BOOK REVIEW: ‘Jesus on Trial’

OPINION:

ANALYSIS/OPINION

 

JESUS ON TRIAL: A LAWYER AFFIRMS THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL
By David Limbaugh
Regnery, $27.99, 406 pages

David Limbaugh is an evangelical Christian and a lawyer. He is also Rush’s younger brother.

In “Jesus On Trial,” Mr. Limbaugh attempts to prove the veracity of the Gospels by using the legal rules of evidence to make his case. He says, “These rules are the ancient document rules, parol evidence rules, the hearsay rule, and the principle of cross-examination.” Keep in mind that “parol evidence” is the equivalent of “oral” evidence.

Based on these elements, he tries to demonstrate the literal inerrancy of Scripture, which is discredited by most modern biblical scholarship. He believes this method of interpreting the biblical corpus answers the questions of creation and the mystery of evil, pain and suffering.

His internal proofs are premised on the principle that a text should speak for itself. This demands a coherence between the Old and New Testament. He uses a hindsight approach to prophetic fulfillment by reading the Bible backward, and thus interprets the prophets’ words in light of the Christ-event.

This is an exegetical technique called “typology” and was used extensively by the Patristic writers. This kind of exegesis allows Mr. Limbaugh and other like-minded apologists to unequivocally state: “The Bible is truly divinely inspired, it is infallible, it is indestructible, and it is inerrant. The Bible is unique in its unity, its circulation, its translation, its teaching, its influence on literature, its impact on civilization, and its durability.”

Of course this quote and the reasoning behind it is premised on a preconceived understanding of biblical inerrancy in fact as well as teaching God’s revealed truths.

As a result, it rejects other biblical criticisms that include any understanding of literary forms used at the time of writing or historical or redaction criticism, which put the Bible under scientific scrutiny. Any suggestion that the books of the New Testament are primarily faith documents presenting theological truth is soundly rejected as heresy.

Rather than embracing the richness of the texts as theological masterpieces, this understanding of the Gospels diminishes the importance of, for example, Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in Luke 9:51 and the vision of Jesus as the new Moses in Matthew 5:1-12.

Given the institutional Church’s guidance, as is the case with the Catholic Magisterium, this type of hermeneutics need not be a threat to Christian beliefs. Consider, after all, the Church gave us Scripture in the first place, and not the other way around. By not examining these scholarly contributions to Bible study by Christian and secular exegetes, Mr. Limbaugh’s book suffers.

Orthodox truth claims found in the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) are reinforced with an array of scriptural citations. Readers will find these references to be supportive of Christian truth — e.g., the Trinity, the Incarnation and the Resurrection. Mr. Limbaugh also explains how these mysteries pertain to humans. He states: “By taking on a human nature like ours, [Jesus] lifted humanity to a different plane — human nature became dignified In the here and now, our humanity got a boost.”

Mr. Limbaugh tries to answer contemporary critics of biblicalism by providing data from non-biblical sources. He cites ancient writings, geography and archaeology to establish the facticity of the Bible stories. He also uses logic to prove biblical miracles and the Resurrection. His evidence of the Resurrection is based on the eyewitness testimony and the post-Resurrection activity of the disciples. He states the fact that “[Jesus] was resurrected from the dead in a physical body is powerful and overwhelming — and much more convincing than any contrary indications.” If one accedes to Mr. Limbaugh’s methodology, there is little room for argument. Although, for the materialist, the Resurrection defies human experience and will forever be doubted.

There is a polemic at the end of the book against Darwinism and atheism. Mr. Limbaugh promotes Intelligent Design as the only logical explanation for creation. He also uses mathematical probability to debunk materialism and its belief in the randomness of human life. He contends that “[o]ur existence in the universe depends on numerous cosmological factors that were calibrated precisely so as to accommodate our lives, such that if a single variable were slightly off, we would not exist.”

The book has an almost pastoral tone. His reflections on evil, suffering and pain are left to the mysterious ways of God. However, he says, the Bible assures us that through it all God is working for our good. He uses Job and Jesus as primary examples and reminds us, that “God will be victorious over evil in the end — in His time and in His way.”

This book is mostly composed of quotes from Protestant apologists and one Catholic, Fulton J. Sheen. Its arguments are well presented, and, it will reinforce what orthodox Christians believe. It will not convince non-Christian believers and certainly not secularists.

No doubt Mr. Limbaugh recognizes this when at the end of the book he states:

“If you are looking for reasons not to believe, I suppose you will find them. And if you are close-minded toward the supernatural or toward a Christian world view, I concede that you will continue to resist these ideas.”

In light of this, the best one can expect from “Jesus on Trial,” other than from true believers, is a hung jury.

The Rev. Michael P. Orsi is parochial vicar at St. Agnes Church in Naples, Fla.