DOCSLIB.ORG

Christian Beginnings: from Nazareth to Nicaea, Ad 30-325 Free

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Christian Beginnings: from Nazareth to Nicaea, Ad 30-325 Free FREE CHRISTIAN BEGINNINGS: FROM NAZARETH TO NICAEA, AD 30-325 PDF Geza Vermes | 288 pages | 27 Dec 2016 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780141037998 | English | London, United Kingdom Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea, AD 30– by Géza Vermes By Geza Vermes. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN Geza Vermes, who passed away in Mayfocused most of his scholarly attention on the Dead Sea Scrolls and on the historical Jesus. Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea was his final book, and in it Vermes endeavors to build upon his work on the historical Jesus through an assessment of how Jesus went from Galilean holy man to the second person of the Trinity at Nicaea in Vermes argues Ad 30-325 this metamorphosis developed over two unequal phases. The first phase was the short Jewish phase that lasted from AD 30 towith the Synoptic Gospels, the first twelve chapters of Acts, and the Didache being the texts that correspond to this phase. These texts demonstrate that early Jewish-Christian followers did not Ad 30-325 him as divine, but understood Jesus simply to teach total surrender to God in expectation of the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God. Paul and John, however, definitively alter perceptions of Jesus. Paul, whose writings were addressed to Gentile rather than Jewish audiences, draws attention to Jesus himself rather than to his message, elevating Jesus to the triumphant Son of Ad 30-325 who is the source of universal salvation. One finds in both Paul and John a harbinger of things to come, for it is during the second phase the Gentile phase from the early-second century to the Council of Nicaea in that we find Jesus and his religion fundamentally transformed to become that which would have been unrecognizable by Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea and his first followers. With reference [End Page ] to an array of Christian texts from the second through the fourth centuries, Vermes traces the progressive elevation of the figure of Jesus by Gentile Christians, an elevation that corresponded to the influx of Ad 30-325 ideas and modes of thinking foreign to Judaism. Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea one finds Justin Martyr, for example, initiate and explicate a Christology deeply imbued with Greek philosophical thought, and later thinkers develop an understanding of the identity of Jesus Christ along these lines. Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea notes in particular the contributions of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, and Origen, the latter representing the summit of pre-Nicene Christian thought. In short, Jesus comes to look less and less like himself, the charismatic Jewish teacher. This leads Vermes to a discussion of Nicaea. Throughout his account of second- and third-century Christian thought, Vermes consistently emphasizes that, although thinkers elevated the figure of Jesus prior to Nicaea, all of them were thoroughly subordinationist in their Christologies. The most detrimental consequence of Nicaea was that adherence to dogma thereafter gained precedence over spiritual transformation, thus further distancing Christian religion away from the charismatic religion of Jesus by elevating the person rather than his message. Vermes is at his Ad 30-325 in this book when dealing with the first century and particularly when recounting the charismatic religion of Jesus; his work on the historical Jesus throughout his scholarly career continues to be important and influential even if it is not wholly convincing. Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, Project MUSE is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it serves. Built on the Johns Hopkins University Campus. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless. Institutional Login. LOG IN. The Catholic Historical Review. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Reviewed by:. Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea. If you would like to authenticate using a different subscribed institution or have your own login and password to Project MUSE. Additional Information. Project MUSE Mission Project MUSE promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. Eliot Prose. Contact Contact Us Help. Geza Vermes - Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea, AD Geza Vermes, translator and editor of The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls and worldwide expert on the life and times of Jesus, tells the enthralling story of early Christianity and the origins of a religion. The creation of the Christian Church is one of the most important stories in the development Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea the world's history, yet one of the least understood. With a forensic, brilliant re-examination of all the key surviving texts of early Christianity, Geza Vermes illuminates the origins of a faith and traces the evolution Ad 30-325 the figure of Jesus from Ad 30-325 man he was - a prophet in the tradition of other Jewish holy men of the Old Testament - to what he came to represent: a mysterious, otherworldly being at the heart of the official state religion of the Roman Empire. Christian Beginnings pulls apart myths and misunderstandings to focus on the true figure of Jesus, and the birth of one of the world's major religions. The subject is not exactly the Christian Church, which makes an appearance effectively only half way through the text; it is Jesus - what he was, what he said he was, and what Christians said about him after his crucifixion. For anyone puzzling over such questions, this is an exciting and challenging port of call, sweeping aside much of Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea fuzzy thinking and special pleading that bedevils the study of sacred scripture This book represents the summation of [Vermes's] thinking about the early history of Christianity. It is a challenging and engaging book that sets out Ad 30-325 retrace the route by which a Jewish preacher in 1st-century Israel came to be declared as consubstantial and co-equal with the omnipotent, omniscient only God. A major contribution to our understanding of the historical Jesus. A magnum opus of early Christian history and one of the year's most significant titles. Geza Vermes was born in Hungary in From to Ad 30-325 taught at the Universities of Newcastle and Oxford. He lives in Oxford. For the latest books, recommendations, offers and more. By Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea up, I confirm that I'm over View all newsletter. For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here. Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions. See More. Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. Preference and Feature cookies allow our website to remember choices you make, such as your language preferences and any customisations you make to pages on our website during your visit. Targeting cookies are used to make Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea messages more relevant to you and your interests. They perform functions like preventing the same content from reappearing, ensuring ads are displayed and, in some cases, selecting content based on your interests. Paperback Features Find your next read Most viewed Most viewed Best first lines in fiction Best book club books Prize judges on how to read more must-read classic books Must-reads of Sign up for our newsletter Events Podcasts Apps. Children's Children's 0 - 18 months 18 months - 3 years 3 - 5 years 5 - 7 years 7 - 9 years 9 - 12 years View all children's. Puffin Ladybird. Authors A-Z. Featured Authors. Contact us Contact us Offices Media contacts Catalogues. Gifts for bibliophiles. Penguin Shop Penguin Shop Book bundles. Penguin gifts. Writing workshops. View all. Isokon Penguin Donkey. Coralie Bickford-Smith Collection. Isokon Penguin Donkey: Pink. Penguin 85th by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Penguin 85th by Dapo Adeola. Penguin 85th by Jackie Morris. Penguin 85th by Vashti Harrison. Book Bundles. Stocking Fillers. Events Podcasts Penguin Newsletter Video. Paperback Ebook. View more editions. Buy from. Reviews: 'A beautiful and magisterial book' Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, Guardian 'An exciting and challenging port of call, sweeping aside much of the fuzzy thinking and special pleading that bedevils the study of sacred scripture Share at. More from this Author. Jesus Geza Vermes. The Story Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea the Scrolls Geza Vermes. The Resurrection Geza Vermes. The Nativity Geza Vermes. Ad 30-325 Passion Geza Vermes. About the Author. Geza Vermes Geza Vermes was born in Hungary in Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter For the latest books, recommendations, offers and more. Please enter an email. Please enter a valid email address. Thank you for signing up to the Penguin Newsletter Keep an eye out in your inbox. Subscription failed, please try again. Strictly Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. Christian Beginnings The creation of the Christian Church Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea one of the most important stories in the development of the world's history, but also one of the most enigmatic and little understood, Ad 30-325 in mystery and misunderstanding.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Christian Origins Seminar Spring Meeting 2010
    Spring Meeting 2010 Ballot 1 Story and Ritual as the Foundation of Nations Helmut Koester Report from the Jesus Seminar Q1 Story and ritual are the religio-political foundations of the on Christian Origins founding of nations in Antiquity. This is demonstrated in brief survey of the founding of the nations of the Hellenes, of Israel, and of imperial Rome. Fellows 0.88 Red 0.75 %R 0.20 %P 0.00 %G 0.05 %B Associates 0.86 Red 0.68 %R 0.27 %P 0.00 %G 0.05 %B Q2 The beginnings of the early Christian movement are Stephen J. Patterson, Chair political rather than “religious”; Paul wants to create a new nation of justice and equality opposed to the unjust hierarchical establishment of imperial Rome. This is dis- cussed with reference to John the Baptist, Jesus and Paul. Fellows 0.58 Pink 0.15 %R 0.55 %P 0.20 %G 0.10 %B Associates 0.61 Pink 0.18 %R 0.45 %P 0.36 %G 0.00 %B The Jesus Seminar on Christian Origins convened on Q3 As early Christians churches tried to find their place as a March 19–20 to consider some remaining issues associ- “religion” in the Greco-Roman world they soon began to become conform with the morality and citizenship of the ated with Antioch, and to air out some long-standing ques- Roman society. tions associated with the work of the Jesus Seminar. It was a Fellows 0.78 Red 0.50 %R 0.35 %P 0.15 %G 0.00 %B remarkable meeting.
    [Show full text]
  • On Putting Paul in His Place Author(S): Victor Paul Furnish Reviewed Work(S): Source: Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol
    On Putting Paul in His Place Author(s): Victor Paul Furnish Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 113, No. 1 (Spring, 1994), pp. 3-17 Published by: The Society of Biblical Literature Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3266307 . Accessed: 06/04/2012 10:44 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Society of Biblical Literature is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Biblical Literature. http://www.jstor.org JBL 113/1(1994) 3-17 ON PUTTING PAUL IN HIS PLACE* VICTOR PAUL FURNISH Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275 Paul is easily the most accessible figure in first-century Christianity, arguably the most important; and, of course, he has been the subject of countless scholarly studies. Yet he remains, in many respects, an enigmatic figure. He seems to have been a puzzle even to his contemporaries, perhaps no less to many of his fellow believers in the church than to most of his former colleagues in the synagogue. And over time, also his letters became a problem, as attested by that oft-quoted remark in 2 Peter, "there are some things in them hard to understand" (3:16).
    [Show full text]
  • Miranda Threlfall-Holmes Is Vicar of Belmont and Pittington in the Diocese of Durham, and an Honorary Fellow of Durham University
    Miranda Threlfall-Holmes is Vicar of Belmont and Pittington in the Diocese of Durham, and an honorary fellow of Durham University. Previously, she was Chaplain and Solway Fellow of University College, Durham, and a member of the Church of England General Synod. She has first-class degrees in both history (from Cambridge) and theology (from Durham), and a PhD in medieval history. She trained for ordination at Cranmer Hall, Durham, and was then a curate at St Gabriel’s church in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. She has taught history at Durham and Newcastle universities, as well as for the North East Institute for Theological Education, the Lindisfarne Regional Training Partnership and Cranmer Hall. As a historian and theologian, she has written and published extensively in both the aca- demic and popular media. Her doctoral thesis, Monks and Markets: Durham Cathedral Priory 1460–1520, was published by Oxford University Press in 2005, and she co-edited Being a Chaplain with Mark Newitt in 2011 (published by SPCK). She has also contributed to the Church Times, The Guardian and Reuters. THE essential historY OF christianitY MIRANDA THRELFALL-HOLMES First published in Great Britain in 2012 Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 36 Causton Street London SW1P 4ST www.spckpublishing.co.uk Copyright © Miranda Threlfall-Holmes 2012 Miranda Threlfall-Holmes has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • (In Spirit): Wealth and Poverty in the Writings of the Greek Christian Fathers of the Second Century
    Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 8-2021 Blessed Are the Poor (in Spirit): Wealth and Poverty in the Writings of the Greek Christian Fathers of the Second Century Jacob D. Hayden Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons Recommended Citation Hayden, Jacob D., "Blessed Are the Poor (in Spirit): Wealth and Poverty in the Writings of the Greek Christian Fathers of the Second Century" (2021). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 8181. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8181 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BLESSED ARE THE POOR (IN SPIRIT): WEALTH AND POVERTY IN THE WRITINGS OF THE GREEK CHRISTIAN FATHERS OF THE SECOND CENTURY by Jacob D. Hayden A thesis submitted in partiaL fuLfiLLment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Ancient Languages and CuLtures Approved: _______________________ _____________________ Mark Damen, Ph.D. Norman Jones, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member _______________________ ______________________ Eliza Rosenberg, Ph.D. Patrick Q. Mason, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member ________________________________ D. Richard CutLer, Ph.D. Interim Vice Provost of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2021 ii Copyright © Jacob D. Hayden 2021 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Blessed Are the Poor (in Spirit): Wealthy and Poverty in the Writings of the Greek Christian Fathers of the Second Century by Jacob D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Christian Movement in the Second and Third Centuries
    WMF1 9/13/2004 5:36 PM Page 10 The Christian Movement 1 in the Second and Third Centuries 1Christians in the Roman Empire 2 The First Theologians 3Constructing Christian Churches 1Christians in the Roman Empire We begin at the beginning of the second century, a time of great stress as Christians struggled to explain their religious beliefs to their Roman neighbors, to create liturgies that expressed their beliefs and values, and to face persecution and martyrdom cour- ageously. It may seem odd to omit discussion of the life and times of Christianity’s founder, but scholarly exploration of the first century of the common era is itself a field requiring a specific expertise. Rather than focus on Christian beginnings directly, we will refer to them as necessitated by later interpretations of scripture, liturgy, and practice. Second-century Christians were diverse, unorganized, and geographically scattered. Paul’s frequent advocacy of unity among Christian communities gives the impression of a unity that was in fact largely rhetorical. Before we examine Christian movements, however, it is important to remind ourselves that Christians largely shared the world- view and social world of their neighbors. Polarizations of “Christians” and “pagans” obscure the fact that Christians were Romans. They participated fully in Roman culture and economic life; they were susceptible, like their neighbors, to epidemic disease and the anxieties and excitements of city life. As such, they were repeatedly shocked to be singled out by the Roman state for persecution and execution on the basis of their faith. The physical world of late antiquity The Mediterranean world was a single political and cultural unit.
    [Show full text]
  • Motivation for the Sharing of Material Possessions in Acts, Philo's De Vita Contemplativa and the Didache: a Comparative Study
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2019 Motivation for the Sharing of Material Possessions in Acts, Philo's De Vita Contemplativa and the Didache: A Comparative Study Lena V. Toews Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Toews, Lena V., "Motivation for the Sharing of Material Possessions in Acts, Philo's De Vita Contemplativa and the Didache: A Comparative Study" (2019). Dissertations. 1692. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/1692 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT MOTIVATIONS FOR THE SHARING OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS IN ACTS, PHILO’S DE VITA CONTEMPLATIVA AND THE DIDACHE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY by Lena V. Toews Adviser: Robert Johnston ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University SeventH-day Adventist Theological SeMinary Title: MOTIVATIONS FOR THE SHARING OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS IN ACTS, PHILO’S DE VITA CONTEMPLATIVA AND THE DIDACHE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY Name of researcher: Lena V. Toews NaMe and degree of faculty adviser: Robert Johnston, Ph.D. Date completed: July 2019 Luke, in the book of Acts, depicts the sharing of possessions as a practice in the JerusaleM comMunity of the first century. Several pericopes, occurring priMarily in the first part of the book of Acts, eMbody the idea of shared property and seeM to have iMportant parallels to other sources of the tiMe, including the Jewish author Philo’s work De vita contemplativa, where he describes a group he calls, “Therapeutae,” and in the Jewish Christian document Didache.
    [Show full text]
  • Ebook Download Christian Beginnings
    CHRISTIAN BEGINNINGS: FROM NAZARETH TO NICAEA, AD 30-325 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Geza Vermes | 288 pages | 27 Dec 2016 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780141037998 | English | London, United Kingdom Christian Beginnings: From Nazareth to Nicaea, Ad 30-325 PDF Book It's fine that Christianity developed over the first few centu "Nothing is unclear in Arius' thinking, which is perhaps not a true desideratum in theology, nor is anything left unsaid. He is not an ordinary human being but a mysterious otherworldly personality. It was triggered by a public disagreement between Alexander bishop of Alexandria and his presbyter Arius whose clear formulation of the relationship between Jesus and God, following the pattern of Origen and Eusebius of Caesarea , placed Jesus in an inferior position, seeing this as the only way to avoid formal polytheism. Contact Contact Us Help. That said, I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in early Christianity. Published July 5th by Allen Lane first published July 1st The Scotsman. The Didache , or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is the earliest text which portrays the common rules of the early church. There is no mention of Paul's conversion. Hard going in places and not a book you can 'dip into' but one you need to read. How can a serious author have such a lapse. Although Judaism was centred on adherence to the Torah , charismatic prophets such as Elijah , Elisha and Isaiah were also an important part of Jewish life and this continued with the Essene Teacher of Righteousness , Jesus ben Sira and Hanina ben Dosa , many of whom were miracle workers.
    [Show full text]
  • Church and Gnosis. a Study of Christian Thought and Speculation
    CHURCH AND GNOSIS AMS PRESS NEW YORK CHURCH @ GNOSIS cA studyof Christianthought and speculation in the Second Century THE MORSE LECTURES FOR 1931 BY F. C. BURKITT, D.D. Hon. D.Litt. (Durban) CAMBRIDGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1932 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Burkitt, Francis Crawford, 1864-1935. Church & gnosis. Reprint of the 1932 ed. published by the University Press, Cambridge, which was the Morse lecture for 1931. Includes index. 1. Gnosticism. 2. Theology, Doctrinial—History— Early church, ca. 30-600. I. Title. II. Series: The Morse lectures; 1931. BT1390.B83 1978 230'.1'3 77-84696 ISBN 0-404-16104-9 Reprinted from an original in the collections of the Union Theological Seminary Library From the edition of 1932, Cambridge First AMS edition published in 1978 Manufactured in the United States of America AMS PRESS, INC. NEW YORK, N.Y. TO PRESIDENT HENRY S. COFFIN AND THE PROFESSORS OF UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY NEW YORK I DEDICATE THIS BOOK IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE DELIGHTFUL KINDNESS AND HOSPITALITY SHEWN TO MY WIFE AND MYSELF DURING OUR STAY AMONG THEM IN OCTOBER, 1931 PREFACE HE five Lectures in this volume were de- | livered in October 1931 at Union Theo- logical Seminary, New York, as the Morse Lectures for that year. The question with which they deal is not so remote from present-day problems as might appear at first sight. From one point of view the problem which beset the Christian thinker of the second century is similar to that which confronts us now, how to express in terms appropriate to our modern world the Gospel Message that was proclaimed in a society so far away from us and so different in outlook.
    [Show full text]
  • Citation Methodologies in Eusebius' Historia Ecclesiastica and Other
    University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2015 Citation Methodologies in Eusebius’ Historia Ecclesiastica and Other Ancient Historiography Justin Otto Barber University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, and the History of Religions of Western Origin Commons Recommended Citation Barber, Justin Otto, "Citation Methodologies in Eusebius’ Historia Ecclesiastica and Other Ancient Historiography" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1009. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1009 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. CITATION METHODOLOGIES IN EUSEBIUS’ HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA AND OTHER ANCIENT HISTORIOGRAPHY __________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Justin Otto Barber August 2015 Advisor: Gregory Robbins ©Copyright by Justin Otto Barber 2015 All Rights Reserved Author: Justin Otto Barber Title: Citation Methodologies in Eusebius’ Historia ecclesiastica and Other Ancient Historiography
    [Show full text]
  • History, Historiography, and Interpretations of the Reformations
    Chapter 1 History, Historiography, and Interpretations of the Reformations We are like dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants; thanks to them, we see farther than they. Busying ourselves with the treatises written by the ancients, we take their choice thoughts, buried by age and human neglect, and we raise them, as it were from death to renewed life. Peter of Blois (d. 1212) History and Historiography Peter of Blois penned this famous aphorism almost exactly three centuries before Luther’s “Ninety-Five Theses” rocked Europe. A major study of the historiography of the Reformation (Dickens and Tonkin 1985: 323) concludes that it is “a window on the West, a major point of access to the developing Western mind through the last five centuries. … By any reckoning, the Reformation has proved a giant among the great international movements of modern times.” On its shoulders we can look far- ther and deeper in both directions; that is, we can peer into both the medieval and contemporary worlds. History provides a horizon for viewing not only the past but also the present and the future. The philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer (1975: 269, 272) argued that a person without a horizon will overvalue what is immediately present, whereas the horizon enables us to sense the relative significance of what is near or far, great or small. “A horizon means that one learns to look beyond what is close at hand – not in order to look away from it, but to see it better within a larger whole and in truer proportion.” In other words, “far away facts – in history as in navigation – are more effective than near ones in giving us true bearings” (Murray 1974: 285).
    [Show full text]
  • Was Jesus Ever a Disciple of John the Baptist? a Historical Study
    Was Jesus Ever a Disciple of John the Baptist? A Historical Study Max Aplin Ph.D. The University of Edinburgh 2011 Declaration I hereby declare that I have composed this thesis, the work is my own, and that this work has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. ii Abstract This study asks if the historical Jesus was ever a disciple of John the Baptist, where by ‘disciple’ is meant someone who would have been in a close personal relationship to John as their leader and teacher, and who would have spent considerable time in his presence. The current majority view of scholars is that Jesus is likely to have been John’s disciple at some time before beginning his own ministry (and in the opinion of some, during the early part of his ministry too). However, this study argues that, although we cannot be sure, he is actually unlikely to have chosen to submit himself to John in this way. Reasons are provided for believing that, even early in his ministry, Jesus had a profound confidence in his (sometimes distinctive) beliefs across a range of religious issues, including those beliefs that had to do with his own extremely important place in God’s plan. It is argued too that if Jesus was ever John’s disciple, he would very probably have to have first become his disciple no more than a matter of months before beginning his own ministry. The shortness of the time in which his confidence in his religious beliefs could have developed means that, during the period in which any potential discipleship would have begun, it is probable that Jesus had at least a fairly deep assurance about what he believed in religious matters, including what he believed concerning his own crucial place in God’s plan.
    [Show full text]
  • Baptist Traditions and Q
    Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Herausgeber / Editor Jörg Frey Mitherausgeber/Associate Editors Friedrich Avemarie • Judith Gundry-Volf Martin Hengel • Otfried Hofius • Hans-Josef Klauck 190 ARTI BUS Clare K. Rothschild Baptist Traditions and Q Mohr Siebeck Clare K. Rothschild, born 1964; 1986 B.A. University of California, Berkeley; 1992 M.T.S. Harvard University; 2003 Ph.D. University of Chicago; currently Assistant Professor of Theology at Lewis University, Romeoville, IL. ISBN 3-16-148791-5 ISSN 0512-1604 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament) Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de. © 2005 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to repro- ductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was typeset by Martin Fischer in Tübingen, printed by Guide-Druck in Tübingen on non-aging paper and bound by Großbuchbinderei Spinner in Ottersweier. Printed in Germany. For my grandfather: Alexander Bernard Komoroske 1912-2005 The dove descending breaks the air With flame of incandescent terror Of which the tongues declare The one discharge from sin and error. The only hope, or else despair Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre - To be redeemed from fire by fire. T. S. Eliot, "Little Gidding," Four Quartets Acknowledgments The foundational idea for this book arose in a three-and-a-half hour conversa- tion on a car ride from Grand Rapids, MI to Chicago, IL in February, 2003.
    [Show full text]