DCT: The Person of Jesus Christ

Son of God to Jews

• A king chosen by God to carry out will on Earth- NOT Jesus

• Anointed as a sign of responsibility

• spiritual, moral and political liberation

• Messiah/Christos = Anointed One

Son of God to non-Jews

• a human elevated to become a divine being

• Probably Centurion’s meaning- “Truly this man was Son of God!”- more than a mere mortal

Christology from above

Jesus’ divinity, God’s act of bringing humanity into a relationship with him

Christology from below

Jesus’ message, example and teaching- salvation relies on response to Jesus and how their relationship with God develops

How can Trinity/knowledge of God prove him as Son?

• over time, Church developed view that JC fully God and fully human

• Trinitarian view- Chalcedonian definition- “truly God and truly man”- one substance, three Persons

• Biblical evidence for the trinity- “The Father and I are one”, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”

• Mark suggests divinity- J baptism- “you are my beloved son”, Jesus quiets a storm and walks on water

Limitation of Trinity as proof of Son of God

• Hick- Saying Jesus is God is saying a circle is also a square- Christ can be a mere human, not divine

• Barth ADMITS that the trinity is a mystery relying on faith- inexpressible- so how can we prove/trust- can’t be proven

• Biblical evidence is not proof as if Jesus in not SOn of God then the Bible is false

• Hick- HISTORICAL JESUS DIDN’T TEACH HE WAS “God the Son”- Son of God common title in Judaism for special human/preacher

• Developmental argument- John latest Gospel, only Gospel with Jesus’ divinity- Jesus only embodied God’s love

• Bart Ehrman- Jesus didn’t think of himself as divine- shift low → high Christology

How can Jesus’ miracles prove him as Son?

• walking on water, turning water into wine, raising people from the dead, healing a withered hand

• unique to Jesus in the Bible

• Wedding in Cana, feeds the 5000

Limitations of miracles as proof of God

• Moses parting the Red Sea is a miracle but he isn’t presumed to be Son of God, only a prophet

  • BUT only under God’s instruction, whereas Jesus had control e.g. reluctant wine at first

• Reimarus- Jesus a deluded human, disciples hid body after resurrection- miracles only happened to those who had faith- Jesus refused ‘sensible’ people

• Jesus’ miarcles written 30-60 years later, Palestinian Jews couldn’t understand the language, also many who had known Jesus were dead so less fear of being refuted- time of “greatest disquietude and confusion”

How can Jesus’ resurrection prove him as Son?

• Unique to Christianity, nit influenced by other religions

• Basis of Christian faith- unique to him

• N.T. Wright- firm belief in Resurrection despite its difference from Judaism, women found the body- would not have been listened to and respected, men would have claimed to have found it

  • Could have been a hallucination due to extreme faith

• BUT hallucination woulld have been Jesus raising to heaven- ??? no??- if hallucination, could have been wanting Jesus to remain on Earth as a symbol of proof- no empirical evidence- Ockham’s Razor

Limitation of resurrection as proof

• Doesn’t necessarily have to be true- could be a teaching to inspire faith in God as a sign of ultimate sacrifice

• Only one known resurrection in history, to never happen again

• Women could have been pressured to say so/ written down as finding it for legitimacy/ symbolism of the mother

• Multiple possible explanations for body leaving cave

• Keith Parsons- radical idea of resurrection arose because J pronounced heretical for his claiming of ability to dictate rules- needing to justify this control, seen as a Messiah

The kind of salvation Jesus offers

• Christology from above- salvation through his divinity, death brought back relationship

• Christology from below- salvation as a moral teacher

Luke 15: The Parable of the Lost Son

• Teachings on repentance and forgiveness

• The Father will wait- being in God’s presence and repentance is the right way- guidance

• Son has wasted his wealth and returns with nothing

• “Be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found”

Mark 7:14-23

• importance in moral actions/ decisions made which are put out into the world

• advocates for the morality of good intentions

• “it is from within, outof a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come”

The Sermon on the Mount

• “Anyone who is angry with a brother r sister wil be subject to judgement”

• “But O tell you […] turn to them the other cheek”

• “Do not judge, or you too will be judged”

• speaking on behalf of God’s moral judgement

• teachings indicate moral wisdom

• teachings that most people don’t have the moral authority to give- contradictory to Modses- “but I tell you”- only God has more authority

Hick: How does Jesus offer salvation?

• Jesus did not personallly offer spiritual salvation from sin- salvation through CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION- Jesus is a perfect model to follow

• Without the incarnation, Xianity one of many religions that leads to salvation because transforming character

• Bible’s myths are spiritually and morally true- resurrection symbolises “God’s gift of renewal”- Jesus was NOT Son of God in unique sense

Jesus as a moral teacher: Bultmann

• demythologisation (inspired Hick0- the Bible difficult for modern audiences to acce-pt bc of our scientific understanding since the enlightenment

1. Literalist approach- believe myths by denying scientific understanding- rejected by Bultmann

2. Liberal approach- ignore muths only focus on moral teachings- rejected by Bultmann becaue reduces Xianity only to moral philosophy

• interpret myths as ancient spiritual experience put into words for anciet culture- translate myths to modern culture to reveal DEEPER truths and a call to spirituality

• e.g. resurrection isn’t about Jesus rising but about raising early church due to disciples’ faith

Jesus as a moral teacher: C.S. Lewis

• can’t separate Jesus’ teachings of moral wisdom from his divine nature- “else a madman or something worse”- insane, God or evil

Jesus as a moral teacher: Bonhoeffer

• incarnation linked to moral salvation and the understanding that we meet God in human beings

• Without the incarnation, a connection is lost with encountering God in human life

• we encounter God in the oppressed and the struggle for justive- “we belong to him because we are in him”- Jesus more than a moral teacher

Jesus as a moral teacher: Hitchens

• Athetist- argues against Jesus as a wise moral teacher

• “If only the non -sinners have the right to punish, yjem jow could an impergecy society ever determine how to prosecute offenders?”

• Results in injustice

Is Jesus more than just a teacher of moral wisdom?

• NO- Jesus may have just been deluded- just because he believed he had more authority than Moses does not mean he did- still good moral teachings

• Hick- the power of Jesus’ sacrifice was only as an example of an inspiring moral life- not direct and literal

• NO- at least no proof to suggest so, therefore cannot be argued definitively yes- moral etachings can still have some worth

• YEs?- role in salvation- ordinary human death would not restore human relationship with God

Liberator: The Good Samaritan

• everyone except the Good Samaritan crosses the road

  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour […]? The one who had mercy on him”

• Liberation- removing racial prejudices- emphasising community, exemplifying moral behaviour, touching on prejudices and shifting consciences

Liberator: Jesus healing the bleeding woman

• Mark 5:25-34- bleeding woman immediately healed when touched cloak

• “Daughter, your faith has healed you”

• Faith in Jesus has liberated her from suffering

• Chose to see action as one of faith- accepts her, challenging deep-seated body prejudice

Liberator: eating with tax collectors and sinners

• liberation from social barriers- “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”

• deliberate rejection of Pharisees’ rituals and food laws

Jesus as liberator of the poor

• S.G.F. Brandon- historical Jesus politically driven freedom fighter— toned down later in Gospels to pacisfism

• Jesus alive during serious class antagonism- Zealot presentation of Jesus - biased towards the poor and exploited

• Must be true so that J fully engaged with the social affairs of the world- PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR

• Gutiérrez- Jesus more than just a Zealot- didn’yt set himself up to be a natonal leader or be thought of in political messianic terms- liberation is “universal and integral […] attacks the foundation of injustice and exploitation”

Jesus as liberator of the marginalised

• many parables on the edge of society e.g. tax collector, Samaritans, sinners who were considered unclean

• Jesus interacted with the ‘people of the land’ uneducated to finer points of Torah

• Jesus ‘ teaching used these people as examples of the moral

To what extent was Jesus (just) a liberator?

• perhaps spiritual instead of political- My kingdom is nott from here

• Gospels- Jesus never advoated for political revolution + violent struggle- disciple scolded for drawing sword in Gethsemane- authorities would have arrested discipls if J was comsidered a revolutionary leader

Jesus and some historical context

• frequent conflict with authorities- Pharisees and arrested by Sanhedrin

• People living under Roman occupation- poverty, assassination, murder, rebellion, enslavement

• Zealots led conflict against Romans at similar time, Jewish people have often faced oppression- “he will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth”- liberation tfrom oppression through Messianic message

Jesus as a potential political revolutionary

• understanding of Jesus as loving and caring in Gospels may have developed fpor an increasing spiritual message to avoid persecution

• “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”- liberation- Jesus’ followers had eapons in Gethsemane, also Judas Iscariot, Iscarii = dagger men = Zealot

• Jesus in Jerusalem when violent revolution in the aur

• Jesus heavily welcomed- deliberatley set u to send message of long-awaited Messiah arriving

Jesus NOT a political revolutionary

• often rejected violent revolution e.g. John 18:10 disciples stopped from defending him with violence

• “Blessed are the peacemakers”

• Jesus not poor- small businessman, educated

Jesus as a potential social revolutionary

• Robert Webb- Jesus’ time had a social banditry movment freeing peasants from poverty as a step to overthrow Roman oppression

• Bible evidence for Jesus’ active challenge to oppression- spending time with the oppressed, acting confrontationally e.g. flipping tables, EXECUTED ALONGSIDE BANDITS

• Rejected by most churches but influenced LibThe

• BUT if Jesus solely revolutionary, X spiritual purpose

Jesus and the challenge to religious authority

• GOOD TERMS with religious figures e.g. Luke 7:36- Pharisee invites Jesus for a meal

• BUT Jesus’ teachings went against Pharisees’ religious purity e.g. rejects food laws, challenges money changers

Jesus as a potential revolutionary Jew

• 1st century- separation of Jewish Xian movement and Judaism e.g. Paul driven out

• May have therefore downplayed Jesus’ Jewishness to up-play conflict

• Sanders and Bermes- Jesus more Jewish- Gospel writers suggesting tensions between J + J

• Jesus DID NOT reject/replace Jewish law- Luke 16:17- “easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke if a letter in the law to be dropped”

• Jesus rejected becoming the “Messiah” and possibly a Jewish renewal movement rethinking Judaism through repentance and forgiveness

Jesus’ old and new messages

• Issue of Jewish Jesus theory- something in Jesus’ words and actions triggered a change for the disciples to decide to break from Judaism

What is Liberation Theology?

• interpretation of theology emphasising concern for liberation of the oppressed

• Catholic Church Latin America 50s + 60s- Gutiérrez, Boff

• “Preferential option for the poor”- the poor were blessed, Jesus showed a preference to them

What salvation does Liberatiom Theology stress?

• SALVATION FROM POVERTY/ MARGINALISATION

• especially popular in parts of world with explotation/ class antagonism- JUST LIKE JESUS

• Lived experience applied to scipture- World → Word

LT: Biblical Liberation

• Biblically demonstrate that oppression is the cayse of poverty- the solution is liberation

• Biblical foundation of scripture central role of the poor

LT: Pastoral Liberation

• Establish ways to help communiies suffering from poverty, malnutrition, lack of medicine, poor education, injustice, corruption

LT: Theological Liberation

• Demonstrate the Biblical preferential option to the poor

• establish a theology based on Marxism

LT: Revolutionary Liberation

• establish violent revolutionary movements

• violence necessary to liberate the poor and eliminate oppressors

LT: New Branches of Liberation

• establish ways of liberating all people who are oppressed

• race, ethnicity, sexuality, pollution

Risks of Liberation Theology

• Could “reduce the Bible to an earthly gospel”?

• “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God”- cannot only apply lived experience to Bible- BUT interpretation

• Marxist influence but “religion is the opiate of the masses”- trying to put religion where it has no place?

• Question of to what extent Jesus was justiftying LT doung more than charity- taking a structural approach to economy

In defence of LT

• “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”

• “Sell your possessions and give to the poor”

• The priority of those who have wealth should be its redistribution to diminish the divide

• Exodus- not only individual liberation- freeing social oppression

• Following Jesus’ teachings would result in structural economic change

Jesus NOT a liberator overall/ salvation not only liberation

• Perhaps overmphasised claims of revolution- is not necessarily part of wider social violence and revolution

• Why emphasise peace so much if not Jesus’ actual teachings?

• Waters down spiritual teachings to only be placed in wider historical context

Jesus a liberator overall/ salvation is liberation

• Can’t refute historical and Biblical evidence in favour? One argument is disciples closely followed his words- so why would they refute teachings of so much pacifism?

• Jesus had to be activeky engaging in his community and helping the oppressed, which is an act of bravery and liberation- setting societal example to liberate

• Impossible to always separate religion and political change, especially if that religion promotes a message of hope and freedom- even indirectly, a political liberator

Kloppenburg against LT

• fusing theology and political action dimishes XIanity’s spirituality

• Jesus spoke about individuals, not society in general

• Living for money is bad, but J doesn’t say to overthrow unfair social structures?- “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”

  • BUT flippint the tables when prioritising money counting over religion

How do history and faith see Jesus differently?

• E.P. Sanders- Xian claims about Jesus’ uniqueness cannot be confirmed only from historical evidence

• Faith and history are separate

• Cannot confirm teachings of non-violence, grace and miracles as unique

• DEBATE as to whether resurrection is a decisive moment that can be historically analysed- even within Xian community e.g. Bultmann, Hick

• Resurrection COULD be Christology from above + new relationsips being established with God OR could be meant to be interpreted- Hick pluralis, not a unique idea and claim

Macquarrie on Jesus’ uniqueness

• John Macquarrie- strongly influenced by existentialism- OPPOSED TO RATIONALISM AND EMPIRICISM

• Stresses individual’s unique position as a self-determining agent

1. EVERY PERSON’s life in some sense unique- we all have our own authentic historical existence in different ways

2. SO Jesus is unique in that he had his own life

3. BUT no one moment in Jesus’ life proved him to be Son of God

4. This is the ‘Christ Event’

The ‘Christ Event’

• Although Jesus is not unique in being the Son of God, he is not just another prophet, political leader or thinker

• Jesus is unique bc throughout history billions of people have been changed by Jesus, he has defined what it means to be human

• Jesus has become “the way, the truth and the life”

• WHAT MAKES JESUS UNIQUE IS HOW HE HAS AFFECTED OTHERS

Christ Event evaluation

• Fairly convincing- has had a profound impact on humanity and set the basis for kmany morals now deemed to be secular

• BUT is this the person of Jesus? Or the actions of the Church/ his followers?

• Sometimes Xianity has spread through violence/ forced conversion e.g. The Crusades- is that really following Jesus’ teachings? SO is it really Jesus’ effects as a person or the actions, sometimes cruel, of those who follow him

• Spanish Inquisition wiped ot many other faiths- without violence, maybe these faiths could have spread more

Is Jesus unique?

• In some ways, yes- his impact is extremely wide-reaching, Resurrection is unique to Xianity

• As a historical figure, no single defining moment that makes him unique- nothing that can be proved to be unique to him

• Christianity’s reach and teachings may be somewhat unique, but Christ the person dependent on where a line is drawn between an image and a person