New Testament scholar Craig Evans teamed up with N. T. Wright to write Jesus, the Final Days, which takes a fresh look at the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Steve Rabey spoke with Evans about his work, and what it means for the church.

The resurrection of Jesus happened nearly 2,000 years ago, and people have been writing about it ever since. Why do we need another book about this now?

Craig Evans: We want to answer attacks and criticisms that are silly, like Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, or more serious. One scholar says Jesus wasn’t really buried, but was thrown into a shallow ditch and eaten by wild dogs. This kind of radical speculation contradicts the evidence of archeology.

Christian faith can be challenged by science. Can science strengthen faith?

Archaeology comes along and clarifies things in scripture that we don’t understand, like Jewish burial customs in Jesus’ day. When we better understand the world of Jesus, we have a stronger appreciation for the New Testament’s accuracy.

Your book says some people doubted stories about the resurrection because so many eyewitnesses at Jesus’ tomb were women.
In the Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures of Jesus’ day, women were supposed to stay home and keep her mouths shut. Paul acknowledges this cultural bias in 1 Corinthians 15 when he describes Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to men, not women.

Your book says Jesus was killed because he was “a very serious political threat.” Do Christians today pose a similar threat?
Jesus criticized a small group of Jewish leaders for their hypocrisy and their oppression of the poor, widows and orphans. Moses had instructed priests to care for the weak and disenfranchised. By Jesus’ day, the poor were exploited. Jesus had the crowds on his side, so he was a real threat to the elite.

Today, the same thing happens whenever Christians speak up with a prophetic voice and challenge policies and practices that ignore the truth.

2009 is a tough year for a lot of people. Will hard times affect how we celebrate Easter?

In times of economic, political and social instability, people think about eternal things. Jewish prophets warned that during times of prosperity, people forget about God and worship the gods of pleasure, wealth and power. When those gods are threatened, people repent, get sober and contemplate eternal things.

How did you discover your call and purpose as a defender of the faith?

I had a strong sense of calling to the pastoral ministry. Once my education got underway I recognized gifts of an academic nature. Now I want to be a serious student of scripture who teaches others to carefully and accurately interpret scripture and helps them respond to fads, silliness and outright hoaxes that seek to undermine the Gospels as a credible witness to the historical Jesus.

What communities and networks keep you grounded and spiritually alive?

I’m really fortunate to have three faith communities. First is New Minas Baptist Church. Second are the faculty, staff and students at Acadia Divinity College. And third is the community of scholars around the world who are doing edifying and faith-affirming research. These are good people who do good thinking.

Craig Evans lives in Nova Scotia. He is the co-author of Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened (Westminster John Knox Press, 978-0-664-23359-4, $14.95, 2009).