Hidden God and the Stubborn Dead

He Hidden God and the Stubborn Dead: Resurrection, History, and the Incarnation's Radical Claim**What did Jesus do for thirty years? And why did the disciples refuse to recant, even under torture?In this meticulously researched work of Christian apologetics, an author traces the interconnected mysteries of Jesus's obscure hidden years in Nazareth and the explosive, transformative power of the resurrection.
Far from being a gap to be filled with legend, the eighteen years of silence reveal a God willing to embrace radical ordinariness-the dust of construction, the weight of family responsibility, the dignity of common labor. When the disciples suddenly proclaimed a resurrected Lord, they faced a choice: recant or die. Hundreds refused. This book examines the historical evidence-the empty tomb, the diverse resurrection appearances, the origin of Christian faith in Jerusalem itself-and finds naturalistic explanations wanting.
More compelling than any theory of fraud or delusion is the simple fact: they believed something extraordinary had happened, and they were willing to die for it. Drawing on historical analysis, psychological insight, and theological reflection, this work reconstructs the "texture of truth" that emerges from the cumulative case for the resurrection. It challenges both skeptics and believers to grapple seriously with Christianity's most audacious claim: that God became human, died, rose again, and transformed the world.
For readers of N. T. Wright, William Lane Craig, and Bart Ehrman. Essential for anyone seeking to understand early Christianity on its own historical terms.