Fact and Faith

How shall we interpret the stories of miracles, particularly the resurrection, in this secular age? The author calls us to look beyond the fact of a miracle to faith in what the miracle means. To do this, he tells us, we must first of all try to understand what actually happened in history. However, he warns us that merely knowing what happened will not necessarily lead to vital Christian faith.
In developing his theme, the author discusses the way in which each of the Four Gospels presents miracles, the meaning of exorcism in the New Testament and today, and the significance of the resurrection accounts. Throughout, the author suggests significant themes for preaching.


David L. Bartlett is Professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and Lantz Professor of Preaching Emeritus at Yale Divinity School. Bartlett is an ordained American Baptist minister. His most recent book is The Fourfold Gospel (2006), for which he wrote the section on Matthew. His Lyman Beecher Lectures were published in 2003 under the title What's Good About This News? He also wrote the study of 1 Peter for The New Interpreter's Bible. Fact and Faith was his first book.