Unit 17 - Scientific and historicalcritical challenges, ethical living and the works of scholars (9RS0)
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A mindmap compiling all notes on the empty tomb into one document, covering a basic revision summary of the whole of topic 6.1. Got an A in A-Level religious studies.
Unit 17 - Scientific and historicalcritical challenges, ethical living and the works of scholars (9RS0)
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Resurrection as Fictional
Strengths Resurrection as Hallucination Resurrection as Miracle
Strengths The Jews Moved the Body
Wilson and Morison suggest that someone such as Joseph of Strengths
Emotional stress can cause psychotic symptoms and mass Strengths
Arimathea, the religious authorities, Pilate or the disciples The first century was a time of ‘ignorant and barbarous
hallucinations, ‘incapable of thinking of Jesus as dead, they Morison debates whether the religious authorities moved
could have moved Jesus’ body, and this was misinterpreted nations’ (Hume), who were likely to create and believe in
were deluded into thinking he was risen and appeared to the body.
by the women as Jesus having risen from the dead. They also stories of miracles.
them’ (Strauss). Grass suggested that all the disciples shared Weaknesses
suggest that Jesus didn’t die on the cross and later revived in Weaknesses
the same hallucination because it was a God-given religious Historical evidence says the opposite, that they requested
the tomb, his reappearance again misinterpreted as Hume argues that miracles are always the most improbable
experience, ‘a telegram from heaven’ (Grass). that extra security be placed to keep the body in the tomb.
resurrection. solution and there is always something more probable, such
Weaknesses If the Jews had the body, they would’ve produced it when
Weaknesses as the women making a mistake, the disciples lying, or
It would not have been possible for all the disciples to rumours surrounding the resurrection began to circulate,
It is unlikely that the Romans, who were efficient someone moving the body. The problems with the
experience the same hallucination. If God could cause a putting a stop to Christianity’s growth.
executioners, would have made such a basic error. Given the resurrection made the disciples’ lives harder, so it doesn’t
extent of Jesus’ injuries, it is unlikely he would’ve looked like vision of the resurrection, it makes no sense that he didn’t make sense for them to be so fanatical. The first century
he resurrected. actually resurrect Jesus. people knew that people didn’t come back to life. The Romans Moved the Body
Strengths
Resurrection as Myth As the procurator, Pilate certainly had the authority to
The Women went to the Wrong Tomb order the removal of the body. Pilate wouldn’t have
Strengths Strengths
Celsus noticed the similarities between Jesus’ death and resurrection and myths about Pagan gods, wanted the tomb to become a symbol of Jesus’
All of the Gospels say different things about which women were there and what they saw martyrdom, so moving the body would stop further
proposing that myths about Jewish prophets, such as the suffering servant, and Pagan gods, such as and heard, supporting the general idea of confusion. The young man in the garden tried to
Osiris, got attached to the story of Jesus. Paul talks about his encounter with the risen Jesus as a trouble. It is recorded in the Gospels that the Jews came to
tell them that Jesus was not there, and they had gone to the wrong tomb, but they left him with a request, which may have been to move the
spiritual vision rather than a physical encounter, causing the attachment of myths. before he could explain.
Weaknesses body.
Weaknesses Weaknesses
It seems unlikely that the myths could be attached to Jesus’ life so quickly. Eyewitnesses who were This would mean that Jesus’ body remained in the tomb, and surely the disciples, the
still alive would’ve known that this didn’t happen, ‘one cannot imagine how such a series of legends It is unlikely that Pilate would’ve changed his mind after
religious authorities, Pilate or Joseph of Arimathea would have checked the right tomb. three days, particularly as the Gospels show him to be very
could arise… if eyewitnesses were still at hand who could be questioned respecting the truth’ Luke states that the women took specific note of the tomb where they laid Jesus’ body, so
(Muller). obstinate, shown when he refuses to change the sign on
it’s unlikely that they made a mistake. There is inconsistency with the women visiting at the cross. It is unlikely that Jesus was significant enough
dawn and the gardener being there in the dark. for Pilate to concern himself with moving his body. The
Joseph of Arimathea Moved the Body request by the Jews was to ensure that the body wasn’t
Strengths moved – the opposite of this.
If Joseph was a pious Jew who wanted to abide by Jewish burial laws, he may have moved the body The Death and Resurrection of Jesus in Modern
at night to avoid attracting a crowd, avoided witnesses by moving the body at dawn, and may have
seen the women at the tomb. If Joseph was a secret follower, he may have moved the body because Scholarship Jesus Actually Rose from the Dead
he regretted his decision and wanted to restore his reputation. In the Apocrypha, there are Strengths
references to the High Priest’s anger towards Joseph, Matthew explicitly says he was a follower, and The Romans were efficient executions who would’ve ensured Jesus was
Luke says that Joseph disagreed with the council’s decision to condemn Jesus to death. dead. Paul writes that there were 500 witnesses to the risen Jesus.
The Discovery was a Later Addition
Weaknesses Simon Peter, who had denied Jesus, and Stephen speak in Acts 2 of the
Strengths
If Joseph was a pious Jew who wanted to abide by Jewish burial laws, why did he perform a perfectly risen Jesus.
All of the Gospels say different things about which women went and what
legitimate action at night? Why was there no account of witnesses seeing the torches? Why didn’t Weaknesses
they saw, supporting the idea that there was no actual story.
he encounter the women? Why did he remove Jesus’ clothes? Why didn’t he also take the bodies of There are too many inconsistencies in the accounts for it to be a factual
Weaknesses
the two criminals? If Joseph was a secret follower, would he have really changed his mind and event.
Wilson observes that the conflicting Gospel accounts make the event more
moved the body within three days? Wouldn’t the men who helped him have come forward? Isn’t
authentic. If someone were to make up the story, they would make it more
the idea of the resurrection far more damaging to the religious authorities than Jesus’ burial in a
believable and not use female witnesses. Belief in the resurrection started
member of the Sanhedrin’s tomb? The Disciples Moved the Body
very early on, so not much time could’ve passed before the story was made
Strengths
up.
Matthew acknowledges that there was a rumour circulating
Jesus Didn’t Actually Die that the disciples had stolen the body, suggesting the
Strengths The Disciples Hallucinated the Resurrection prevalence of this explanation. The inconsistencies within the
The Turin Shroud may have been part of a Vatican conspiracy that proves that whoever was laid in it Strengths Gospel accounts suggest that there was some falsehood
was alive when put in the tomb. Schonfield argued that the sour wine Jesus was offered on the cross Wilson debates whether the disciples could’ve been so overcome with involved.
included a drug that induced him into a death-like state. Scholars such as Lawrence argue that Jesus grief, fear and tiredness that they hallucinated the risen Jesus. Weaknesses
was taken down from the cross too early, and that he went on to live a happy life. Gospel accounts Weaknesses Belief in the resurrection began very early after the event, and
support the idea that Jesus was taken down from the cross quickly, as Pilate is surprised when This doesn’t account for the empty tomb, and only explains the visions of other disciples believed immediately and were prepared to die
Joseph of Arimathea asks for his body. the risen Jesus. Luke and John acknowledge that Jesus ate fish and that the for it, suggesting that they weren’t responsible. One of the
Weaknesses disciples touched his wounds to prove that he wasn’t a ghost or disciples surely would’ve spilled the truth under the threat of
The Romans were efficient executioners who wouldn’t have made such a basic mistake. Strauss hallucination. The New Testament records 500 witnesses to the risen torture and death. There was no obvious ringleader to come
argued that the man who appeared to the disciples was venerated as the Messiah, however Jesus Jesus, and that many people couldn’t all be hallucinating. up with the plan. The depiction of the disciples in the Gospels
wouldn’t have looked like a kingly saviour. The lance plunged into Jesus’ side would have killed him. doesn’t suggest that they could’ve been so conniving and
Wilson notes that there is no historical evidence. All of the witnesses of the resurrection were disrespectful. The early church wouldn’t have survived and
convinced that they saw a resurrected body. Mark says that the seals were fixed, and guards were flourished on so great a lie.
placed outside the tomb, so Jesus wouldn’t have been able to move the stone.
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