Jesus' Resurrection and Apparitions: A Bayesian Analysis

Did Jesus rise physically from the dead, or did he rise as a real, non-bodily apparition, like those reported in the parapsychological literature? In this book, which is the first book-length examination of the question in over fifty years, Jake O'Connell argues in favor of the physical resurrection hypothesis. In order to do so, he employs Bayes' Theorem, a mathematical theorem which encapsulates the way humans think when they analyze the probability of a hypothesis. In addition, he provides a thorough overview of the evidence for the reality of apparitions of the dead. ""Jake O'Connell has done a favor for contemporary scholarship in his examination of a few key alternative approaches that question the facticity of Jesus' resurrection. His vigilant research into seldom-discussed but significant challenges to this event makes this work the sort of investigation that belongs on the shelf of careful researchers."" --Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy and Theology, Liberty University ""This is a very interesting book, well presented and correctly using Bayes' rule for the probability calculations therein."" --Richard A. Levine, Professor and Chair, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University Jake H. O'Connell is an independent scholar living in MA. He has published articles in various scholarly journals, including Heythrop Journal, Philosophy and Theology, and Tyndale Bulletin.Read less