Sean McDowell’s The Fate of the Apostles presents a stalwart unpacking of the evidence surrounding the travels, persecution, and ultimate demise of each of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. McDowell analyzes the historical data surrounding the claim that the Apostles either died or were willing to die as martyrs for their belief that Jesus had risen from the grave and was Israel’s prophesized Messiah. At the start of his study, McDowell carefully identifies the scale he will be using for assessing confidence in a historical source, ranging from not possibly true to highest possible probability—which equates to near-historical certainty. After thoroughly explaining the definition of “martyrdom” and other relevant terms, McDowell then dissects virtually all the available historical resources surrounding each Apostle’s journey and ultimate demise.

McDowell holds all historical claims to the same objective standard of accountability, often even dismissing the historical “probability” of evidence that was generally believed to be true by most Christians. However, this strict criterion only strengthens the case for the “highly probable” evidence that actually meets that high standard. McDowell also does an excellent job in his summaries at the end of his study of each Apostle, detailing every claim that was discussed, assigning the appropriate rating, and then re-listing all the reference sources that supported that rating. The cohesiveness and objectivity throughout this study are exemplary for any audience. McDowell is a master at drawing in any audience—regardless of background or beliefs—with a sincere, genuine tone throughout this book’s truth-seeking journey. While this book is arguably among the most thorough pieces of literature ever written about the collective Apostles’ martyrdom, don’t expect to find any detailed theological arguments in this book. This book is a super-focused, unprecedented gathering and assessment of virtually all the available historical data surrounding the fate of the Apostles, and it need not distract itself from that task. McDowell’s pioneering efforts yielded an absolute academic gem of a book for anybody needing to find information on this subject. I give this book the highest possible rating! ( )