Resurrection

• Evidence for the resurrection: tomb discovery

  All four gospels agree

  - attention to the stone that had closed the tomb

  - the linking of the empty tomb tradition and the visit of the women on 'the first day of the week'

  - that the risen Jesus chose first to appear to women and to commission them to proclaim this most important fact to the disciples
• The dramatic change in disciples

  The disciples who were despondent at the time of Jesus' death were suddenly revitalised and given a new sense of purpose within days. What changed them so dramatically? Also they all died tragic deaths; keeping to the story of the resurrection up until then. They died believing in the resurrection so it must have happened. They did not gain anything by telling everyone that the resurrection happened, in fact it put them in danger. So it must have been the truth
• Concept of the soul in the Old Testament

  Genesis 2:7. God formed Adam, from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He became a nephesh hayyah (living being). Nephesh meaning soul
• What is ensoulment?

  The moment a human being gains a soul. Roman Catholics believe this is at conception
• How is Mary's song further evidence of the soul?

  'My soul magnifies the lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour'. Directly states we have a soul and that she has one
• What is the purpose of the soul according to Christian dualists?

  It makes a person who they are. It's their beliefs, their self
• What experiment did Duncan MacDougall conduct?

  The 21 grams experiment. Believed that the soul weighed 21 grams.
• Was MacDougall's experiment credited?

  No, many scientists discredited it and it is not widely believed