Portraits of Jesus a Five-Session
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Great Commission’ and the Tendency of Wesley’S Speech About God the Father
“THE PECULIAR BUSINESS OF AN APOSTLE” The ‘Great Commission’ and the Tendency of Wesley’s Speech about God the Father D. Lyle Dabney Marquette University Written for the Systematic Theology Working Group of the Twelfth Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies meeting at Christ Church College, Oxford, England August 12-21, 2007 In focusing the general call concerning papers for this working group, Craig Keen and Sarah Lancaster began by instructing us to attend to the ecclesiological significance and broader theological ramifications of the calling and mission of the church, which the Creed of Nicea describes not only as ‘one, holy, [and]catholic,’ but also as ‘apostolic.’ We ask in particular that members of this working group consider the Great Commission that closes the Gospel of Matthew. In sum, our conveners have asked us to concentrate our work on the character of the Christian community as ‘apostolic,’ i.e., as defined by the mission of word and deed that Christ has bequeathed to his disciples. Following those instructions, let me introduce my topic with the familiar words of the Great Commission to which they refer, and of the pericope that gives it context. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. -
A General Semantics View of the Changing Perceptions of Christ
A General Semantics View of the Changing Perceptions of Christ RaeAnn Burton, Beth Maryott, & Megan O’Byrne "A General Semantics View of the Changing Perceptions of Christ," presented by RaeAnn Burton, Beth Maryott, and Megan O'Byrne, explores the American views of Jesus Christ perceptually and visually. It includes traditional, pictorial representations and reactions to nontraditional or New Age portrayals. The paper also addresses perceptual revolution in the minds of Americans regarding Jesus Christ. The presentation then shows the relationship of these concepts to general semantics principles. * * * Modern Portrayals of Jesus in Works of Art RaeAnn Burton University of Nebraska at Kearney "Modern Portrayals of Jesus in Works of Art" is a paper addressing modern depictions of Jesus that stray from the traditional portrayals of Christ. New images of Jesus in paintings by Stephen Sawyer and Janet McKenzie are described to show how the image of Jesus is changing in the 21st century. Examples of sculptures and humorous pieces that depict Jesus in a modern fashion are also described. Last, the relationship between these modern portrayals of Jesus and general semantics is discussed. It is noted that every depiction of Christ, whether traditional or nontraditional, is an assumption. Depictions of Jesus are changing in the 21st century. This paper describes some of the changes in works of art and relates the changes to the study of general semantics. Introduction For centuries the image of Jesus’ physical appearance has been etched into people’s minds. Children learn in Sunday school at a young age what Jesus looked like. The most typical North American representation is a tall, lean, Caucasian man with long, flowing, light brown hair. -
Finding the Traces of Jesus Douglas L
Finding the Traces of Jesus Douglas L. Griffin n a previous article (The Fourth R 33-1, Jan-Feb 2020) Refrain: I argued that reading the Bible as theological fiction Tell me the story of Jesus, frees one from the necessity of clarifying whether or Write on my heart every word. I Tell me the story most precious, not biblical references are factual and invites one to enter into the diverse worlds of meaning disclosed in the Bible’s Sweetest that ever was heard. figurative references. In the process the reader is in a posi- Fasting alone in the desert, tion to recognize that the Bible’s supernatural references Tell of the days that are past. are imaginative ones that articulate inexplicable phenom- How for our sins He was tempted, ena through the culturally mediated interpretations, be- Yet was triumphant at last. liefs, rituals, symbols, and traditions underlying the Bible’s Tell of the years of His labor, origins. Indeed, once we have clarified that the supernatu- Tell of the sorrow He bore. He was despised and afflicted, ral references are imaginative and the narratives make figu- Homeless, rejected and poor. rative, not literal, sense the stories receive a new voice with which to speak. Readers are now in a position to let the Refrain texts confront them in ways they could not before. They Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, are not distracted by arguments about what did and did Writhing in anguish and pain. not “really” happen. Instead, they can discern horizons of Tell of the grave where they laid Him, meaning in the stories that will help them make sense of Tell how He liveth again. -
1 Sermon: Luke 24:36-49 (See Also Acts 3:11-21; 1 John 3:1-7) Today's
Sermon: Luke 24:36-49 (See also Acts 3:11-21; 1 John 3:1-7) Today's reading is a call to bear witness to Jesus. It's Luke's great commission: not as overt as Jesus' Great Commission at the end of Matthew, but still undeniably a call to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." The duty to proclaim the Gospel to all nations through the apostles' testimony falls on every Christian. But you know, sometimes that duty is hard to carry out. There are whole generations of people in this country now who can't take spiritual claims seriously because they don't have hard physical evidence. How do you bear witness to the truth of Jesus to someone who doesn't even believe in the Bible? Not to mention that a lot of people just don't want you to preach at them. If you wanna believe in your religion or whatever, fine. Just keep it to yourself. Religion and politics are the two big subjects to avoid in polite conversation, right? Besides, most of the people you know are probably stable and happy and doing just fine without ever hearing you awkwardly talk about Jesus. They probably already know what you have to say, anyway, so you might as well just save everyone a headache and keep your Gospel to yourself. -
12 Byu Religious Education Review from Scripture to Screen Films Depicting Jesus and the World of the New Testament
12 BYU RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REVIEW FROM SCRIPTURE TO SCREEN FILMS DEPICTING JESUS AND THE WORLD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Matthew J. Grey and Scott C. Esplin WINTER 2021 13 FROM AN INTERVIEW BY SCOTT C. ESPLIN, PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE BYU RELIGIOUS STUDIES CENTER, WITH MATTHEW J. GREY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ANCIENT SCRIPTURE AT BYU. Above: photo by Matt Reier. Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. Previous page: photo by Cody Bell. Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. splin: How did you get interested in the genre of which they are produced, and it has been fascinating to biblical cinema and, specifically, films depicting explore how, over the last hundred years, certain cinematic EJesus? themes and images have helped shape public perception Grey: My professional interest in Jesus films began of Jesus in particular. For example, beginning with the when I started teaching courses on the New Testament silent films of the early twentieth century and continuing at BYU. In doing so, I quickly found that a careful and through the Hollywood epics of the 1960s and ’70s, Jesus historically contextualized reading of the Gospels often was typically depicted in ways that closely parallel the challenged the preconceived notions many students have European artistic tradition with which religious audiences about Jesus, including his appearance, demeanor, and have long been familiar. In these depictions, Jesus is most relationship to early Judaism, as well as the cultural world often portrayed as a middle-aged northern-European in which he lived. As I would ask students what informed who is well groomed, wears long white robes, has a their previous assumptions, the most common response beatific countenance, teaches in opposition to his Jewish indicated that they were influenced by the ways in which contemporaries, functions in a highly sanitized world, and Jesus is depicted in art or in the movies. -
Jesus and His Opponents
Chapter 3 Jesus and His Opponents Introduction In this chapter, I study portrayals of Jesus’ opponents in the Synoptic Gospels. How do the Synoptic Gospels portray the opponents of Jesus? How does this portrayal affect their masculinity? What does the way in which the opponents are depicted tell about the ideal masculinities of the Synoptic Gospels? As we will see, the opponents are presented as examples of unideal behavior and consequently as unmasculine. In the Synoptic Gospels, all of the Jewish groups are united in their opposi- tion to Jesus: scribes, Pharisees, Herodians, chief priests, elders, and Sadducees. For the Gospel writers, the opponents are almost a homogenous group, even though theological differences between the groups are occasionally men- tioned. What matters for the Gospel writers is that all of these groups are against Jesus.1 What is less often noted is that the opponents of Jesus are men. Therefore, studying them from the point of view of masculinity could lead to 1 See Driggers 2007, 233; Overman 1990, 142. This does not mean that the portrayal of the op- ponents is completely negative. Mark has a positive remark about a good scribe (Mark 12:28– 34), and Matthew mentions a “scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 13:51–52). Luke’s portrayal of the Pharisees is occasionally positive. The Pharisees warn Jesus against Herod (Luke 13:31–33). Whereas Mark notes that “the Pharisees” question Jesus (Mark 2:24), Luke changes the reference into “some of the Pharisees” (Luke 6:2). Jesus dines with the Pharisees three times (Luke 7:36–50; 11:37–54; 14:1–24). -
The Graphic Icons of Anastasios of Sinai Calum Samuelson Olivet Nazarene University, [email protected]
Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet M.A. in Christian Thought Theology 5-2015 The Graphic Icons of Anastasios of Sinai Calum Samuelson Olivet Nazarene University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/theo_mact Recommended Citation Samuelson, Calum, "The Graphic Icons of Anastasios of Sinai" (2015). M.A. in Christian Thought. 1. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/theo_mact/1 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theology at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in M.A. in Christian Thought by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE GRAPHIC ICONS OF ANASTASIOS OF SINAI BY CALUM SAMUELSON B.A., Olivet Nazarene University, 2013 THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Christian Thought in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies Olivet Nazarene University, 2015 Bourbonnais, Illinois Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................v Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Chapter I: Theological, Artistic, and Political Development (325 – 685) .....................4 Section -
1 Jesus' Heavenly Sacrifice in Early
Jesus’ Heavenly Sacrifice in Early Christian Reception of Hebrews: A Survey1 Abstract: Modern readings of Hebrews tend to reduce the text’s language of Jesus’ sacrificial offering to the event of his crucifixion. In a recent book, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews, I argue that such a reduction does not adequately account for either the presence or significance of Jesus’ resurrection and bodily ascension for Hebrews’ Christology and soteriology. The book’s claims have rightly raised questions about why Hebrews has not been read this way in the past. This article offers an initial exploration of some early Christian reception of Hebrews. I demonstrate that, while not universal, a variety of texts from the early centuries of Christianity interpret Hebrews’ language of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice as referring to Jesus’ post-resurrection offering of himself to the Father in the heavens. These findings suggest that early Christian reflection on Hebrews, Jesus’ sacrifice, and atonement could approach these interrelated concerns more holistically—that is, orientated toward the full, creedal narrative of the incarnation, than to do some accounts of the atonement that reduce Jesus’ sacrifice to his death on the cross. I. Introduction When offering a reading of an ancient text that challenges widely held assumptions, one necessarily wonders whether others in the long history of that text’s interpretation have unpacked its inner logic in anything like the same way. Moreover, one worries that if no one else has read the text in this way, why have they not done so? Is the proposed reading simply a novum cooked up by an overactive scholarly imagination looking for something new to say? In a recent book, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews,2 I argue for a reading of Hebrews largely absent from the most influential secondary literature of the last century. -
Jesus' Father: the Quest for the Historical Joseph
Jesus' father: The quest for the historical Joseph Andries van Aarde Department of New Testament Studies (Sec A) University of Pretoria Abstract This article aims at demonstrating the historical probability that Joseph, the father of Jesus, should be regarded as a legendary figure. It seems that the Joseph figure is modeled after the patriarch in the First Testa ment. Here Joseph was exalted despite of slander. He married an 'impure' virgin. He became the adversary of Judah. His sons, bom in Egypt, were seen as the forefathers of the illegitimate Samaritans. He was regarded as an ethical paradigm. He served as the ideal type for God's beloved child. The search for the historical Joseph leads to the conclusion that Jesus grew up fatherless . This conclusion has enormous consequences for the quest for the historical Jesus. 1. JOSEPH THE CARPENTER The idiom like father like son does not often point to a reality, but in Mediterranean culture, at least, it is a common ideal. In this regard we have in the Gospel of John (5: 17) a Jesus saying, undoubtedly not authentic, that he is at work as his father is at work. In the Johannine context this saying refers to deeds of healing and compassion and a relationship between Jesus and God as his father. The context also involves the outrage of the Pharisees that Jesus could dare to see himself as child of God. F C Grant (1956:96-114), the great biblical historian of a previous generation, valued this Johannine phrase as a probable indication that the son Jesus stands in the shoes of his father Joseph. -
Jesus-Immanuel: Matthew's Narrative Christology of Divine Presence Jacob Michael Carlson Seattle Pacific Nu Iversity
Seattle aP cific nivU ersity Digital Commons @ SPU Seattle aP cific eS minary Theses Seattle aP cific eS minary, 2009 - January 1st, 2017 Jesus-Immanuel: Matthew's Narrative Christology of Divine Presence Jacob Michael Carlson Seattle Pacific nU iversity Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/spseminary_etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Carlson, Jacob Michael, "Jesus-Immanuel: Matthew's Narrative Christology of Divine Presence" (2017). Seattle Pacific Seminary Theses. 9. https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/spseminary_etd/9 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle aP cific eS minary, 2009 - at Digital Commons @ SPU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Seattle aP cific eS minary Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ SPU. JESUS-IMMANUEL: MATTHEW’S NARRATIVE CHRISTOLOGY OF DIVINE PRESENCE “Jesus-Immanuel” Jacob Michael Carlson Seattle Pacific Seminary JESUS-IMMANUEL 1 Introduction What story does the Gospel of Matthew tell? In many ways, this is the major research question of this project. Particularly, what story does Matthew’s Gospel tell us about Jesus of Nazareth? Christological studies of Matthew’s Gospel are not sparse, but neither are they all in agreement with one another. Many of these studies focus on scrutinizing the various titles given to Jesus by the evangelist – primarily the titles “Son of David,” “Son of God,” and “Son of Man.” While these titular analyses have contributed greatly to the field of Matthean studies, they often focus so intently on these titles that they fail to account for the entire narrative of Matthew’s Gospel. -
4302 SBJT Fall 04.4.Indd
The Passion of the Christ according to the Gospel of Mark William F. Cook, III William F. Cook, III is Associate Introduction his narrative to describe, in what is truly Professor of New Testament Interpreta- Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the remarkable detail, what happened to Jesus tion at The Southern Baptist Theological Christ, has created quite a stir (to say the from his entry into Gethsemane until his Seminary and also serves as senior least!). It is the eighth highest grossing burial in the tomb. pastor at Ninth and O Baptist Church in domestic fi lm of all time. The movie was The purpose of this article is to give Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to joining the seen by thirty-one percent of adults in the a brief exposition of the passion story in faculty at Southern Seminary, he taught United States.1 Regardless of one’s take on Mark’s Gospel, with a particular focus on at the Baptist College of Florida for nine the movie, there can be no doubt that it matters of historicity. In chapters 14 and years. Dr. Cook has written a number turned the nation’s attention (for at least 15, Mark answers two questions for his of scholarly articles and has extensive a few weeks) to the fi nal hours of the life readers: why Jesus had to die and how he ministry experience. of Jesus Christ. As powerful as the visual died. Jesus died as a part of God’s plan. presentation of Christ’s passion is in the This is seen in Mark’s repeated refer- movie, the biblical portrayal is every bit as ences and allusions to the Old Testament stirring, if not more so. -
1 Critical Reflections on Mel Gibson's the Passion of the Christ Rhonda
Critical Reflections on Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ Rhonda Hammer and Douglas Kellner ([email protected] and [email protected]) The February 2004 release of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is a major cultural event. Receiving a tremendous amount of advance publicity due to claims of its anti-Semitism and adulatory responses by conservative Christians who were the first to see it, the film achieved more buzz before its release than any recent film in our memory.1 Gibson himself helped orchestrate the publicity with selective showings of The Passion and strategic appearances on TV shows where he came off as something of a Hollywood eccentric, albeit one who was only too happy to admit to his past sins and to claim that he had achieved “salvation” through his adherence to Christianity. His film, he insisted, would be testament to the truth of Christ and how Christ died so that sinners like Gibson could be saved and enjoy eternal life. Our reflections will interrogate reasons for both the popularity of the film and why it has educed such intense controversy. The film emerged during a period of passionate debate and global friction over the Bush administration Iraq intervention, leading to concern over the Manichean vision that informs contemporary Islamic fundamentalism and Bush administration militarism and rightwing Christian fundamentalism.2 We argue that Gibson’s film is part of the reactionary Manicheanism that is fueling religious hatreds and violence today and that therefore the film deserves a close reading and political contextualization to discern its meanings, ideologies, and possible effects and uses.