or obscure problems with pious talk, but presses forward to the logical outcome in a way that brings the reader along with him.-James M. Robinson, Professor of Religion Emeritus, Claremont Graduate University, Director of the Nag Hammadi Project of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity; Permanent Secretary of UNESCO''s International Committee for the Nag Hammadi CodicesLuedemann''s systematic analysis of both canonical and noncanonical texts coupled with his trenchant repudiation of fuzzy theological rhetoric challenges our understandings of both Christian origins and Christianity today. His answers will by no means find universal support, but his arguments deserve the attention of any interested in the often-uneasy relationship among fact, fiction, and faith.-A.-J. Levine, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Graduate Department of ReligionAlthough the resurrection is the keystone dogma of Christian belief, and Sunday churchgoers rarely if ever think to question it, scholarly research shows with the utmost clarity that from a historical standpoint Jesus was not raised from the dead. In fact, it is almost universally recognized among scholars of New Testament textual criticism that the gospel narratives describing the resurrection appearances are not reliable eyewitness accounts, but expressions of faith written by the first Christian believers long after the death of Jesus.In this thorough exegesis of the primary texts dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, New Testament expert Gerd Lüdemann (University of Göttingen) presents compelling evidence that shows the resurrection was not a historical event and further argues that this development leaves little, if any, basis for Christian faith as presently defined.Beginning with Paul''s testimony in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8, in which the apostle declares that Jesus has been raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, Lüdemann systematically evaluates every reference to Jesus'' resurrection in the New Testament, as well as apocryphal literature. He examines the purpose of the text writers, the ways in which they reworked tradition, and the historical value of each account. Through this approach, he offers a reconstruction of the probable course of events as well as the circumstances surrounding Jesus'' death on the cross, the burial of his body, his reported resurrection on the third day, and subsequent appearances to various disciples.Since the historical evidence leads to the firm conclusion that Jesus'' body was not raised from the dead, Lüdemann argues that the origin of the Easter faith must be sought in the visionary experiences of Christianity''s two leading apostles. From a modern perspective this leads to the inescapable conclusion that both primary witnesses to Jesus'' resurrection, Peter and Paul, were victims of self-deception.In conclusion, he asks whether in light of the nonhistoricity of Jesus'' resurrection, thinking people today can legitimately and in good conscience still call themselves Christians.Gerd Lüdemann is a professor of the history and literature of early Christianity at the University of Göttingen, Germany. Professor Lüdemann''s published conclusions about Christianity aroused great controversy in his native Germany, where the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony demanded his immediate dismissal from the theological faculty of his university. Despite this threat to his academic freedom, he has retained his post at

William Lane Craig

Edited by Paul Copan and Ronald Tacelli, this is a lively and provocative debate between Christian philosopher William Lane Craig and New Testament scholar and atheist Gerd Lüdemann on the historical truth of the resurrection.

Gerd Lüdemann

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