Raising Jesus: The Skeptic's Guide to Faith in the Resurrection

Life is hard . . . then you die. It's as simple as that. Dead bodies stay dead.

So in this modern, scientific age, how can any reasonable person possibly believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead? Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy turned out to be myths. How is Jesus's Resurrection any different? How can there possibly be any credible evidence for an event that happened two thousand years ago?

The resurrection of Jesus is the most important event in the history of the world-if it's true. If Jesus did rise, then he is God, the ultimate reality itself. In him, you can find the meaning of life, the secret of happiness, and the way to eternal life.

Raising Jesus provides the evidence to show that it really is true. In this era of "alternative facts," Raising Jesus relies on the most balanced and up-to-date scholarship to shed trustworthy new insights into the evidence. It does this in an easy-to-follow, systematic way using engaging illustrations to reveal the logic of complex arguments. Most importantly, it deals head on with the biggest problem most people in our modern, scientific age have with the resurrection: the philosophical objection that dead people simply don't come back from the dead. Raising Jesus ultimately shows how believing Jesus rose from the dead is, in fact, the most reasonable conclusion you can make.

E.J. Sweeney is a true skeptic. He needs to see to believe. Hard evidence. Compelling proof. Solid logic. This is what he believes in. And when it comes to the Resurrection, he has. As a result of seeing how compelling the evidence is, he is a now an ordained Lutheran pastor. E.J. received his BA from Trinity College and his MDiv from Yale University, summa cum laude. He taught theology and scripture in two high schools-the crucible for fielding questions of faith!-and has served as a pastor in two churches. Presently he lives in Connecticut with his wife Cherie, where he is a volunteer firefighter and is reaching out to skeptics like himself with the good news that, when it comes to the God of Jesus Christ, you can see and believe too-the evidence is overwhelming. For more information about E.J. or to address your own questions and doubts, visit his website, RaisingJesus.com. He'd love to hear from you!