Why Apologists Dont Talk About the Ascension Matthew Hartke 2021-08-30 | Christian apologists like Gary Habermas, Mike Licona, and William Lane Craig love to talk about the evidence for the resurrection, but they are mostly silent about the evidence for the ascension. In this video we look at some of the reasons why.
How Cognitive Dissonance Explains Christianity Matthew Hartke 2022-12-18 | The New Testament talks about the "kingdom of God" as if it was in some sense already established, despite all appearances to the contrary. Most Jewish groups in that period didn't talk like that. So what accounts for this strange and surprising feature of early Christian belief? Enter: Cognitive Dissonance Theory.For the script of this video (plus sources) see: mlhartke.wordpress.com/2022/11/21/an-unshakable-kingdom-how-cognitive-dissonance-explains-christianityChapters0:00 - Intro0:08 - The Problem of Realized Eschatology3:37 - An Inadequate Explanation6:25 - Cognitive Dissonance and Prophetic Failure 9:59 - Great Disappointment or Partial Fulfillment?16:57 - Dissonance and the Kingdom26:30 - Conclusion
The Forgotten Meaning of Jesus Resurrection Matthew Hartke 2021-11-06 | What was the significance of Jesus' resurrection to the first people who believed in it? Why did it matter? What did they think it proved? In this video we discuss the earliest meaning of the resurrection, why it's not the same meaning Christians find in it today, and why it's a problem for traditional Christian faith. To support this channel on Patreon (much appreciated!): patreon.com/MatthewHartke To follow me on social media: twitter.com/MatthewHartke
Are the Resurrection Narratives Hopelessly Contradictory? Matthew Hartke 2021-09-21 | The earliest accounts of Jesus' resurrection diverge from one another at a much higher rate than the preceding narratives of his ministry and death. In this video we look at some of the biggest differences and why they present a problem for resurrection apologetics.Twitter: twitter.com/MatthewHartkeBlog: mlhartke.wordpress.com
Why Pauls Witness to the Resurrection Should Make You Doubt Matthew Hartke 2021-09-06 | Paul is our earliest source for the appearances of the risen Jesus, and his own experience is the only incontestable firsthand eyewitness testimony to one of those appearances that we have. In this video we talk about why that's a problem for resurrection apologetics. Twitter: twitter.com/MatthewHartkeBlog: mlhartke.wordpress.com
Why the most popular argument for the resurrection fails Matthew Hartke 2021-04-04 | This is a clip from a recent conversation I had with Non-Alchemist and Amateur Exegete about the historicity of the resurrection. Here we talk specifically about the “minimal facts” argument for the resurrection and why I don’t find it persuasive. We also talk about the common claim that group hallucinations don’t happen. Full conversation: youtu.be/hk-blhVkC88
Conversing with My Inner Christian - Interview with Dr. Randal Rauser Matthew Hartke 2020-10-05 | In this conversation (my first interview!) Dr. Rauser and I talk about methodological naturalism, the insufficiency of resurrection skepticism that fails to offer a coherent alternative explanation for how Christianity began and why it took the shape that it did, and I attempt to offer such an explanation in the form of Cognitive Dissonance Theory.———————— LINKS ————————Dr. Rauser’s new book, Conversations with My Inner Atheist: amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08G4ZWLY7/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=Dr. Rauser’s conversation with Counter Apologist: youtu.be/UQKD26p_hqwDr. Rauser’s debate with Godless Engineer: youtu.be/8781a1zPN28My article, “Five Reasons to Doubt the Resurrection”: mlhartke.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/five-reasons-to-doubt-the-resurrectionJoel Marcus, John the Baptist in History and Theology: amazon.com/Baptist-History-Theology-Personalities-Testament/dp/1611179009Joseph F. Zygmunt, “Prophetic Failure and Chiliastic Identity: The Case of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” American Journal of Sociology, May 1970, Vol. 75, No. 6: jstor.org/stable/2776152?seq=1J. Gordon Melton, “Spiritualization and Reaffirmation: What Really Happens When Prophecy Fails,” American Studies, 1985, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 17-29: jstor.org/stable/40641958?seq=1
