Apologetics Inc. to host debate on Christ’s resurrection

Apologetics Inc., an apologetics training company that trains people in apologetics, announced Thursday that it will host a debate on March 7, 2027, about whether Jesus rose from the dead.

Moderated by New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg of Apologetics, Inc., this debate will be hosted at First Baptist Dallas, featuring two leading scholars with opposing conclusions about this central claim of the Christian faith.

Who are the players? Dr. William Lane Craig, a Christian philosopher and apologists, will debate Dr. Michael Shermer, founder of Skeptic magazine.

Dr. Craig’s scholarship has focused extensively on the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, philosophy of religion, and natural theology, according to Apologetics, Inc. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and a doctorate in theology. He currently serves as Emeritus Research Professor at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. He has authored 30 books, including Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, Atonement and the Death of Christ, and Systematic Philosophical Theology.

Dr. Shermer is a science writer, and advocate for scientific skepticism. He is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine and founder of The Skeptics Society, and has spent decades examining why people believe what they believe and how evidence, reason, and critical thinking can be used to evaluate extraordinary claims, according to Apologetics Inc. Shermer holds a B.A. in psychology, an M.A. in experimental psychology, and a Ph.D. in the history of science. He has taught at the college and university level for decades and has served as a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. Shermer has authored numerous books, including Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters, The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc.

Debate organizers do not plan to declare a winner at the event’s conclusion, but Apologetics Inc. invited churches across the country to host a free live simulcast of the debate, characterizing it as an outreach opportunity. The debate happens in the same season as the premiere of Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated movie about Jesus’ resurrection as well as the theatrical release of The Chosen’s episode about the crucifixion of Jesus.