Before the historical claims of Christianity can be evaluated, the reader needs to know how they are being evaluated. This page sets out the method. It is the same method historians use for every other figure of antiquity — and applying it consistently is what distinguishes a work of history from a work of advocacy.
The Method
Four principles govern the treatment of sources on every page in this section.
The Four Principles
Earliest sources firstThe closer a source is to the events it describes, the more weight it carries. Paul’s letters, written AD 48–65, outrank the Gospels, written AD 65–100, when they touch on the same material.
Independent attestationA claim found in multiple independent sources is stronger than a claim found in only one. Matthew and Luke both used Mark, so their agreements are not independent. The agreements between Paul and the Gospels are.
Criterion of embarrassmentDetails that are embarrassing to the author’s case are unlikely to have been invented. Peter’s denial, the flight of the disciples, the women as first witnesses — none of these help the early church’s case.
Name the uncertaintyWhere the evidence is contested, say so. Where the sources contradict each other, show both. Where a claim cannot be tested, mark it as beyond the evidence.
The Minimal Facts Approach
The most productive way to evaluate the historical claims of Christianity is the minimal facts approach, developed by historians who work on both sides of the question. Identify the facts that satisfy two criteria: multiple independent attestation, and acceptance by the majority of critical scholars, including those who are skeptical.
The following facts meet both criteria.
The Minimal Facts
Fact 1Jesus was executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, in Judea, in the late 20s or early 30s AD. Attested by Tacitus, Josephus, all four Gospels, Paul, and the Talmud.
Fact 2His disciples, who had fled, became public preachers of his resurrection within weeks. Attested by Acts, Paul, and the transformation of the historical record from a scattered group to a public movement.
Fact 3Paul, an enemy of the church, converted within a few years and became the movement’s greatest missionary. Attested by Paul’s own letters, by Acts, and by the transformation of the historical record.
Fact 4James, the brother of Jesus, who did not believe during the ministry, became the leader of the Jerusalem church and died a martyr. Attested by Paul, Acts, Josephus, and Hegesippus.
Fact 5The tomb was found empty by women on the first day of the week. Attested by all four Gospels, and presumed by the earliest Jewish counter-claim (Matthew 28:11–15).
These five facts satisfy both criteria. They are the starting point. Every explanation of the origins of Christianity must account for them. The question is which explanation accounts for them best.
What Is Not Claimed
The method does not prove the resurrection. It cannot. No historical method can prove a supernatural event, because historical methods deal with ordinary causes. What the method can do is eliminate competing explanations and show which one best fits the evidence.
The method also does not claim that the New Testament is without error. It is a collection of documents written by human beings in the first century, and it reflects the limitations of its authors. The method treats these documents the same way it treats any other ancient text: with care, with attention to genre and purpose, and with an eye for what the author intended to communicate.
What Scholars Agree On
The following is a list of the positions that are held by the majority of critical scholars, including those who are not Christians.
Consensus Positions
Historical JesusJesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure, a Jewish teacher who lived in Galilee and Judea in the first century, and who was executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate.
Pauline authorshipSeven letters are accepted as written by Paul: Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon.
Markan priorityMark was the first Gospel written. Matthew and Luke used Mark and a lost collection of Jesus’ sayings (called “Q”).
Early creed1 Corinthians 15:3–7 is a pre-Pauline creed, dated by most scholars to AD 31–36.
Empty tombThe majority of scholars, including many non-Christians, accept that the tomb of Jesus was found empty on the first day of the week.
What Scholars Disagree About
The following are the questions on which critical scholars are seriously divided. The section addresses each one on the Debates page.
Contested Questions
CensusWhether the census of Quirinius described in Luke 2:2 can be reconciled with Josephus’ dating of the same census to 6 AD.
Crucifixion dateWhether Jesus was crucified in AD 30 or AD 33.
TestimoniumWhich parts of the Testimonium Flavianum are authentic to Josephus and which are later Christian additions.
Resurrection appearancesThe precise nature of the appearances — physical, visionary, or both.
Date of the GospelsWhether Mark was written before 70 AD or after, and whether John was written before or after the turn of the century.
Why the Method Matters
The reader is a grown man. He can handle the fact that some historical questions are unresolved. The section that follows does not pretend otherwise. What it does is lay out the evidence, name the uncertainties, and let the reader draw his own conclusion.
The test of the section is not whether the reader believes. It is whether the reader, having read it, knows more about the historical record than he did before — and whether that record, taken as a whole, points where the first Christians said it pointed.
Continue to: For Skeptics · The Debates · The Journey
