Historical Accuracy of the Gospels | Dr. Craig Keener

Dr. Craig Keener explores the historical accuracy of Jesus as depicted in the Gospels. He addresses common objections from skeptics, including the Jesus Seminar and the new atheists, using historical methods to demonstrate that the Gospels are reliable sources. Dr. Keener examines the genre of ancient biography and the reliability of oral traditions, offering compelling insights into how the Gospels present a true account of Jesus' life and teachings. This video provides a thoughtful defense of the historical Jesus for people who want to understand the Gospels' authenticity. Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational graduate school equipping students for ministry and leadership in the Wesleyan tradition. It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in theology, ministry, counseling, and missiology. Links: Website https://asburyseminary.edu/ Facebook   / asburyseminary   Instagram   / asburyseminary   Tik Tok   / asburyseminary   Time Stamps: 00:00 - Opening prayer and introduction 00:44 - Addressing atheists and Jesus Seminar 03:12 - Genre of the Gospels 04:20 - Comparing Gospels to biographies 06:34 - Historical accuracy of biographies 09:31 - Gospels and their sources 11:10 - Reliability of ancient biographies 17:06 - Gospels as historical sources 18:18 - Gospels' dependence on earlier writings 19:57 - Variations between Gospels 22:17 - Luke’s sources and investigation 23:24 - Oral tradition and memory 28:49 - Memorization in ancient education 33:35 - Disciples’ memory reliability 35:12 - Importance of memorization in antiquity 37:02 - Chain of transmission in traditions 39:31 - Disciples' ability to remember 41:18 - Jewish traditions in the Gospels 44:23 - Early traditions in the Gospels 45:30 - Credibility of women’s testimony 49:15 - Gospels and early church history 52:21 - Dating of Acts and Jerusalem 57:06 - Early date of Mark 59:22 - Concluding thoughts on Gospels