Understanding Of Jesus Research Articles

Challenged At the Boundaries: a Conservative Jesus in Mark's Tradition

The tradition preserved in Mk 7.24-31 reflects an understanding of Jesus which portrays him as beginning from a conservative stance in relation to issues of Law relating to boundaries. Other traditions preserved in Mark also appear to reflect a similar conservatism. Many acknowledge that Mk 1.39-45 reflects Torah faithful ness in the way it portrays Jesus' instruction that the leper present himself to the priests. The anger of Jesus in this pericope has baffled exegetes. The paper examines the possibility that Mark's tradition was assuming a conservative response on the part of Jesus to the leper's approach. Boundary issues are also present in Mk 5.1-20 and 21-43. The passages considered appear to preserve traces of conservativism which may reflect Jesus' background, although in each case he moves beyond its norms.

Jews and Christians Speak of Jesus (review)

Book Reviews BOOK REVIEWS 147 Jews and Christians Speak of Jesus, edited by Arthur E. Zannoni. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994. 191 pp. $12.00 (P). In recent years, topics in dialogue meetings between Jews and Christians have often focused on practical matters of current concern rather than the divisive issues offaith and teaching. This volume shows the measure of maturity that has been achieved in Jewish-Christian relations by tackling head-on one of the most central issues between these two groups, namely, Jesus of Nazareth. The essays in this volume, by recognized Jewish and Christian scholars, were originally presented as papers at a series of symposia sponsored by the Center for Jewish-Christian Learning at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul and Minneapolis). This set of essays is an attempt to look afresh at the Jewish origins of Jesus, casting new light on the relations ofJesus to his contemporaryJews and on the process by which early Christians began to ascribe messiahship and divinity to Jesus. The book is set up admirably to facilitate discussion and rethinking of old issues. Each of the four parts of the book focuses on a crucial aspect ofunderstandingJesus. Part one, with essays by ShayeJ. D. Cohen and Anthony J. Saldarini, explores the diversity within Judaism at the time ofJesus. In part two, Lawrence H. Schiffman and E. P. Sanders examine the Jewishness ofJesus and how he related to the Judaisms of his time. In part three, Paula Fredriksen and John R. Donahue trace the background of the idea of messiah and the path by which early Christians came to consider Jesus as the messiah. And in part four, Alan F. Segal and Monika K. Hellwig reflect on how Christians began to make the move in their interpretation of Jesus from Christ to God-and how this radical move relates to the Jewish background of Christianity. These essays provide a helpful sampling of recent scholarship relating to understanding Jesus of Nazareth. There certainly is broad agreement among all these scholars that Jesus must first of all be seen within the context of the Jewish world in which he lived-that is perhaps the central theme of the whole volume. But within that general consensus these essays also present a fertile diversity in interpretation, bringing the reader into the lively and ongoing scholarly discussion. For example, Cohen argues that, for all the diversity of the Judaisms of this period, there was a clear assumption both amongJews and among 148 SHOFAR Fall 1996 Vol. 15, No. 1 outsiders that Judaism was a unified system. Saldarini, on the other hand, sketches out the factions and distinct groups within Jewish society, importing modern ideas of sects and deviance to highlight the function of the diverse groups. Schiffman argues that almost all the sayings of Jesus reflect similar ideas expressed by otherJews, especially in the later rabbinic collections. Sanders makes a similar point about Jesus' relation to Jewish law, proposing that Jesus did not wish to oppose traditional religious law, even in the reported conflicts over sabbath observance and unclean foods. Scholars have sometimes emphasized that, while Jesus remained within the Jewish orbit, Paul and the other Christians who began to ascribe messiahship and divinity toJesus moved far beyond theirJewish roots. The essays in this volume suggest a much more nuanced view of Christian development within the Jewish context. Paul's construction ofthe message and the mission of Christianity, Fredriksen finds, fits entirely within the views and concerns ofJudaism. For example, the Gentiles Paul preached to were actually those who customarily attended synagogues without being Jewish converts, Gentiles who thus knew Jewish scripture and tradition. Donahue argues that the narratives of Jesus' suffering and death, which have been so divisive in Jewish-Christian relations, were motivated not by history but by theological concerns and contemporary issues. One important point in reexamining these narratives, according to Donahue, is to realize that Jesus was not tried by a Jewish "supreme court" (the Sanhedrin), as has traditionally been supposed, but actually by a type of informal group called in to arbitrate local cases. Concerning the ascription of divinity to Jesus by Christians, Segal suggests that this was not an alien non-Jewish...

Yhwh and His Messiah: Pauline Exegesis and the Divine Christ

AbstractIn Romans 9-11 Paul laments the status of unbelieving Jews and its resultant disjuncture with believing Jews and Gentiles now included in the people of God. He attempts to justify this astonishing, new situation by frequent appeals to God's plan revealed in scripture.1 Pivotal to his discussion is Rom 9:30-10:13 which describes why Israel had not yet attained God's righteousness revealed in Christ.2 Paul's discourse tracks carefully along the path of scriptural exegesis in allusions and comments on the Law (Lev 18:5; Deut 9:4; 30:12-14) and the Prophets (Isa 8:14; 28:16; Joel 3:5). Since it is generally acknowledged that this part of Paul's argument (9:30-10:21) is christocentric3, this article will explore how the apostle "reads" these texts and expands their meaning through christological reflection.4 Specifically, I will investigate Paul's exegetical methods and conclusions in Rom 9:30-10:13 and draw some implications for his understanding of Jesus.

Defusing the Powers with Jesus as a Model of Empowerment: Treating the Avoidant Personality

Explores the dynamics and family of origin factors which often lead to the behavior and fears of the avoidant personality, and provides clinical guidelines gleaned from scripture and from six themes in Christian spirituality. Places special stress on the necessity of understanding Jesus' actions and words as sources of insight not only for ethics but for psychological health.

St John, The Trinity, and The Language of the Spirit

It would be dishonest not to begin with Austin Farrer, for what follows has grown out of a long-held admiration for that sadly neglected writer. Throughout his life, Farrer was concerned with the role played in our lives by imagination, inspiration and creativity. He saw that creation was shot through with the imprint of its Maker, and in the classical Christian tradition understood the shaping of all life in the material world to be the work of the Holy Spirit. At all levels of creation, inspiration, creativity and spiritual indwelling are the hallmarks of God's activity. For Farrer, natural religion and divine revelation are but two sides of the same coin. The key to all is the point at which they coincide most clearly, namely Jesus. Of Farrer's Christology I have written elsewhere. Such technical discussions are not our present business. Our task is to take the supreme Christian claim about the nature of God, namely the scandalous doctrine of the Trinity, and through the words of St John (whose influence on Farrer's understanding of Jesus was central) try to describe a practical understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit which employs the doctrine of the Trinity as the key-stone of Christian theology and experience.

Economists on the Relation Between Political Economy and Christian Theology: A Preliminary Survey

By “political economy” I mean both the method of thought and the body of knowledge which refer to human economising behaviour. The body of knowledge includes both theory — theorems, laws, empirical generalisations, etc., and “facts” — history, description of institution, statistical data, etc. By “Christian theology” I mean both the method of thought and the body of knowledge which refer to the human religious understanding of Jesus of Nazareth. “Religious” here implies awareness of, or belief in, God. The body of knowledge may include pre‐Christian religion (such as that reported in the Old Testament), and the results of independent inquiry (such as natural theology) in so far as these are interpreted by, or “refracted” through what theologians call the “Christ event”.

Buddhist-Christian Dialogue: Current Sticking Points

To set stage for our class these next few mornings, I want to cite opening paragraph from a brochure advertising recently-founded scholarly journal URAM-standing for Ultimate Reality and Meaning. With launching of Ultimate Reality and Meaning, brochure says rather extravagantly, the future of theology has begun. It is, of course, preposterous to identify any one publishing venture as future of theology. In fact, I cite this bold consciousness of something-new-in-theology just because it is so typical of a widespread alteration that has been taking place-long before founding of this journal -in self-understanding of religious traditions in modern history. What is this alteration? The brochure continues: QuotingJ. B. Metz, Karl Rahner has remarked that theology of future cannot simply reject other universal interpretations of world and human existence. It must try to discover in them certain patterns of thought and consciousness and benefit from them for ever greater possibilities of faith. In such ideals theology may find one of its own potentialities which it has failed to discover . . . Pope Paul VI called for a of . . . and John Paul has emphasized that we cannot develop a better and deeper understanding ofJesus Christ unless we come close to magnificent heritage of human spirit and approach all cultures, all ideological concepts and all people, since humanity is 'primary and fundamental way for Church traced out by Christ himself.' Clearly, this statement comes at things from a Christian angle, but there is also remarkable interest in emerging dialogue of salvation (to use Pope Paul's phrase) with other traditions as well, a sign of rising awareness of common humanity that is an encouraging feature of our global scene today. Let us note briefly some of salient factors that force current theologizing, under whatever traditional banners, to ponder interfaith issues with unprecedented seriousness.

Non-Patriarchal Salvation

Among the more fundamental—and for that very reason more complex—elements in the present reassessing of women's role in Christianity is the issue of the “masculinity” of God and the masculinity of Jesus. How are women, without conforming to the discriminations inherent in a patriarchal culture, to relate to God as a “he” or to accept as their savior a Christ who has never shared their femininity.One of the key aspects of this issue, though by no means the only one, is the theological: how does Christian belief address itself to this issue, suggest “solutions,” or perhaps limit the range of acceptable feminist understandings of God. The present essay is meant to explore this theological dimension by relating New Testament understandings of Jesus' “Abba” experience (I) to two questions: How did Jesus' masculinity and his experience of God affect one another? (II) and In Christianity how appropriate is the name “Father” for God? (III).

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS IN CONTEMPORARY CATHOLIC SYSTEMATICS

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS IN CONTEMPORARY CATHOLIC SYSTEMATICS

The Meaning of Jesus' Baptism

Why did Jesus present himself for baptism by John? The answer to this question has usually been made on the basis of dogmatic presuppositions concerning the nature of Jesus and concerning the meaning of baptism. The present article considers it on the basis of a critical study of the sources, indicating the conceptions which the different evangelists held, and indicating how such a study clears the way for a more accurate understanding of Jesus' own attitude.