Criterion of Embarrassment

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of The 44, we explore a powerful historical principle known as the “criterion of embarrassment” and what it reveals about the reliability of the gospel accounts. Rather than avoiding hard questions about whether the Bible is “real,” we consider how the resurrection of Jesus stands at the center of Christianity and why that claim invites serious examination. We look at several details in the New Testament that no one trying to invent a religion would likely have included — from the disciples’ failures to women being the first witnesses to the empty tomb. These “embarrassing” details, rather than weakening the faith, actually strengthen the case that the resurrection was witnessed, not fabricated. Ultimately, the episode invites listeners to think carefully about why the earliest followers of Jesus were willing to stake everything on what they believed they had truly seen.