The Resurrection of the Son of God

What you'll learn

Students will be able to articulate the ideas of the afterlife and the resurrection from many different perspectives.
Students will grasp an understanding of the resurrection and the afterlife through examining ancient Jewish and pagan literature.
Students will be able to explain how the apostle Paul viewed the resurrection of Jesus and the afterlife.
Students will understand what the writers of the four New Testament Gospels report regarding Jesus' bodily resurrection.
Students will realize the implications of these ancient writings and the practices of the earliest followers of Jesus as they embraced the radical concept that Jesus was raised from the dead in bodily form.

Requirements

Students should have a desire to examine the idea of resurrection and the afterlife.
Students should be ready to engage in a comprehensive study of ancient literature with implications for today.
Students should be curious and inquisitive!
Students should acquire the book Surprised by Hope by Prof. N.T. Wright

Description

How do we know that Jesus was actually raised from the dead in bodily form? This course with Prof. N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God, examines the extraordinary claim that Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead in a bodily fashion to appear in person to people after his cruel death, crucifixion, and entombment. This journey will look at the ancient world's understanding of the afterlife from Jewish and Greek perspectives along with the implications of their understandings as it relates to the early Christian claim of the bodily resurrection of Jesus. New Testament documents will then be examined for broader understanding of resurrection generally as well as for specific information as it relates to the claim that Jesus was raised from the dead in bodily form.

The student is urged to read the book Surprised by Hope by Prof. N.T. Wright (ISBN: 0061551821) published by HarperOne. This book is a powerful partner to have while working through this course. If you would like a very thorough scholarly work on the subject by Prof. Wright, you may wish to consult the book The Resurrection of the Son of God (ISBN:0800626796) published by Fortress Press.

The course The Resurrection of the Son of God takes advantage of the thorough scholarship of Professor N.T. Wright as he methodically works through the relevant material.

Who this course is for:

People who have an interest in the study of the afterlife and the idea of resurrection.
This course does not presume any Christian faith, though those who come from a Christian background will be enriched as well.
Christians who wish to have a deeper understanding of a foundational aspect of their own faith.