Role Of Jesus Research Articles

The Gospels and Educational Leadership: Still Fascinating?

This exploration was inspired by the fact of the various studies both on the gospels and educational leadership, as well as the researcher’s interest in educational leadership. The study did not explore these concepts from a theological or biblical perspectives of leadership in the gospels, but rather takes an explanatory stance on how the researcher interprets different leadership events in the gospels when compared with contemporary educational leadership theories. In particular, taking into consideration the models of educational leadership as suggested by Bush and Glover (2003, 2014) as valuable contemporary typologies. The study delves in the role of Jesus as a leader and the role of leadership in the New Testament, leadership in general with further emphasis on educational leadership. The study was explored using desk research by gathering information and insights from various scholars and analysing them to interpret the correlation between leadership, in particular leadership in the gospels with contemporary educational leadership concepts. The study suggests that there is much more to be explored but there is much in common with leadership theories dating back around 2000 years with today’s typologies.

The pastor as the primary teacher in the church: The meaning and expectations of pastoral ministry within the mainline denominations

A pastor is widely viewed as a shepherd and a Christian leader. Pastors have complex roles stemming from a complex calling; pastoral practice is multidimensional and not easily defined. The contemporary use of the term "pastor" denotes different kinds of religious roles in church leadership. In mainline denominations a pastor is generally viewed as an ordained minister designated for the ministry of the word and administering sacraments. The pastor has many pastoral roles including church leadership, pastoral care, the preaching of the word. It is argued in this article that the key role of the pastor is that of a teacher who empowers the lay leadership and church members in general through his/her various pastoral roles. In Southern African languages such as Shona use the term mufundisi while in Ndebele and Zulu use the umufundisi referring to a pastor. This is most appropriate because mufundisi/umufundisi means an ordained minister who is regarded as a teacher, equipper of people and leader of all sections of the church. The article begins by discussing the general processes and procedures of pastoral calling in the mainline denominations. It draws its central point of the pastor being a teacher from the very accurate way in which the pastor is viewed and defined as a mufundisi in the above-mentioned African languages, as well as from the role of Jesus as a teacher. The article then discusses the nature of the pastor as a teacher and the expectations of this role in pastoral ministry from a southern African context.

Sewing Mothers: Re-envisioning Jewish-Christian Relations in Sholem Asch’s “On a Carnival Night”

Abstract A close examination of early twentieth-century literature written in Hebrew and Yiddish reveals that many of its first representations of Christianity put a central emphasis on Mary. This fact has been overlooked in previous scholarship fixated on the role of Jesus. Our article aims to fill this lacuna by focusing on Mary’s appearance in a short, controversial story published in 1909 by Sholem Asch. Through a close reading of Mary’s encounter with the matriarch Rachel, we define Asch’s ‘maternal model,’ an alternative paradigm for Jewish-Christian relations. We argue that the marginalization of Mary from the scholarly conversation is not a slipup. Rather, it is part of a gendered scheme that prioritized Jesus over his mother and narratives of persecution and victimhood over care and obligation. We show how Asch’s artfully constructed fictional formation offers a political position founded on empathy and interconnectivity.

Book of Mormon Theology—Anticipating the Future of a Discipline

Book of Mormon Theology—Anticipating the Future of a Discipline

Prologue, Book Review Editor

Prologue, Book Review Editor Amanda Avila Kaminski Spiritus has come to recognize that there are certain resonant themes arising with urgency in our current historical context that pose poignant questions to spirituality scholars and that demand our guild's greater attention. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic invites us to raise questions about ethical practices of medicine, the limits of freedom and government, practices of neighborliness, and ecclesial worship amid extremity. Further, it has forced us to name the inequities that this virus has laid bare as communities of color and nations in the Global South have disproportionately been negatively affected. The effects of COVID-19 call on spirituality for models, critique, practices, projects, and theologies of action and activism. In an effort to present literature that more intentionally amplifies the voices of black and brown leaders and thinkers in Christian Spirituality, Spiritus will, periodically, offer book reviews with special focus editions. In this issue, our reviews engage with important texts related to black spirituality. Timothy Robinson and Aizaiah Yong profile three important recent publications that more adequately and thoroughly treat the life and spirituality of Howard Thurman. C. Vanessa White highlights M. Shawn Copeland's Christological shift in her 2018 book on the role of Jesus in African American religious experience. Albert Douglas Honegan presents Dominique Gilliard's reading of key biblical figures as a model of how to leverage privilege to steward social transformation in his most recent monograph, and Ineda Adesanya offers an overview of the second edition of Michael Gomez's seminal history of the African Diaspora. Future issues will review additional books in the areas of womanist ecclesiological experiments, African Christian history, and Hispanic/Latinx spirituality alongside reviews more broadly related to the field of spirituality studies. I invite interested scholars to put forth books for review or to volunteer to review relevant scholarly contributions. [End Page 135] Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press

‘I Love Jesus Because Jesus Is Muslim’: Inter- and Intra-Faith Debates and Political Dynamics in Indonesia

ABSTRACT This article discusses the public reactions to a billboard with the message: ‘I love Jesus because Jesus is Moslem’. A radical Islamic group placed the billboard in the Indonesian town of Cilacap in 2018 with the goal of discouraging Muslims from attending events celebrating Christmas and New Year. We place the inter-religious debates resulting from the billboard incident within the larger context of Muslim opinions on the figure of Jesus in Islam and Christianity. We furthermore ask how the Indonesian state negotiates Muslim–Christian interreligious dialogues and how its intervention influences the opinions of individual religious and community leaders. Our main conclusion is that, in spite of the fact that deeper engagement between the two communities could yield stronger forms of cooperation or reconciliation when incidents of interreligious strife occur, all involved prefer to avoid it. Instead, they aim to maintain an equilibrium that represents the status quo. Most Muslim and Christian leaders, for various reasons, remain averse to engaging in deeper conversations, especially when it concerns the role of Jesus in their respective religions.

Sebastian Moore’s Spiritual Vision and Christological Project

This essay wants to examine the structural components and the viability of Sebastian Moore’s christological construction. The first section presents the origin of his insight into the redemptive role of Jesus. The second section reports his views on desire. In connection with desire, the third section details the experience that the followers of Jesus had of him, from the beginnings in Galilee, through his passion and death, ending with his appearances after his resurrection. The fourth justifies the validity of his Christology.

Cancer, Theodicy, and Theology: A Personal Reflection

Abstract Theodicy wrestles with suffering and pain, while seeking to understand God’s engagement with these realities. Cancer raises similar questions, while focusing on specific aspects of those questions. Cancer appears to challenge many aspects of Christian doctrine, in particular issues regarding the origin of sin, Christology, and ultimately one’s doctrine of God. This article explores how my own personal diagnosis of colon cancer has led to an exploration and re-evaluation of these traditional doctrines and their relevance for my own faith journey. The realities of cancer, and random cell mutation as an evolutionary driver, appear to call into question traditional understandings of the origin of suffering and sin, and, I would argue, the very role of Jesus. A process theology that redefines core features of the nature of God is proposed as one way of addressing these doctrines and their impact for faith. These features will note the limited nature of God with regard to power and knowledge as well as the nature of a God who truly risks.

UNDERSTANDING THE ANARTHROUS PREDICATE ΥἱὸΣ ΘΕΟῦ ‘SON OF GOD’ IN MARK 15:39

The meaning of the centurion’s remark in Mark 15:39 at the events of Jesus’ death on the cross remains hidden in the anarthrous predicate υἱὸς θeοῦ ἦν (hyios theou ēn). Understanding the phrase hyios theou is therefore the key to unravelling the meaning expressed by the statement. It is the crux interpretum of the text and in deed the essence of the crucifixion narrative in Mark. The phrase is traditionally translated as “the Son of God” to imply an acknowledgement by a Roman soldier of the unique messianic status of Jesus. The history of interpretations of this text equally reveals occasional scholarly doubts regarding the genuineness of the remark. This work sets out to interpret the anarthrous predicate with a view to shedding light on the meaning of the centurion’s remark. It uses the historical-critical method of exegesis and concludes that the phrase is to be understood qualitatively as implying the definiteness of an arthrous predicate. In the context of this interpretation the work understands the remark of the centurion as implying especially for Mark and the markan audience a Christological representation of the nature and role of Jesus as the unique Son of God. Article visualizations:

Cancer, Theodicy, and Theology

Theodicy wrestles with suffering and pain, while seeking to understand God’s engagement with these realities. Cancer raises similar questions, while focusing on specific aspects of those questions. Cancer appears to challenge many aspects of Christian doctrine, in particular issues regarding the origin of sin, Christology, and ultimately one’s doctrine of God. This article explores how my own personal diagnosis of colon cancer has led to an exploration and re-evaluation of these traditional doctrines and their relevance for my own faith journey. The realities of cancer, and random cell mutation as an evolutionary driver, appear to call into question traditional understandings of the origin of suffering and sin, and, I would argue, the very role of Jesus. A process theology that redefines core features of the nature of God is proposed as one way of addressing these doctrines and their impact for faith. These features will note the limited nature of God with regard to power and knowledge as well as the nature of a God who truly risks.

The Role of Jesus' Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Once Again: A Brief Response to Jean-René Moret

The Role of Jesus' Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Once Again: A Brief Response to Jean-René Moret

The Miracles of an Eschatological Prophet

While it has not been a central aspect of his work on the historical Jesus, E.P. Sanders has contributed to the understanding of Jesus’ miracles. In Jesus and Judaism, Sanders argued that Jesus was an eschatological prophet and maintains that he certainly healed people in ways that his contemporaries regarded as miraculous, but that his miracles were not signs of the end, and cannot be used to determine what type of figure he was. The fuller treatment of miracles in the later The Historical Figure of Jesus emphasizes the exorcisms and dismisses the nature miracles as having made minimal impact, leading Sanders to conclude that Jesus’ miracles were not as spectacular as the Gospels suggest, and that they probably led his contemporaries to view Jesus as a holy man like Honi the Circle-Drawer, although Jesus himself probably understood his miracles as signs of the imminent arrival of the new age, and his disciples may have come to see them as a defeat of evil powers and as a legitimation of Jesus’ claims. After summarizing Sanders’s arguments this article goes on to suggest how some of their foundations may be secured while also suggesting that the case for associating Jesus’ miracles with his role as an eschatological prophet may be stronger than Sanders allowed. It then concludes by indicating how Sanders’s account of the role of Jesus’ miracles might be further rounded out first by exploring their possible symbolism (as Sanders does with the Temple incident) and second through various social-scientific approaches.

Jesus the interceding High Priest: A fresh look at Hebrews 7:25

According to the book of Hebrews, the locus of Jesus’ intercession is found in his role as a high priest. Yet neither the Levitical high priest nor Melchizedek, the prototype after which Jesus’ priestly function is modelled, interceded in a strict sense of the word. In a context where prayer is seen as an activity that pertains to the purview of the weak or needy, how then does one conceive of Jesus’ intercession as portrayed in Hebrews 7:25? In addition, does it not seem rather incongruous that Jesus at the height (right hand) of power should still be found to be interceding? It raises some theological questions as to the subordinate role of the exalted Christ. This stands in sharp relief to other passages in the New Testament that have used the same background text, Psalm 110, to advance the motif of a triumphant Jesus. The contention of this article is that in addition to Psalm 110 that is explicitly cited and alluded to in the letter to the Hebrews, the servant’s song in Isaiah 52:13–53:12 stands behind the high priest motif in Hebrews. The explication of the twin role of Jesus as an intercessor and as an ‘atoner’ for the sins of the people coheres in the servant’s song. The article submits that Jesus’ intercession is indeed a continuation of his vicarious interposition whereby he takes the weakness of the people upon himself and stands in their stead.

Was Jesus a Zealot Sympathizer?

In his article the author discusses one of the most radical interpretations of the person and mission of Jesus, namely the position that sees Jesus as a supporter of violent resistance to Roman tyranny or a revolutionary preacher, sympathizing with the ideology and methods of the Zealots. The article is written in such a way as to introduce the reader to the main arguments of the view, its version of the central meaning of Jesus’ public ministry and preaching, and to present some problematic aspects of this theory by means of a historical and biblical analysis of its claims. The study of this issue, despite its brevity and introductory nature, will be of interest to those who are interested in the field of Christology and alternative views on the role of Jesus in the history of Israel and humankind.

Sarah Beckwith Shakespeare and the Grammar of ForgivenessShakespeare and the Grammar of Forgiveness. Sarah Beckwith. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2011. Pp. xv+228.

<i>Sarah Beckwith</i> Shakespeare and the Grammar of Forgiveness<i>Shakespeare and the Grammar of Forgiveness</i>. Sarah Beckwith. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2011. Pp. xv+228.

Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: A Response to Luke Timothy Johnson

Luke Timothy Johnson’s Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church defends the book of Acts against those who reject it for being a triumphalist departure from the prophetic ministry of Jesus highlighted in the Gospels. To lift up the prophetic nature of the Church in Acts, Johnson places Acts next to Luke in order to highlight the prophetic themes that Luke develops between the two books. While affirming Johnson’s basic arguments, the following article seeks among other things to strengthen the links between Luke and Acts by emphasizing the role of Jesus as the exalted Lord who imparts the Spirit.

Kontinuität und Neuanfang bei Lukas Göttliches Handeln an der Zeitenwende

Abstract Recent approaches towards Luke 1 have accentuated the theocentric perspective of this narrative, which also lead towards emphasizing a relationship of continuity between John and Jesus. This theocentric perspective, however, has only scarcely been described in terms of narratology. The following analysis describes what is told about God in Luke 1 and how it is told. By employing the narratological distinction between “story” and “discourse” it becomes evident that Luke’s way of writing about God’s action, reflects his attempt to achieve a balance between continuity and new beginning in his concept of history. Concerning the relationship between the figures of John and Jesus, it follows that they belong together in their common relationship with God, but at the same time a caesura is marked between them that highlights the role of Jesus.

Just a Little Talk With Jesus: The Portrayal of Jesus in NBC's The Book of Daniel

NBC's short-lived show The Book of Daniel sparked intense controversy and outrage among many Christians. Much of the criticism centered on the show's portrayal of Jesus. However, the show's creators contended that it was a reverent depiction. This study analyzes the Jesus character in the show and argues that despite the criticism it was actually a positive depiction of Jesus. Four roles of Jesus in the show are explored: moral conscience, advice-giver, comforter, and inspiration. Implications discussed deal with the cultural battle over how Jesus is depicted and insights this analysis of The Book of Daniel offers for that debate.

Social transformation in the missions of Pentecostals: a priority or a bonus?

This article explores historical and contemporary Pentecostal attitudes to and engagement with social issues, examines the roles of Jesus and the early Church leaders concerning the topic and offers some suggestions for future development. Fundamentally, Pentecostals have focussed more on spiritual conversions rather than social and economic transformation and have tended to limit their activities to preaching rather than social engagement, although locally, many Pentecostal churches have become involved in seeking to benefit their communities more widely. However, Pentecostals are slowly changing and new initiatives are being established as they recognise that the mission of God through them is intended to be holistic.

Head-Waiter and Bridegroom of the Wedding at Cana: Structure and Meaning of John 2.1-12

This study of the account of the wedding at Cana in Jn 2.1-12 was prompted by reactions to the manner in which Jesus addresses his mother as `Woman'. The literary structure of the pericope is analysed, and the roles of Jesus and his mother compared and contrasted with those of the bridegroom and head-waiter respectively. It is argued that Jesus is the true bridegroom and his mother the true head-waiter in this story, reflecting their status and roles in the divine dispensation. The connotations of `woman' need to be understood in their cultural context, and approximate those of `mother', the term of respect with which many African people address women in their societies.