Overview

The truth of Jesus' crucifixion, one of the most verifiable events in history, has been challenged by Muslims since the creation of Islam and the writing of the Qur'an. Muslims believe there was a crucifixion, but the majority deny that it was Jesus who was the one crucified. Two prominent Muslim polemicists, 'Abd al-Jabbār from the tenth century and Muhammad 'Ata ur-Rahim from the twentieth century, have attempted to present a historical interpretation from a.d. 33 to 381 to support their denial of Jesus' death on the cross. Since the death of Jesus on the cross is central-and essential-to the Bible's gospel message, it is appropriate to consider the evidence for the crucifixion and how this erroneous view came to be commonly accepted by Muslims. David Herbert tackles this belief by looking at the historical support for the veracity of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion, external documentary and archaeological evidence and plain historical challenge to the views put forward by al-Jabbār, ur-Rahim and others. In the course of the book, Dr. Herbert also debunks the view that the Gospel of Barnabas (frequently used by Muslims to defend their position), was a first-century document. He examines each of three views of what Muslims believe happened to Jesus at the crucifixion and powerfully defends this historical event, central to the Christian faith.

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9781989174425

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Reviews

Reminiscent of the rationalist apologetical approach to Muslims pioneered by Carl Gottlieb Pfander, Herbert focuses with laser-like intensity on the Qur'an's claim that Jesus Christ was not crucified. He begins with an overview of the historical record and theological necessity of Christ's crucifixion, then juxtaposes six centuries of universally agreed testimony against the Qur'an's seventh-century assertion to the opposite. Gently, but systematically, Herbert proceeds to deconstruct the revisionist historical accounts of such well-known Muslim writers as 'Abd al-Jabbar and Muhammad 'Ata ur-Rahim, before turning his attention to the spurious Gospel of Barnabas. An appropriate gift for your seeking, questioning Muslim friend. - Peter Pikkert, Ph.D Co-author, A Comparative Dictionary of Religious Terms in Islam and Christianity (2020) The resurrection of Jesus is the very foundation and heart of Christianity. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, Christianity is the greatest hoax in all of history. The biblical gospel rests on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. One certain fact acknowledged by the vast majority of scholars is the death of Jesus on a Roman cross. Islam has rejected this historical fact based on 40 vague Arabic words in the Qur'an, Sura 4:157, written six centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus. In denying the death of Jesus, Islam has also rejected the resurrection, thus undercutting the gospel message- and this to the peril of the souls of Muslims all around the world. In this book, David Herbert addresses these important points in canvasing all the evidence regarding the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Through an analysis of the New Testament, the early church fathers, the creeds of the church and extra-biblical sources from Jewish and Greco-Roman authors, Herbert presents a formidable case for the historicity of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. I would recommend Herbert's book to anyone who has an elementary knowledge of Islam. After reading this book, the reader will quickly learn how foreign and different the Jesus of Islam is from the historic Jesus of the Bible. - Tony Costa, Ph.D. Professor of Islam and Apologetics, Toronto Baptist Seminary, Canada As a cross-cultural worker in the UK, this book has reminded me of the historical evidence we have for the crucifixion, as well as providing me with a better understanding of the Islamic doctrine and its roots. Herbert enables us to approach this key event through the lens of historical integrity, helping us build upon our confidence in Christ's death and resurrection found in Scripture by thoroughly presenting and evaluating the historical evidence. He graciously, yet clearly, deconstructs the Islamic interpretation of the crucifixion, equipping us, as workers, to defend our beliefs confidently, while challenging our friends. This book is a must-read for those seeking to share the gospel with Muslims. - Jessica Brie, Cross-cultural worker, Pioneers, UK

Reminiscent of the rationalist apologetical approach to Muslims pioneered by Carl Gottlieb Pfander, Herbert focuses with laser-like intensity on the Qur'an's claim that Jesus Christ was not crucified. He begins with an overview of the historical record and theological necessity of Christ's crucifixion, then juxtaposes six centuries of universally agreed testimony against the Qur'an's seventh-century assertion to the opposite. Gently, but systematically, Herbert proceeds to deconstruct the revisionist historical accounts of such well-known Muslim writers as 'Abd al-Jabbār and Muhammad 'Ata ur-Rahim, before turning his attention to the spurious Gospel of Barnabas. An appropriate gift for your seeking, questioning Muslim friend. - Peter Pikkert, Ph.D Co-author, A Comparative Dictionary of Religious Terms in Islam and Christianity (2020) The resurrection of Jesus is the very foundation and heart of Christianity. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, Christianity is the greatest hoax in all of history. The biblical gospel rests on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. One certain fact acknowledged by the vast majority of scholars is the death of Jesus on a Roman cross. Islam has rejected this historical fact based on 40 vague Arabic words in the Qur'an, Sura 4:157, written six centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus. In denying the death of Jesus, Islam has also rejected the resurrection, thus undercutting the gospel message- and this to the peril of the souls of Muslims all around the world. In this book, David Herbert addresses these important points in canvasing all the evidence regarding the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Through an analysis of the New Testament, the early church fathers, the creeds of the church and extra-biblical sources from Jewish and Greco-Roman authors, Herbert presents a formidable case for the historicity of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. I would recommend Herbert's book to anyone who has an elementary knowledge of Islam. After reading this book, the reader will quickly learn how foreign and different the Jesus of Islam is from the historic Jesus of the Bible. - Tony Costa, Ph.D. Professor of Islam and Apologetics, Toronto Baptist Seminary, Canada As a cross-cultural worker in the UK, this book has reminded me of the historical evidence we have for the crucifixion, as well as providing me with a better understanding of the Islamic doctrine and its roots. Herbert enables us to approach this key event through the lens of historical integrity, helping us build upon our confidence in Christ's death and resurrection found in Scripture by thoroughly presenting and evaluating the historical evidence. He graciously, yet clearly, deconstructs the Islamic interpretation of the crucifixion, equipping us, as workers, to defend our beliefs confidently, while challenging our friends. This book is a must-read for those seeking to share the gospel with Muslims. - Jessica Brie, Cross-cultural worker, Pioneers, UK

Author Information

David Herbert is a retired elementary and secondary history teacher. He received his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, M.A. from Wheaton College (USA), M.Div. from Heritage Theological Seminary (Canada) and M.Ed. and Ed.D. from the University of Toronto. Dr. Herbert has written a number of books, including Charles Darwin's Religious Views (2009), The Key to Understanding Origins: The Underlying Assumptions (2013) and Becoming God: Transhumanism and the Quest for Cybernetic Immortality (2014).

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