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The Physical Death Of Jesus Christ: The “Swoon Theory” And The Medical Response, Kate Hill

Spring 2015, Faith and Science

The Crucifixion and the Resurrection are two of the most important foundational elements of the Christian religion. There are some skeptics, however, who believe that the Crucifixion was not “completed”, and that Jesus never actually died on the cross. If this hypothesis were true, it would call the entire Christian system of beliefs into question. One theory of this sort that grew in popularity with 18^th century rationalists became known as the “Resuscitation Theory”, or “Swoon Theory”. Put simply, this theory states that Jesus did not actually die during the Crucifixion. Rather, he simply “swooned” and fell unconscious while …