For Biologos to base their argument on the authority of Scripture opens them to the mockery and ridicule of a skeptical world, the very same they are trying to avoid. This seems, rather too much, like having one’s cake and eating it. One cannot, with any credibility before the believing or unbelieving world, cite Scriptural evidence for the resurrection while doing everything to avoid using concepts like the authority of Scripture.
I recently read a short article on Biologos entitled On What Basis Should A Scientist Accept The Resurrection? A composite piece written by a number of Biologos contributors, the article sets out an argument for the basis for and authority upon which the scientist should accept an historical resurrection. The authors encourage the scientist to “evaluate data.” They explain, “an open-minded person will find impressive historical evidence consistent with the resurrection.” Again, “But for those who are open, such evidence provides a reasonable basis for belief, so that, as the Gospel of John says, ‘believing, you may have life in His [Jesus’s] name’ (John 20:31).” The article purports to assess and evaluate the historical data for the resurrection. This available data is the ground upon which scientists and “open minded” people should believe in the resurrection and thus follow Christ. While all of this sounds reasonable, several methodological and presuppositional problems arise from the arguments make in the article.
First, the presupposition that some are “open minded.” Given its view of origins, Biologos is not known for its rigorous biblical anthropology. Thus, its designation that some are open- minded enough to be swayed by good historical evidence really misses the Biblical mark. We see here the bent of these brethren: seeking to make the gospel palatable and credible to a reasonable but unbelieving mind, they have, in Bultmann-esque style, stripped the Bible of anything that might cause modern man an offense (can you say ‘resurrection’?).
