Gary Habermas
Encyclopedia
Gary Robert Habermas is an American
evangelical
Christian apologist
, historian, and philosopher of religion. He is a prolific author, lecturer, and debater on the topic of the Resurrection of Jesus
. Habermas is considered to be one of the foremost experts on the resurrection.
in Lynchburg, Virginia
. He holds a Ph.D.
(1976) from Michigan State University
in the area of History
and Philosophy of Religion
and an M.A.
(1973) from the University of Detroit in Philosophical Theology
. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus
and New Testament
studies. Habermas has authored or co-authored 35 books on religious and philosophical subjects, contributed to over 60 chapters or articles in books, and published over 100 articles and reviews in peer-reviewed journals. He continues to do research, publish popular and academic papers, give debates, and he frequently appears on television.
In 1985, Dr. Gary Habermas and Antony Flew
debated the question of Jesus
' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before a crowd of 3000 people. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided. Of the debate judges who voted on debate technique, three voted for Habermas while two voted for Flew. The debate was published as a book under the title Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Resurrection Debate (Harper & Row).
In 2004, Habermas conducted an interview with Antony Flew
published in Biola University
's Philosophia Christi journal, in which Flew reversed his long-standing espousal of atheism
by endorsing deistic theism
. The interview has been the source of some minor controversy, centering on claims made in the interview's preface regarding the scope and nature of Flew's beliefs, and his subsequent contradictory statements endorsing atheism, the latter being a misnomer, for Flew clearly no longer supports the inference or verdict of atheism, but rather the evidential method or route by which one may secure such a verdict, i.e., the "Presumption of Atheism" is default, nullified only on the condition that the degree of proof is met.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian apologist
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
, historian, and philosopher of religion. He is a prolific author, lecturer, and debater on the topic of the Resurrection of Jesus
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
. Habermas is considered to be one of the foremost experts on the resurrection.
Biography
Habermas is Distinguished Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy and theology at Liberty UniversityLiberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
in Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. He holds a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1976) from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in the area of History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, analysis of religious language and texts, and the relationship of religion and science...
and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1973) from the University of Detroit in Philosophical Theology
Philosophical Theology
Philosophical theology is the disciplined employment of philosophical methods in developing or analyzing theological concepts. It therefore includes natural theology as well as philosophical treatments of orthodox and heterodox theology....
. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
studies. Habermas has authored or co-authored 35 books on religious and philosophical subjects, contributed to over 60 chapters or articles in books, and published over 100 articles and reviews in peer-reviewed journals. He continues to do research, publish popular and academic papers, give debates, and he frequently appears on television.
In 1985, Dr. Gary Habermas and Antony Flew
Antony Flew
Antony Garrard Newton Flew was a British philosopher. Belonging to the analytic and evidentialist schools of thought, he was notable for his works on the philosophy of religion....
debated the question of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before a crowd of 3000 people. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided. Of the debate judges who voted on debate technique, three voted for Habermas while two voted for Flew. The debate was published as a book under the title Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Resurrection Debate (Harper & Row).
In 2004, Habermas conducted an interview with Antony Flew
Antony Flew
Antony Garrard Newton Flew was a British philosopher. Belonging to the analytic and evidentialist schools of thought, he was notable for his works on the philosophy of religion....
published in Biola University
Biola University
Biola University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located near Los Angeles. Biola's main campus is in La Mirada in Los Angeles County, California. In addition, the university has several satellite campuses in Chino Hills, Inglewood, San Diego, and Laguna Hills.-...
's Philosophia Christi journal, in which Flew reversed his long-standing espousal of atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
by endorsing deistic theism
Theism
Theism, in the broadest sense, is the belief that at least one deity exists.In a more specific sense, theism refers to a doctrine concerning the nature of a monotheistic God and God's relationship to the universe....
. The interview has been the source of some minor controversy, centering on claims made in the interview's preface regarding the scope and nature of Flew's beliefs, and his subsequent contradictory statements endorsing atheism, the latter being a misnomer, for Flew clearly no longer supports the inference or verdict of atheism, but rather the evidential method or route by which one may secure such a verdict, i.e., the "Presumption of Atheism" is default, nullified only on the condition that the degree of proof is met.
Books
- Why is God Ignoring Me? (Tyndale House Publishers, 2010).
- with John Thomas What's so God about Feeling Bad?, (Tyndale, 2008).
- with Jerry Walls & David Baggett C.S. Lewis as Philosopher, (InterVarsity, 2008).
- Resurrected? : An Atheist and Theist Dialogue, (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005).
- with Licona, MichaelMichael R. LiconaMichael R. Licona is a New Testament scholar and Evangelical Christian apologist. He has a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies which he completed "with distinction" and the highest mark and an M.A. in Religious Studies from Liberty University...
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, (Kregel, 2004). - with Moreland, J.P. Beyond Death: Exploring the Evidence for Immortality, (Crossway, 2004).
- The Risen Jesus & Future Hope, (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003).
- The Thomas Factor: Using Your Doubts to Draw Closer to God (Broadman & Holman, 1999).
- The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (College Press: Joplin, MI 1996).
- Ancient Evidence for the Life of Jesus: Historical Records of His Death and Resurrection
- Dealing With Doubt (Moody Press, 1990)
- Gary R. Habermas and Antony G. N. Flew, Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Resurrection Debate, ed. Terry L. Miethe (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987; Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2003).
External links
- Gary Habermas — personal website
- Gary Habermas on Theopedia
- Why I Believe The New Testament Is Historically Reliable by Dr. Gary Habermas
- Explaining Away Jesus’ Resurrection: The Recent Revival of Hallucination Theories by Gary R. Habermas
- Jesus' Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic (Part I) - PDF File
- Jesus' Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic (Part II) - PDF File
- Interview with Dr. Gary Habermas on the implications of Near-Death Experience science for Christian theology.