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The Resurrection: A Matter of History or Faith? Licona and Pagels on the Ron Isana Show

Risen Jesus — Mike Licona

The Resurrection: A Matter of History or Faith? Licona and Pagels on the Ron Isana Show

July 2, 2025
Risen Jesus
Risen JesusMike Licona

In this episode, we have a 2005 appearance of Dr. Mike Licona on the Ron Isana Show, where he defends the historicity of the bodily resurrection of Jesus against Princeton professor Dr. Elaine Pagels' contention that not all early Christians believed Jesus was physically raised from the dead. Stating that spiritual experiences can be real, Pagels asserts that the gospels contain different versions of Jesus' appearances. It wasn't until the late 2nd century AD that the idea of a physical resurrection became the dominant understanding. A self-proclaimed Christian, Pagels agrees that all Christians believed that the resurrection was important, but they had different ideas about what was meant by resurrection. Along witht he dialogue between the two scholars, the show host and viewers weight in with their thoughts.

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