Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 Worship Patterns in the Very Earliest Church Indicate an
Immediate Veneration of Jesus as Divine Following His
Crucifixion
Chapter 2 In the Synoptic and Johannine Gospels Jesus Used the Term
"I Am," Words that Function as the Name of God in the First
Century; Hence His Conviction for blasphemy in His Trial Before the
Sanhedrin
Chapter 3 Reliability of the Canonical Gospel Accounts is Supported
by the Historical Evidence
Chapter 4 The Means of Communication of the Gospel Immediately
After the Crucifixion was through a Highly Reliable Oral Gospel
Tradition
Chapter 5 The resurrection is a Plausible Event
Chapter 6 The New and Old Gnosticism are Based on Fantasies, Not on
Historical Events
Chapter 7 One Cannot Logically Maintain that all Religions Describe
a Path to the Same Ultimate Reality
Chapter 8 How Should One Engage a Person of Another Faith
Concerning Diverse Religious Beliefs?
Appendix A: Hymnic or Creedal Verses
Appendix B: Bart Ehrman’s recently published Jesus Interrupted is
contradicted by the conclusions of his mentor, Bruce M. Metzger
Dean L. Overman is former senior partner of the international law firm Winston & Strawn. A former Templeton scholar at Oxford University in religion, information theory, and physics, he has also studied theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and Harvard University. He lives in Washington, D.C., and is the author of A Case for the Existence of God, and A Case Against Accident and Self-Organization.
I admire this book's elegant, efficient, and clear style,
formulated by a trained jurist. The argumentation is lucid and
strong throughout, giving readers important and solid knowledge in
'good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.' It is
a clearly written presentation against the proposition that early
Christians freely constructed the words and traditions of Jesus.
The reader is in good hands.
*Birger Gerhardsson, Lund University, author of The Reliability
of the Gospel Tradition*
Skillful lawyer Dean L. Overman has carefully marshalled the
earliest evidence available from the early church's earliest
confessions and set out a compelling case for the divinity of
Jesus. What results is not just an enjoyable 'good read'—it is an
excellent and perceptive 'must read' for laypeople and scholars
alike, which calls for an intelligent response in the court of
public opinion.
*Richard N. Longenecker, professor emeritus of New Testament,
University of Toronto, author of The Christology of Early Jewish
Christianity*
Dean Overman covers a lot of very important ground in this well
organized and easy-to-read book. He makes a solid case for the
divinity of Jesus, as seen especially in the historically credible
accounts of the resurrection. But Overman deals with many other
important topics, such as the reliability of the New Testament
Gospels and the unreliability of the second-century gnostic Gospels
and the complicated question of how other religions of the world
fit into the picture. Students, clergy, experts and non-experts
alike will benefit greatly from this book.
*Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished professor of New Testament,
Acadia Divinity College; author of Fabricating Jesus*
Dean Overman brings the investigative skill of a brilliant lawyer
together with the insights of an outstanding Christian intellectual
leader to make a compelling case for the divinity of Jesus and his
resurrection. The careful argument he makes needs to be taken
seriously by all who want to examine the foundations for the
astonishing claim that Jesus uniquely is the Son of God. No
assertion of truth is more revolutionary in the world's history
than this. Overman presents an accessible, persuasive case for why
this assertion is historically grounded and intellectually
trustworthy.
*Wes Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed
Church in America*
Dean Overman has produced a carefully written, helpful book that
investigates this exceptionally important issue in a persuasive and
convincing manner.
*Rev. John Polkinghorne, Cambridge University, author of Belief in
God in an Age of Science, Templeton Prize recipient*
The divinity of Jesus Christ has been a matter of fervent dispute
since the Galilean made his appearance on the human stage.
Following his death and resurrection, numerous schools of thought
arose to try to explain who this man was and why he mattered.
Overman, former Templeton scholar at Oxford University who studied
religion at Princeton and Harvard, brings his considerable talents
to this question, focusing on the scholarly evidence for early
belief in the divinity of Jesus. This is the third in a series of
studies from his able pen, including a volume examining the case
for the existence of God. He spares no effort in dissecting and
analyzing early liturgical practices and documentary bases. His
examination of Gnosticism and its impact on Christian belief is
nothing short of masterful; his reflections about a resurrected
messiah among the Jews are thoughtful and pointed. . . . He
maintains a level of readability such that any student of
Christianity and its leader will benefit from Overman’s thorough
examination.
*Publishers Weekly, Religion in Review Online, November 2009*
This book is one of the best examples of a solid argument for
Jesus' divinity and His relationship with God the Father. . . . He
carefully traces the evidence from an enormous collection of
sources to prove his book's argument beyond any doubt. . . .
Overman writes and discusses as a skillful lawyer would argue his
case in a crowded courtroom.
*Edmonton's Living Light News, January/February 2010*
After describing the evidence concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
Overman, a former senior partner in the international law firm of
Winston & Strawn, develops his case for the divinity of Jesus with
reference to the worship patterns in the earliest church, Jesus'
use of "I am" sayings and his conviction for blasphemy, the
reliability of the canonical Gospel accounts, the reliability of
oral Gospel tradition, the resurrection as a plausible event, and
the basis of the new and old gnosticism in fantasies. Then he
argues that one cannot logically maintain that all religions
describe a path to the same ultimate reality, and considers how one
should engage a person of another faith concerning diverse
religious beliefs.
*New Testament Abstracts*
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