I went through a short phase of needing to find proof that Jesus has risen from the dead, allegedly so I could convince somebody else, but probably more so I could convince myself. And if that kind of thing works for you, have at it, but it always left me cold. I could find a compellingly bright scholar to tell me why this all had to be true, only to find another compellingly bright scholar who could tell me why it couldn’t be true, and go back and forth between books the rest of my life. I have yet to find a system so conclusive and airtight that I don’t still have the option to not believe it.
Ultimately, I don’t know that I would do anything other than follow Jesus – simply because I have heard people’s stories and seen things in the world that I cannot explain any other way unless God raised Jesus from the dead. That’s all I’ve got. These days, I often remember my professor Stanley Hauerwas saying, “If you need a system to prop up your belief in Jesus of Nazareth, then worship your system.”
— Jonathan Martin, from his book Prototype
I’ve been working my way through this book over the past week and wow, it’s good stuff.
2 Comments
yay! another book to go on my reading list.
I picked up the Kindle version a week or so ago when it was on sale. I’d say it’s worth full price, though. Really good.