The resurrection of Jesus is at the epicenter of Easter — and of Christianity.

But was it an actual physical occurrence … or perhaps just a nice religious metaphor? And either way, does it and should it matter in the 21 st Century?

Two prominent, opposing viewpoints will tackle the question of the resurrection of Christ on Palm Sunday during this live CCN special “Great Debate.”

Arguing that the physical and bodily resurrection of Jesus was an actual event in history is Dr. William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. Dr. Craig believes that there is powerful evidence to support his faith.

Opposing him, with a view that the resurrection was not an actual physical event, is John Shelby Spong, the retired Episcopal Bishop of Newark, New Jersey. Bishop Spong not only believes the resurrection did not happen, he feels its time for the Christian message to be updated.

Both men will bring a passionate argument to the platform. What you believe on this topic matters, even if you've never given it much thought before now.

Get ready to hear the evidence, weigh the arguments, and then decide for yourself what actually happened that very first Easter morning 2,000 years ago.

The Great Debate: The Resurrection will have you thinking about Easter in ways you never have before.

William Lane Craig , is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in California . After earning his undergraduate degree from Wheaton , Dr. Craig earned graduate degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A), the University of Birmingham, England (Ph.D.), and the University of Munich, Germany (D. Theol.). Dr. Craig has written many articles and books, including Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus , The Son Rises: The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus , and Reasonable Faith .

Bishop John Shelby Spong is the retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. As the author of 15 books, he is the most published member of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States . His bestsellers include Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Living in Sin, Liberating the Gospels, and Why Christianity Must Change or Die. He is a frequent lecturer at conference centers and on college campuses.

Dr. David Aikman is a journalist and author, is a Senior Fellow with The Trinity Forum. A specialist on Russia , China , East Asia and the Middle East , David has had a lengthy career as a foreign a nd domestic correspondent, reporting for Time Magazine from five continents and more than fifty countries. He has interviewed a number of major world figures, including Mother Teresa, Manuel Noriega, Boris Yeltzin, Pham Van Dong, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Mark Mittelberg is the Executive Director of Evangelism for the Willow Creek Association and a frequent teacher on CCN broadcasts, partnering with Lee Strobel to lead CCN 's evangelism track. He is the author Building a Contagious Church, the primary author of the best-selling Becoming a Contagious Christian curriculum, and contributing editor of The Journey, an NIV Bible with notes designed for spiritual seekers.