by Bart D. Ehrman (Author), Michael R. Licona (Author), Craig Keener (Foreword by)

Contested: Debating the New Testament's Historical Reliability showcases Bart D. Ehrman and Michael R. Licona in a sustained, civil, and high-stakes exchange over the central historical question about the truth of Christianity: can the New Testament be trusted as a reliable witness to Jesus, especially his bodily resurrection? Ehrman, one of the world's best-known critics of traditional claims about the Gospels, argues that the New Testament contains serious historical problems and cannot establish the resurrection. Licona, a leading defender of Gospel reliability, answers with a historically grounded case for the credibility of the New Testament and the resurrection of Jesus. Framed by interviews, major statements, responses, and final replies, this volume gives both scholars room to make their strongest arguments and answer the other side directly. Clear, substantive, and unusually fair, it is essential reading for believers, skeptics, students, and anyone who wants the debate at its best and most focused.