Did the Resurrection Happen? A Conversation with Gary Habermas and Antony Flew

This volume presents a philosophical dialogue between Gary Habermas, a Christian philosopher and leading resurrection scholar, and Antony Flew, who at the time of the original 1985 debate was among the world's most prominent atheist philosophers. The work centers on the historicity of Jesus's resurrection, examining whether this foundational Christian claim can withstand rigorous philosophical and historical scrutiny.

Habermas advances his signature "minimal facts" approach, arguing that certain historical data about Jesus's death and its aftermath are so well-attested that they are accepted by the vast majority of scholars across ideological divides. These include Jesus's death by crucifixion, the disciples' belief that they had seen the risen Jesus, and the dramatic conversion of skeptics like Paul and James. From these minimal facts, Habermas constructs a cumulative case that the resurrection offers the best explanation for the historical evidence.

Flew, representing philosophical atheism, challenges Habermas's methodology and conclusions through several lines of critique. He questions whether testimony about miraculous events can ever meet the evidentiary standards required for rational belief, invoking Humean skepticism about miracles. Flew also examines alternative naturalistic explanations for the disciples' experiences and the rise of Christianity, though he acknowledges certain weaknesses in traditional skeptical hypotheses like the hallucination theory.

The volume's significance extends beyond the specific arguments presented. It exemplifies how the God debate can be conducted with intellectual rigor and mutual respect between opposing positions. The discussion demonstrates that the resurrection question sits at the intersection of history, philosophy, and theology, requiring interdisciplinary analysis. Baggett's editorial framework situates this exchange within broader conversations about religious epistemology, the relationship between faith and reason, and the standards of evidence appropriate for evaluating religious claims.

The work contributes to several ongoing discussions in philosophy of religion: the possibility of historically grounding religious beliefs, the criteria for assessing miracle claims, and the role of background worldview commitments in evaluating evidence. By presenting both perspectives in direct dialogue, the volume allows readers to assess the relative strengths of theistic and naturalistic approaches to one of Christianity's most crucial claims. The exchange remains relevant for understanding how contemporary philosophers approach questions of divine action in history.