Who is Jesus Now? Maxims and Surprises

Abstract

This article is a very personal attempt, within the horizon opened up by the Prologue of the Gospel of John and the past century of Christian theology, to articulate seven maxims in answer to the question, Who is Jesus now? The maxims focus on the Gospel story, analogical thought and imagination, living before the face of Jesus, covenantal commitment, being sent as Jesus was sent, reconciliation, and continuing surprises. Key references are to the Gospel of John, Hans Frei, Frances Young, Richard Hays, David Tracy, Denise Levertov, and Jean Vanier, and to ecumenism and Scriptural Reasoning, which relates to all the maxims.