Show Notes
Summary In this episode, Brian Auten and Chad Gross welcome back philosopher and author **Peter S. Williams** to discuss his book, *Behold the Man: Essays on the Historical Jesus*. This engaging conversation explores the intersection of worldview, epistemology, and historical scholarship in the search for the real Jesus.
Topics Covered: The Structure and Purpose of Behold the Man A collection of revised essays exploring various historical, philosophical, and theological dimensions of Jesus.
Worldviews and Historical Inquiry How modernism, postmodernism, and the emerging metamodern perspective affect approaches to the historical Jesus. Epistemology and Openness to Evidence Why the worldview and theory of knowledge you bring impacts whether you can honestly assess historical claims about Jesus.
An Early High Christology in James Peter argues for early Christian belief in Jesus’ divinity based on linguistic and contextual clues in the Epistle of James.
Dating the Gospels – Especially John Examination of internal and external evidence supporting the traditional dating of the Fourth Gospel and its authorship by the Apostle John.
Miracles and the Resurrection Responding to philosophical objections to miracles, with particular focus on David Hume and the resurrection as a historically reasonable belief.
Minimal Facts vs. Maximal Data Approaches Comparison between Gary Habermas’s minimal facts method and broader evidential strategies in defending the resurrection.
Responding to UFO and Ancient Alien Theories Why Christian apologists should engage with these alternative explanations, and how to challenge them both philosophically and scientifically.
Emotional Barriers to Belief How personal experience and discomfort with change often block serious consideration of evidence—and how to engage that pastorally.
The Role of Apologetics in Spiritual Formation Why apologetics is a signpost, not a substitute, for commitment to Christ. Knowing *about* Jesus is not the same as *following* Him.
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