Sophia Institute PressNew Release

Resurrection On Trial

A Judicial Inquiry into the Christian Claim of the Resurrection of Jesus

Peter D. MartinoTrial Attorney · Professor of Law

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Paperback
Ships September 15, 2026

QuestionPresented

What happens when the central claim of Christianity is examined not as theology but as a formal legal case?

Statementof the Case

A trial lawyer
takes the record

In Resurrection on Trial, Peter Dominic Martino, Esq., approaches the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ with the trained mind of a trial attorney — weighing evidence, testing claims, examining witnesses, and addressing objections with precision and clarity.

Presented in the form of a Supreme Court opinion, this unique work brings order and rigor to one of the most debated events in history. Drawing from Scripture, early historical sources, philosophy, psychology, science, and the insights of both skeptics and believers, Martino carefully assembles the record, weighs competing explanations, and renders a reasoned judgment.

This is not a devotional reflection. It is a disciplined, methodologically rigorous inquiry.

QuestionsExamined

With a lawyer's eye for detail and a judge's demand for coherence, Martino examines questions such as:

i.The historical reality of Jesus' life and Crucifixion
ii.The reliability of first- and second-century sources
iii.Alternative explanations for the Resurrection accounts
iv.The credibility of eyewitness testimony, post-Resurrection appearances, and the transformation of the earliest disciples
v.The development and consistency of early Christian belief
vi.The relationship between the Resurrection and scientific reasoning

Each argument is considered. Each objection is addressed. Each conclusion is grounded in evidence. — **The Standard** Every claim in this book is held to it.

“A tour de force of intellectual honesty.”

Michael Licona, Ph.D.on Resurrection on Trial

Testimonyof Record

What the
record shows

“A distinctive, candid, and refreshing look at the evidence for what Christians believe is the central event in human history: an event that was both within history and stretched history into a new dimension.”
George WeigelNew York Times bestselling author, Witness to Hope

“As an attorney, Peter Martino has the training and technique to subject texts to the greatest scrutiny, and he applies his entire professional toolbox to the ancient accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. Going over Christian, Jewish, pagan, and Muslim claims, he lays out the interpretive options with critical balance and fairness. As a biblical scholar, I found his treatment of the New Testament texts to be solid. I appreciate his assessment of Paul’s testimony to the Risen Lord, as something more reliable than ‘apostolic hearsay,’ as it were, filtered through the first and second generations. It’s a contemporaneous affidavit, as he puts it. If I were judge, I’d say Professor Martino has made his case for the resurrection beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Scott Hahn, Ph.D.Professor of Biblical Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville

“What if the Resurrection were investigated with the same rigor used to decide complex legal cases, build successful enterprises, and solve difficult technical problems? In Resurrection on Trial, Peter Martino applies a lifetime of analytical experience to Christianity’s central claim, inviting readers to examine the evidence with fresh eyes and an open mind. Whether believer, skeptic, or seeker, readers will find themselves challenged to follow the evidence wherever it leads.”
Most Rev. Joseph L. CoffeyAuxiliary Bishop for the Military Services, USA

“Resurrection on Trial is a tour de force of intellectual honesty. With the precision of an engineer and the clarity of a seasoned litigator, Peter Dominic Martino subjects Christianity’s central claim to the highest standards of legal scrutiny. The result is neither devotional fluff nor skeptical hit job, but a compelling Supreme Court-style opinion that shows the bodily resurrection of Jesus withstands serious objections. Accessible, rigorous, and refreshing—this book is for thinking believers and honest doubters.”
Michael Licona, Ph.D.Professor of New Testament Studies, Houston Christian University

Who ShouldRead It

Both sides
of the aisle

For Believers

This book offers something invaluable: a deeper confidence in the Faith they profess and an enhanced ability to defend it.

For Skeptics & Seekers

It offers serious engagement with the strongest arguments on both sides, evaluated through a structured and disciplined lens.

Counselof Record

Peter Dominic
Martino

Peter Dominic Martino is an Assistant Professor at St. Thomas University College of Law, a trial and business attorney, an author, a former CEO of financial software, retail, and e-commerce companies, and a former nuclear submarine officer.

He earned an engineering degree at the U.S. Naval Academy, qualified as a nuclear submarine officer, and later completed a J.D. at Georgetown Law.

Outside of business and law, he is an active author of both high-stakes thrillers and serious nonfiction works that apply rigorous standards of evidence, historical analysis, and jurisprudence. From the boardroom to the courtroom to the classroom, he brings intensity and analytical depth to everything he does.

U.S. Naval Academy
Georgetown Law, J.D.
St. Thomas University College of Law

It makes clear that the Resurrection is not only a mystery to be believed, but a historical claim that invites examination and demands explanation.

For truth does not fear scrutiny; it welcomes it.

JudgmentEntered