MBTS to host debate on Jesus’ resurrection
KANSAS CITY – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) will present a debate between Bart D. Ehrman and Mike R. Licona titled “Resurrection of Jesus Provable?” The debate, moderated by MBTS President R. Philip Roberts, will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the MBTS chapel auditorium. The event is open and free to the public.
“We are thrilled to have both Bart D. Ehrman and Mike R. Licona on campus addressing the questions many people ask these days,” said Roberts. “Apologetics, the science of defending the Christian faith, are very important. Our culture is looking for an answer. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Christian community and others to learn if the claims of Christ are defensible.”
Roberts has held his current position of MBTS president since 2001. Prior to serving at Midwestern, he had held a variety of positions, including serving seven years at North American Mission Board (NAMB) as vice president of the Interfaith Evangelism Team and then vice president for the Strategic Cities Strategies Group. He received his M.Div. degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. degree from Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Roberts has co-authored two books on Mormonism: “The Counterfeit Gospel of Mormonism” and “Mormonism Unmasked.” He also assisted NAMB in the production of “The Cross and the Crescent” video about Islam and “The Mormon Puzzle” on Mormonism.
Having been teaching for more than 15 years, Ehrman is the James A. Gray Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. He completed his undergraduate work at Wheaton College and received his Masters of Divinity and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to taking his position at UNC, Ehrman taught at Rutgers University.
Known for his liberal stand on the issue, Ehrman will be against Licona, a conservative leading Baptist apologist. Licona is the author of “Paul Meets Muhammad,” a debate on the resurrection of Jesus between the apostle Paul and the prophet Muhammad; the award winning “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus,” a comprehensive self-study course; Cross Examined, a legal novel defending the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection, and Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock, which lays out what to say to Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses when they visit you.
In July of 1997, Licona formed TruthQuest Ministries through the National Heritage Foundation. In October 2001, the ministry was renamed “RisenJesus.”