Darrell Bock is an evangelical scholar, and Bart Ehrman is an agnostic one. Yet according to Jeffrey Weiss of the Dallas Morning News, they have the same opinion about the so-called “Jesus Tomb.” It’s a bunch of “hooey”! I think this story has just about run its course. It became clear by mid-week that no reputable scholar (Christian or non-Christian) wants to attribute any credibility to the ideas put forth in James Cameron’s forthcoming documentary “The Lost Tomb of Jesus.” Except for the initially credulous coverage by the mainstream media, the rejection has been virtually unanimous. Here’s an updated list of resources concerning the “Jesus Tomb.”
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Scholars Call “Jesus Tomb†a Publicity Stunt
This is just in from the Washington Post, and it’s devastating to the credibility of those hawking the so-called “Jesus Tomb.”
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Alvin Plantinga Zings Richard Dawkins
Many people regard Alvin Plantinga to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) living philosophers of our time. He represents the best of what it means to be a Christian and a scholar. So don’t miss his critical review of the atheist Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion. This is the money line, and it’s a zinger:
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Scholars Speak against Farcical “Jesus Tombâ€
Below are items that might be helpful as you evaluate the titanically tendentious claims of “The Jesus Tomb.” The list is divided between Biblical scholars who have weighed in and popular commentaries available in various media outlets. This latest update includes two MP3’s: (1) interviews with Ben Witherington and Darrell Bock, and (2) Al Mohler’s most recent radio broadcast on the subject. [I’ve moved the update list to this location.]
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Al Mohler’s Appearance on “Larry King Liveâ€
Last night, Dr. R. Albert Mohler appeared on “Larry King Live” to discuss the so-called “Jesus Tomb.” You can read the transcript of the program here. James Cameron’s response to one of Mohler’s remarks was completely inane. Mohler had observed how unlikely it would be that a peasant family of Nazareth would end up in a middle-class family tomb near Jerusalem. Such things just did not happen.
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The Tomb Is Not Empty after All?
James Cameron, the director of the 1997 best-picture Titanic, has produced a documentary claiming to have unearthed Jesus’ tomb and bodily remains. In a new documentary, Producer Cameron and his director, Simcha Jacobovici, make the starting claim that Jesus wasn’t resurrected –the cornerstone of Christian faith– and that his burial cave was discovered near Jerusalem. And, get this, Jesus sired a son with Mary Magdelene. . . Film-makers Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have amassed evidence through DNA tests, archeological evidence and Biblical studies, that the 10 coffins belong to Jesus and his family (source).
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The “Goracle†Wins
HT to the San Francisco Chronicle for the “Goracle” moniker. Â Â Â ____
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“Amazing Grace†Suppresses Wilberforce’s Christianity?
At OpinionJournal.com, Charlotte Allen suggests that the new movie about William Wilberforce suppresses his Christianity: Alas, a lot of people watching “Amazing Grace,” Michael Apted’s just-released film, may get the impression–perhaps deliberately fostered by Mr. Apted–that Wilberforce was a mostly secular humanitarian whose main passion was not Christian faith but politics and social justice. Along the way, they may also get the impression that the hymn “Amazing Grace” is no more than an uplifting piece of music that sounds especially rousing on the bagpipes. I haven’t seen the movie yet, so I certainly can’t have an opinion on this question. But I sure hope that Allen is wrong.
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Down with the Retrograde Regime of Roe v. Wade
The central holding of the Supreme Court’s infamous Roe v. Wade decision was that a woman has the right to choose an abortion for any reason, up until the “point at which the fetus becomes ‘viable,’ that is, potentially able to live outside the mother’s womb.” Roe v. Wade said furthermore that “Viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks.”
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More on Sheri Klouda
The controversy over Sheri Klouda spilled over onto television sets across the metroplex last night as the ABC affiliate in Dallas did a feature on Klouda’s departure from Southwestern Seminary. You can watch the video by clicking here.