Jesus Reclaimed Jewish Perspectives on the Nazarene Walter Homolka

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Jesus Reclaimed Jewish Perspectives on the Nazarene Walter Homolka Jesus Reclaimed JESUS RECLAIMED Jewish Perspectives on the Nazarene Walter Homolka Translated by Ingrid Shafer C F S H I B I O /&8:03,t09'03% XXXCFSHIBIOCPPLTDPN Published by Berghahn Books www.berghahnbooks.com Revised and enlarged English-language edition © 2015 Walter Homolka German-language edition © 2009–2011 Hentrich & Hentrich Gbr Jesus von Nazareth im Spiegel jüdischer Forschung All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be in- vented, without written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Homolka, Walter, author. [Jesus von Nazareth. English] Jesus reclaimed : Jewish perspectives on the Nazarene / Walter Homolka ; translated by Ingrid Shafer. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-78238-579-0 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-78238-580-6 (ebook) 1. Jesus Christ—Jewishness. 2. Judaism—Relations—Christianity. 3. Christianity and other religions—Judaism. 4. Jesus Christ— History of doctrines—Early church, 30–600. I. Title. BM620.H66 201513 232.9’06—dc23 2014029071 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Printed on acid-free paper. ISBN: 978-1-78238-579-0 hardback ISBN: 978-1-78238-580-6 ebook For Otto Kaiser, teacher and friend )KNOWAGOOD(AMBURG#HRISTIANWHOCANNEVERRECONCILE HIMSELFTOTHEFACTTHATOUR,ORDAND3AVIOURWASBYBIRTH A*EW!DEEPDISSATISFACTIONSEIZESHIMWHENHEMUSTAD MITTOHIMSELFTHATTHEMANWHO ASTHEPATTERNOFPERFEC TION DESERVESTHEHIGHESTHONOR WASSTILLOFKINTOTHOSE SNUFmING LONG NOSED FELLOWS WHO GO RUNNING ABOUT THE STREETSSELLINGOLDCLOTHES WHOMHESOUTTERLYDESPISES ANDWHOAREEVENMOREDESPERATELYDETESTABLEWHENTHEY LIKEHIMSELFAPPLYTHEMSELVESTOTHEWHOLESALEBUSINESS OFSPICESANDDYE STUFFS ANDENCROACHUPONHISINTERESTS (EINRICH(EINE Shakespeare’s Maidens and Women Contents Foreword xi Leonard Swidler Translator’s Preface xv Ingrid Shafer Preface xix Introduction. When a Jew Looks at the Sources: T e Jesus of History 1 4HE3OURCES 4HE%ARLY9EARS 0UBLIC!PPEARANCE *ESUSS-ESSAGE !RRESTAND4RIAL $EATH Chapter 1. Jesus and His Impact on Jewish Antiquity and the Middle Ages 13 *ESUSINTHE-ISHNAHAND4ALMUD 4HEToledot Yeshu 2ABBINIC0OLEMICSAGAINST*ESUS #HRISTIAN4ALMUD#RITICISMAND #ENSORSHIP Chapter 2. T e Historical Jesus: A Jewish and a Christian Quest 29 *ESUSANDTHE*EWISH%NLIGHTENMENT x • Contents 4HE#HRISTIAN1UESTOFTHE(ISTORICAL*ESUS !$EPARTUREFROM$OGMA 4HE*EWISH1UESTAS2EPATRIATING*ESUSTO *UDAISM *UDAISM/UTOF0LACE4HE"ERLIN!NTI 3EMITISM$EBATEAND-AX,IEBERMANNS h*ESUSv ,EO"AECKAND!DOLFVON(ARNACK #ONTROVERSYAND#LASHESBETWEENTHE *EWISHAND#HRISTIAN1UESTS 4HE*EWISH1UESTFROM*OSEPH+LAUSNERTO %RNST,UDWIG%HRLICH Chapter 3. Jesus the Jew and Joseph Ratzinger’s Christ: A T eological U-Turn 101 *ESUS7ASA*EW!#ULTURAL #OINCIDENCE 4HEh2ABBI*ESUSv&OR#HRISTIANS/NLY )MPORTANTAS#HRIST h2EADINGTHE7HOLE"IBLEINTHE ,IGHTOF#HRISTv*OSEPH2ATZINGERS (ERMENEUTICS #HRISTIAN&AITHANDh(ISTORICAL2EASONv Conclusion 111 Bibliography 117 Index 135 Foreword Leonard Swidler 2ABBI 7ALTER (OMOLKA CAREFULLY LAYS OUT THE CONTRIBU TIONS*EWISHSCHOLARSHAVEBEENMAKINGTOTHEEVER FULLER HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOST INmUENTIAL *EWOR PERHAPSTHEMOSTINmUENTIALHUMANBEINGEVER *ESUSOF .AZARETH )T IS BUILT ON SOLID SCHOLARSHIP BUT WRITTEN IN TERMSTHATMAKEITACCESSIBLETOTHEEDUCATEDLAYPERSON .OW IN THE EARLY TWENTY lRST CENTURY WE ARE STILL LEARNINGMOREABOUT*ESUSOF.AZARETHASARESULTOFTHE hTHIRDQUESTOFTHEHISTORICAL*ESUSv4HElRSTQUESTWAS LAUNCHED DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY %NLIGHTENMENT BYSCHOLARSLIKE(ERMANN2EIMARUSANDGAINEDMOMEN TUM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF hSCIENTIlC HISTORYv UNDER SCHOLARS SUCH AS ,EOPOLD VON 2ANKE4HEQUESTGROUNDTOAHALTEARLYINTHETWENTIETH CENTURY WITH THE DECLARATION BY !LBERT 3CHWEITZER AND 2UDOLF"ULTMANNTHATITWASIMPOSSIBLE!LLWEHADTOGO ONWERESEVERALFAITHSTATEMENTSABOUT*ESUSAND THERE FORE ITWASIMPOSSIBLETODISCERNTHEHUMANFACEOF*ESUS BENEATHALLTHEPROJECTIONS 4HE SECOND QUEST WAS STARTED BY "ULTMANNS PRIZE STUDENT %RNST +ÊSEMANN WITH HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS AT THE 5NIVERSITY OF 'ÚTTINGEN IN HE LATER BECAME PROFESSORATMYALMAMATER THE5NIVERSITYOF4àBINGEN (EARGUEDTHATDESPITETHEhFAITHSTATEMENTvNATUREOFTHE 'OSPELS WEcanATTAINAHISTORICALPICTUREOFTHEREAL*ESUS BYUSINGTOOLSSUCHAS dissimilarityIFASTATEMENTWAS xii • Foreword CONTRARYTOTHEAIMSOFEARLY*UDAISMORTHEEARLY#HRIS TIANS ITLIKELYCAMEFROM*ESUS multiple attestation IFASTATEMENTISFOUNDINMORETHANONESOURCE AND coherence IFASTATEMENTCOHEREDWITHALREADYACCEPTED *ESUSSTATEMENTS TOWHICHWASLATERADDED linguistic suitabilityIFASTATEMENTMADESENSEIN*ESUS!RAMAIC (OWDIDTHESECRITERIAWORK,ETMEGIVEJUSTONEEX AMPLE4HE.EW4ESTAMENTWRITINGSAREFULLOFNEGATIVE STATEMENTSABOUTWOMENBYPERSONSotherTHAN*ESUSFOR EXAMPLE h7OMENSHOULDKEEPSILENCEINTHECHURCHv #OR h)SUFFERNOWOMANTOHAVEAUTHORITYOVERA MANv4M h7IVES BESUBJECTTOYOURHUSBANDSv 0T -OREOVER *ESUSS YOUNGER *EWISH CONTEMPO RARY*OSEPHUSWROTE h4HEWOMAN SAYSTHE,AW ISINALL THINGSINFERIORTOTHEMANv)NCONTRAST INALLFOUROFTHE 'OSPELS nowhereDOES*ESUSSAYORDOANYTHINGNEGATIVE REGARDINGWOMENONTHECONTRARY HESAYSANDDOESMANY MANY POSITIVE THINGS #ONCLUSION THOSE hFEMINISTv RE MARKSANDACTIONSATTRIBUTEDINTHE'OSPELSTO*ESUSCOULD NOTSTEMFROMTHEFREQUENTLYMISOGYNIST*EWISHOR#HRIS TIANSOURCES BUTHADTOGOBACKTO*ESUSHIMSELF !SHELPFULASTHEhPRINCIPLEOFDISSIMILARITYvWAS AT THESAMETIMEITTENDEDTOALIENATE*ESUSFROMHISNATURAL *EWISH CONTEXTWHICH DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE (ENCE STARTING IN THE LATE S RESEARCHERS FOCUSED ON THE BROADERBACKGROUNDOFTHE.EW4ESTAMENT ANDMOSTES PECIALLYITS*EWISHBACKGROUND4HISAPPROACHDREWTHE INTERESTOFMANYEXCELLENTSCHOLARS INCLUDINGMANYOFTHE MOSTRESPECTEDCONTEMPORARYBIBLICALSCHOLARS RESULTING INWHATHASBEENNAMEDTHEhTHIRDQUESTOFTHEHISTORICAL *ESUSv )NTHE@THIRDQUEST WHICHlRSTEMERGEDPREDOMI NANTLYINTHE%NGLISH SPEAKINGWORLD ASOCIOLOG ICAL INTEREST REPLACED A THEOLOGICAL INTEREST AND THE CONCERN TO lND *ESUS A PLACE IN *UDAISM RE Foreword • xiii PLACEDTHEDEMARCATIONOF*ESUSFROM*UDAISMAN OPENNESSTONON CANONICALSOMETIMESHERETICAL SOURCESALSOREPLACEDTHEPREFERENCEFORCANONICAL SOURCES *EWISHSCHOLARSWEREONTHIShTHIRDQUESTFORTHEHISTORICAL *ESUSvLONGBEFOREWE#HRISTIANSCHOLARSTOOKUPTHEQUEST !TONEPOINTWE#HRISTIANSlNALLYREALIZEDTHATITISABSO LUTELYESSENTIALTOVIEW*ESUSAS2ABBI9ESHUA(A .OTZRI 2ABBI*ESUSOF.AZARETH ANDTORECOGNIZEALLHISRELATIVES -ARY *OSEPH *AMES AND SO ON AND lRST FOLLOWERS AS FELLOW*EWSIFWEAREEVERGOINGTOUNDERSTANDWHOTHE hFOUNDERvOF#HRISTIANITYWASANDWHATHEWASALLABOUT (ENCE ITISWITHDEEPGRATITUDETHAT)WELCOMETHISLAT ESTBOOKINAGLORIOUSTRADITIONOF*EWISHSCHOLARSHIPTHAT IS OF IMMENSE HELP TO ITS SIBLING #HRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP "UTITISMUCHMORETHANTHAT)TISAHANDYHANDBOOK A VERITABLE VADE MECUM ON THE GROWING DEEPER HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDINGOF*ESUSAMONG*EWISHSCHOLARSANDTHUSAN IMPORTANTSOURCEFOR#HRISTIANAND)SLAMICSCHOLARSALIKE Notes *OSEPHUS Against Apion,)) CITEDIN,EONARD3WIDLER Women in Judaism: The Status of Women in Formative Judaism-ETUCHEN .*3CARECROW0RESS 3EE ,EONARD 3WIDLER Biblical Affi rmations of Woman 0HILADELPHIA7ESTMINSTER0RESS ,EONARD3WIDLER Jesus Was a Feminist,ANHAM -$3HEED7ARD 'ERD4HEISSEN !NNETTE-ERZThe Historical Jesus-IN NEAPOLIS&ORTRESS0RESS )TOO BELATEDLY JOINEDTHEPIONEER#HRISTIANSCHOLARSIN THIS hTHIRD QUESTv ,EONARD 3WIDLER Yeshua: A Model for Moderns+ANSAS#ITY3HEED7ARD NDEX PANDEDED Translator’s Preface Ingrid Shafer 7HILEREADING7ALTER(OMOLKAS'ERMANBOOKJesus of Nazareth, ) BECAME CONVINCED THAT IT DESERVED TO BE BROADLY DISTRIBUTED BEYOND A 'ERMAN SPEAKING PUBLIC BOTHACADEMICANDLAY)WASESPECIALLYFASCINATEDBYTHE SECONDPARTOFTHETITLEim Spiegel jüdischer ForschungIN THE-IRROROF*EWISH3CHOLARSHIP 4HETITLEHAPPENEDTO COINCIDEWITHONEOFMYLIFELONGPERSONALANDACADEMIC PASSIONSMYCONVICTIONTHATALLOFUSPERCEIVEWHATWE CONSIDERREALITYTHROUGHWHAT)HAVECALLEDhHERMENEUTI CALLENSES vSPECTACLESORMIRRORSTHATDETERMINEWHATWE hSEEvANDWHATWECONSIDERhTHETRUTHv)SPENTFORTY ONE YEARSTEACHINGINTERDISCIPLINARYGLOBALHISTORYOFIDEASATA LIBERALARTSCOLLEGE AND)NEVERQUITECEASEDBEINGAMAZED ATTHEEXTENTTOWHICHMYSTUDENTS OFTENUNWILLINGCAP TIVESINREQUIREDCOURSES WERETHREATENEDBYHAVINGTHEIR PRECONSCIOUS ASSUMPTIONS CHALLENGED ESPECIALLY CON CERNINGTHEIRRELIGIOUSORIDEOLOGICALCONVICTIONS3IMPLY SAYING h*ESUSWASA*EWvORh*ESUSWASNOTA#HRISTIANv RAISEDACHORUSOFOBJECTIONS9ET THISWASPRECISELYWHAT )HADHOPEDTOCOMMUNICATETOOTHERSEVERSINCE)WASIN MYLATETEENSINTHES ) WAS BORN IN )NNSBRUCK !USTRIA ONE MONTH BEFORE (ITLER MARCHED INTO 0OLAND AND HAVE BEEN HAUNTED BY IMAGESOFTHE3HOAHEVERSINCE)WASOLDENOUGHTOREAD MAGAZINES AND QUESTION ADULTS %VENTUALLY ) BEGAN TO SEEKARATIONALEXPLANATIONFORWHATSEEMEDTHEUNCON xvi • Translator’s Preface SCIOUS KNEE JERKANTI *EWISHPREJUDICESOFSOMANYhGOOD PEOPLEv ) KNEWTEACHERS CLASSMATES EVEN MY FATHER .OONE FOREXAMPLE SEEMEDTOQUESTIONWHATTOMEAP PEAREDANABSURDANDHATE FOMENTINGLOCALSTORYOFTHEJu- denstein *EWSTONE THESHRINEOFTHE"LESSED!NDREWOF 2INN;!NDERL= THElNALRESTINGPLACEOFASMALLBOYWHOSE THROAT THETEACHERTOLDUSDURINGACLASSOUTING HADBEEN SLITCENTURIESBEFOREBYAGROUPOF*EWISHMERCHANTS)NTHE CHAPEL WESAWTHEGRAYBOULDERONWHICHTHETODDLERHAD REPORTEDLYBEENSLAUGHTERED7EMARVELEDATTHEIMPRINT OFTHETINYBODYMIRACULOUSLYLEFTBEHIND ASILENTWITNESS TOACRIMESOHEINOUSITSOFTENEDTHEVERYSTONE7EWERE ENCOURAGEDTOPONDERTHEPICTURESONTHECHAPELWALLSOF THE HEINOUS ACT BEING COMMITTED TO KNEEL FOR PRAYER
Recommended publications
  • Spe Salvi: Assessing the Aerodynamic Soundness of Our Civilizational Flying Machine
    Journal of Religion and Business Ethics Volume 1 Article 3 January 2010 Spe Salvi: Assessing the Aerodynamic Soundness of Our Civilizational Flying Machine Jim Wishloff University of Lethbridge, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe Recommended Citation Wishloff, Jim (2010) "Spe Salvi: Assessing the Aerodynamic Soundness of Our Civilizational Flying Machine," Journal of Religion and Business Ethics: Vol. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe/vol1/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the LAS Proceedings, Projects and Publications at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Religion and Business Ethics by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wishloff: Spe Salvi INTRODUCTION In his very popular book Ishmael, author Daniel Quinn questions the sustainability of our civilization in a thought-provoking way. Quinn does this by asking the reader to consider the early attempts to achieve powered flight, and, more specifically, to imagine someone jumping off in “one of those wonderful pedal-driven contraptions with flapping wings.”1 At first, all seems well for the would-be flyer but, of course, in time he crashes. This is his inevitable fate since the laws of aerodynamics have not been observed. Quinn uses this picture to get us to assess whether or not we have built “a civilization that flies.”2 The symptoms of environmental distress are evident, so much so that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon puts us on a path to “oblivion.”3 Add to this the economic and cultural instability in the world and it is hard not to acknowledge that the ground is rushing up at us.
    [Show full text]
  • First Theology Requirement
    FIRST THEOLOGY REQUIREMENT THEO 10001, 20001 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY: BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL **GENERAL DESCRIPTION** This course, prerequisite to all other courses in Theology, offers a critical study of the Bible and the early Catholic traditions. Following an introduction to the Old and New Testament, students follow major post biblical developments in Christian life and worship (e.g. liturgy, theology, doctrine, asceticism), emphasizing the first five centuries. Several short papers, reading assignments and a final examination are required. THEO 20001/01 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY/BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL GIFFORD GROBIEN 11:00-12:15 TR THEO 20001/02 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY/BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL 12:30-1:45 TR THEO 20001/03 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY/BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL 1:55-2:45 MWF THEO 20001/04 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY/BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL 9:35-10:25 MWF THEO 20001/05 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY/BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL 4:30-5:45 MW THEO 20001/06 FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGY/BIBLICAL/HISTORICAL 3:00-4:15 MW 1 SECOND THEOLOGY REQUIREMENT Prerequisite Three 3 credits of Theology (10001, 13183, 20001, or 20002) THEO 20103 ONE JESUS & HIS MANY PORTRAITS 9:30-10:45 TR JOHN MEIER XLIST CST 20103 This course explores the many different faith-portraits of Jesus painted by the various books of the New Testament, in other words, the many ways in which and the many emphases with which the story of Jesus is told by different New Testament authors. The class lectures will focus on the formulas of faith composed prior to Paul (A.D. 30-50), the story of Jesus underlying Paul's epistles (A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Jesus of Nazareth—Film Errors
    JESUS OF NAZARETH—FILM ERRORS by Avram Yehoshua The SeedofAbraham.net Some Errors or Things Not Accurate 1. The rabbi of Nazareth, as well as many other men in the movie, would not have worn a white (or any other colored) knitted cap on his head. The knitted cap was not known in the days of Yeshua, but only many centuries later. The kipa or yarmulka is not biblical, but pagan.1 2. Many of the men in the film (e.g. the man in the red cloak at the betrothal of Joseph and Mary) had a beard, but didn’t have a mustache. This form of shaving, where one has a beard, but no mustache, only came into existence in the 1700s through the Amish and Mennonites because they didn’t want to be mistaken for Jews. All male Torah observant Jews2 are required to wear full, untrimmed beards, which obviously, would include a mustache (Lev. 19:27).3 1. Yeshua, as well as all the Jewish Apostles and Jewish men of that time would have had full, untrimmed beards (Lev. 19:27; Is. 50:6; Mic. 5:1), not a short, trimmed beard as the movie por- trays Him and many other Jews. 3. The men in the synagogue with a tallit on (Jewish prayer shawl) is also a mistake. This would not have been known in the days of Yeshua because the tallit of Yeshua’s day was actually their outer garment of clothing, with the tzit’ziot (tassels) in the garment toward the bottom sides, and hence, no need to have a rectangular piece of material to drape over one’s shoulders or head.
    [Show full text]
  • The Identity of Jesus of Nazareth*
    Criswell Theological Review 6.1 (1992) 91-130. Copyright © 1992 by The Criswell College. Cited with permission. THE IDENTITY OF JESUS OF NAZARETH* CARL F. H. HENRY Lecturer at Large Prison Fellowship Ministries Nowhere is the tension between historically repeatable acts and a once-for-all event focused more dramatically than in the conflict over the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. Shall we explain him as the ideal model of mankind and expound divine incarnation by philosophical analysis of what is humanly possible, or shall we depict him rather in terms of the christologically unparalleled? The Gospels provide our only significant information about Jesus' life and work. Skeptical critics thrust upon these sources tests of reliabil- ity that they do not impose upon other historical writing. If universally applied, those same criteria would in principle invalidate ancient Greek and Roman accounts that secular historians routinely accept as factual.1 Efforts to destroy the credibility of gospels often betray a bias against the supernatural. Gerald G. O'Collins recalls "the official Soviet thesis (which appears recently to have been abandoned) that Jesus never existed and was a purely mythological figure.”2 Consistent Marx- ists would need to reject the theology-of-revolution view that the his- torical figure of Jesus nurtures its liberationist challenge to an alienated world. The assumptions of evolutionary naturalism likewise lead to a rejection of Jesus as in any way normative and decisive for human destiny. * This essay represents the two lectures read at the Criswell Lecture Series, Criswell College, January 1991. 1 Cf. A N. Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testa- ment, (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1963).
    [Show full text]
  • Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth
    Journal of Markets & Morality Volume 11, Number 1 (Spring 2008): 7–25 Copyright © 2008 The Importance and Contemporary Relevance of Joseph Ratzinger/ Benedict XVI’s Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo President, Pontifical Academy Jesus of Nazareth of Social Sciences Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth represents an attempt to reveal the face and nature of Jesus Christ in the midst of a period of history when many biblical scholars claim that we can know little to nothing with certainty about the true Jesus. While respectful of the historical-critical method and the insights it reveals, Benedict XVI underlines its limits and argues that its dominance of contemporary scriptural exegesis has damaged Christian faith and distorted many Christians’ understanding of the practical demands of Christian faith, including issues of a political and eco- nomic nature. This essay situates Jesus of Nazareth in the context of developments in biblical exegesis over the past four hundred years, while simultaneously sketching some of its implications for Christian thought about the temporal order.1 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. (John 1:18) Tota fides Christiana circa divinitatem et humanitatem Christi versatur. (Saint Thomas Aquinas) The fact that Christianity has been proclaimed to you means that you have to form an opinion about Christ; he, or rather the fact that he exists and that he existed, is the decision of the whole of existence. If Christ has been proclaimed to you, it is a scandal to say “I don’t want to have an opinion about him.” (S.
    [Show full text]
  • Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week – Tele-Press Conference
    Maximus Group Moderator: Alexis Walkenstein 03-09-11/2:00 p.m. ET Confirmation # 47580153 Page 1 Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week – Tele-Press Conference Maximus Group Moderator: Alexis Walkenstein March 9, 2011 2:00 p.m. ET Operator: Good afternoon my name is (Andrea) and I will be your conference operator today. At this time I would like to welcome everyone to the Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week tele-press conference call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers remarks there will be a question and answer session. If you’d like to ask a question during this time simply press star then the number one on your telephone keypad. If you would like to withdraw your question, press the pound key, thank you. I would now like to turn the call over to our host Ms. Alexis Walkenstein with The Maximus Group. You may begin your conference. Ms. Alexis Walkenstein: Good afternoon, on behalf of Ignatius Press, I welcome you to this unprecedented tele-press conference, an advance of the global release of Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week from the entrance, into Jerusalem, to the resurrection by Pope Benedict XVI. A special beginning note to all members of the media, the news and information derived from this press conference event will remain under embargo until tomorrow March 10 th , 3 am Eastern time, 9 am Rome time. The only portions that you may write or report on in advance of the embargo include the excerpted content which has already been released as of last week.
    [Show full text]
  • THE0 266 Church in the World the Theological Legacy of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) for a Church in Transition THE0 266 | Fall 2017 |Mondays JFRC
    THE0 266 Church in the World The Theological Legacy of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) for a Church in transition THE0 266 | Fall 2017 |Mondays JFRC Instructor information Fr. Philipp G. Renczes, SJ Phone: (0039) 06 6701 5378 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Office: JFRC, 103 Office Hours: M 15:00-16:00 Please email to arrange appointments outside office hours. Course description The course will introduce to the former pope’s theological vision of the Roman Catholic Church in interaction with contemporary thought. It will do so by way of a hermeneutic that parallels his central work as theologian, Introduction to Christianity (1968) with successive writings, including Jesus of Nazareth and the Encyclical Letters (Deus Caritas Est, Spe Salvi and Caritas in Veritatem), published during his pontificate. A focus will be placed on topics which are situated at the intersection of Church and modernity, such as Christian Faith in dialogue with Atheism/Agnosticism, Catholic Tradition versus Reform in time (Aggiornamento), the Quest for Justice and economy models and Catholic Church and World Religions. If numerous portraits label Joseph Ratzinger as conservative or hardliner, at closer inspection it appears that his thought requires careful and measured analysis, revealing the acute awareness of the need to articulate a theology which aims at engaging with the most pertinent incentives and issues that theological thought received from the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in which Ratzinger himself participated as adviser to highlight the essence of Christian doctrine in dialogue/confrontation with contemporary thought. Classes will be a combination of lecture, discussion, papers and exams.
    [Show full text]
  • Can the 'Real' Jesus Be Identified with the Historical Jesus? Roland Deines2
    Pag Didaskalia-1º Fasc_2009.:Pag Didaskalia-1º Fasc 6/24/09 5:13 PM Page 11 Can the ‘Real’ Jesus be Identified with the Historical Jesus? A Review of the Pope’s Challenge to Biblical Scholarship and the Various Reactions it Provoked1 Roland Deines2 University of Nottingham Introduction: Geza Vermes on Ratzinger’s Jesus In the initial programme for this conference, the present time slot was allocated to Professor Geza Vermes and I deeply regret that he is unable to be with us. His critical reading of the Pope’s book surely would have en- riched our discussion. Knowing Professor Vermes’ work makes it safe to as- sume that his arguments would have focused on the underrated Jewishness 1 In the following paper I focus only on the discussion within German-speaking countries. For a first sum- mary of the discussion in France see F. Nault, ‘Der Jesus der Geschichte: Hat er eine theologische Relevanz?’, in H. Häring (ed.), „Jesus von Nazareth“ in der wissenschaftlichen Diskussion, Berlin: Lit, 2008, pp. 103-21. See now also R. Riesner, ‘Der Papst und die Jesus-Forscher: Notwendige Fragen zwischen Exegese, Dogmatik und Gemeinde’, Theologische Beiträge 39 (2008), pp. 329-345. 2 Parts of this paper have been delivered at the conference ‘The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth’ on 19th and 20th June 2008 at the University of Nottingham. This conference, supported by the British Academy, was the first extended theological discussion on Pope Benedict XVI’s book in the United Kingdom. A shorter version of this version will be published within the conference proceedings: Adrian Pabst and Angus Paddison (eds), The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth, Veritas, London: SCM, 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • “Who Do You Say That I Am?”
    “Who Do You Say That I Am?” IINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the proph- ets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” —Matthew 16:13–16 CHAPTER OVERVIEW OFFERING A SON God’s love for humanity is so great that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live in our midst and to die for our sins. COMING TO KNOW GOD AND JESUS God implanted in all of us a desire to know him. THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE: THE INCARNATION (CCC, 456–463) God the Father has revealed Jesus to us so that we can know the way to eternal life. LEARNING ABOUT JESUS Setting Jesus in his historical context can help us to understand more of what the Church believes about Christ and how this knowledge can improve our faith. NAMES AND TITLES FOR JESUS There are many titles for Jesus that, when analyzed, can help us to know and love him more deeply. 2 Encountering Jesus in the New Testament Offering a Son the Apostles what people were saying about him (see Matthew 16:13–16, quoted in the chapter opener). “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, my Note the various views his contemporaries had of Lord has forgotten me’” (Is 49:14).
    [Show full text]
  • THE0 266| the Church in the World
    THE0 266| The Church in the World The Theological Legacy of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) for a Church in transition THE0 266-A02 | Spring 2018 | Monday 7:00-9:30pm JFRC Instructor Information Fr. Philipp G. Renczes, SJ Phone: (0039) 06 6701 5378 Office: JFRC, 103 Email: [email protected] Please email to arrange appointments outside office Office Hours: 6:00-7:00pm hours. Course Description The course will introduce to the former pope’s theological vision of the Roman Catholic Church in interaction with contemporary thought. It will do so by way of a hermeneutic that parallels his central work as theologian, Introduction to Christianity (1968) with successive writings, including Jesus of Nazareth and the Encyclical Letters (Deus Caritas Est, Spe Salvi and Caritas in Veritatem), published during his pontificate. A focus will be placed on topics which are situated at the intersection of Church and modernity, such as Christian Faith in dialogue with Atheism/Agnosticism, Catholic Tradition versus Reform in time (Aggiornamento), the Quest for Justice and economy models and Catholic Church and World Religions. If numerous portraits label Joseph Ratzinger as conservative or hardliner, at closer inspection it appears that his thought requires careful and measured analysis, revealing the acute awareness of the need to articulate a theology which aims at engaging with the most pertinent incentives and issues that theological thought received from the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in which Ratzinger himself participated as adviser to highlight the essence of Christian doctrine in dialogue/confrontation with contemporary thought. Classes will be a combination of lecture, discussion, papers and exams.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Theological Thought of Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict Xvi
    R. PAVLIĆ - L. ŠPANJIĆ, The sacrament of the eucharist in the theological thought... 97-122 Richard Pavlić – Luka Španjić THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST IN THE THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT OF JOSEPH RATZINGER / BENEDICT XVI Doc. dr. sc. Richard Pavlić KBF, Zagreb – Teologija u Rijeci Mag. theol. Luka Španjić KBF, Zagreb – Teologija u Rijeci UDK: 265.3[232.96+260.2+262.13+262.5]JOSEPH RATZINGER / BENEDICT XVI = 111 Izvorni znanstveni rad Primljeno: 7. studenoga 2020. U teologiji Josepha Ratzingera tema euharistije zauzima značajno mjesto. Oslanjajući se na povijesno-kritičku egzegezu, on analizira Isusov čin us- tanovljenja euharistije naglašavajući čitav pashalni misterij. Tim slijedom, Ratzinger promatra Krista u odnosu na njegovu Crkvu, te međuodnos Kristovih vjernika te se dubinski se bavi činom ustanovljenja euharistije. Uspoređuje hramsko bogoslužje i ono prve Crkve. Trudi se obraniti žrtveni karakter euharistije, a ne samo gozbeni. Česta tema njegovih teoloških spisa je zajedništvo među vjernicima i njihovo djelatno sudjelovanje u euharistiji. Članak je podijeljen u tri dijela. Početno se razmatraju polazišta Ratzingero- va govora o euharistiji. Drugo poglavlje donosi pregled bitnih tema koje se provlače kroz Ratzingerova djela, a u trećem poglavlju prikaz je dokumenata iz vremena pontifikata Benedikta XVI. na temu euharistije. Zaključno se do- nosi sinteza prethodno iznesenih spoznaja Ratzingerove euharistijske misli. Ključne riječi: euharistija, zajedništvo vjernika, Joseph Ratzinger, Benedikt XVI. * * * Introduction The most significant contribution of the shift of the Church to the present time was made by the Second Vatican Council, convened by Pope John XXIII and completed during the pontificate of Paul VI, from 1962 to 1965. The Coun- cil is important for new, authentic thinking, but also for open criticism of some phenomena in the Church.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Was Jesus of Nazareth?
    WHO WAS JESUS OF NAZARETH? Craig L. Blomberg1 Jesus of Nazareth has been the most influential person to walk this earth in human history. To this day, more than two billion people worldwide claim to be his followers, more than the number of adherents to any other religion or worldview. Christianity is responsible for a disproportionately large number of the humanitarian advances in the history of civilization—in education, medicine, law, the fine arts, working for human rights, and even in the natural sciences (based on the belief that God designed the universe in an orderly fashion and left clues for people to learn about it).2 But just who was this individual and how can we glean reliable information about him? A recent work on popular images of Jesus in America alone identifies eight quite different portraits: “enlightened sage,” “sweet savior,” “manly redeemer,” “superstar,” “Mormon elder brother,” “black Moses,” “rabbi,” and “Oriental Christ.”3 Because these depictions contradict each other at various points, they cannot all be equally accurate. Historians must return to the ancient evidence for Jesus and assess its merits. This evidence falls into three main categories: non-Christian, historic Christian, and syncretistic (a hybrid of Christian and non-Christian perspectives). Non-Christian Evidence for Jesus An inordinate number of websites and blogs make the wholly unjustified claim that Jesus never existed. Biblical scholars and historians who have investigated this issue in detail are virtually unanimous today in rejecting this view, regardless of their theological or ideological perspectives. A dozen or more references to Jesus appear in non-Christian Jewish, Greek, and Roman sources in the earliest centuries of the Common Era (i.e., approximately from the birth of Jesus onward, as Christianity and Judaism began to overlap chronologically).
    [Show full text]