Person of Christ
- Created by: mkimani
- Created on: 06-04-18 14:10
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- Person of Jesus
- LIBERATOR
- S.G.E Brandon - 'Jesus and the zealots - Jesus was more politically driven than later writers like to portray.
- Some theists would argue that the view of Jesus as a social reformer/political revolutionary undermines traditional salvation from theology
- Challenged religious authority - Teachings on the Sabbath day went against that of contemporary times e.g of the Pharisees criticises the temples which led to conflict
- Guiterrez - Jesus as a liberator engages him in the world.
- Challenged political authority - Revolutions against Roman govt. and some priests saw him as a Zealot (people calling for revolution) / His revolutionary actions may be the reason that the Romans executed him. Church may have hid his violent tendencies and they go against the loving image of Jesus most often portrayed
- Jesus was sentenced to death with bandits
- 'Blessed are the peacemakers'
- Poor and marginalised liberator e.g Luke 10 Parable of good samaritan and Mark 5 where Jesus touches a woman on her period. Challenged contemporary prejudice. Said to mix with 'people of the land'
- Traditional view that Jesus liberates people from personal sin by freeing them of the consequences - Many see Jesus as liberator of humans from sinful nature
- Boff - ' A christology which proclaims Jesus Christ as the liberator' seeks to be committed to the economic, social, and political liberation 'of those groups that are oppressed and dominated
- Liberation theology - Bias towards helping those who were poor and alienated in society; duty of the privileged to side with the poor and act against social justice
- SON OF GOD
- Miracles e.g. Mark where Jesus calmed the storm and John where he healed a blind man. Godly abilities suggest that Jesus is dvine
- Moses and Elijah performed miracles but these were not attributed to them but to God working for them.
- Catechism of Catholic church - "So miracles strengthen faith in the one who does his father's works"
- Sanders believes there is no way Christian claims about the uniqueness of Jesus can ever be sustained from the evidence of history
- Christology from above focus on Jesus' divinity and rely on faith
- Resurrection. Many argue that these acts are strong evidence of Jesus' divinity.
- Pannenberg - Jesus' resurrection is the decisive moment in history - 'the evidence for Jesus' resurrection is strong'
- Macquarrie thinks Jesus' life is the defining moment in the human relationship with God, he rejects any portrayal of Jesus is unique but he does not think Jesus is just another moral teacher, political leader because for many people Christ defines what it means to live an authentic human existence
- Christology from below focuses on Jesus' parables and miracles as guidance and often non literal interpretation rather than evidence of his divinity. - Varying degrees of belief as to whether Jesus was Son of God
- Bultmann - Christ of faith is more important that the Jesus of History. Suggests it is more significant to emphasise the divinity of Jesus rather than historical accounts
- Psalm 8:1 - He is an 'ordinary being'. Not son of God as is not divine.
- HUME - No present day (empirical) evidence to suggest miracles were real. Others suggest these were merely allegories.
- SANDERS - claims that the Son of God is a later development as contemporaries do not focus on Jesus as this - Doesn't view him as a miracle worker and argues that the storm was coincidental
- Schilbeeckx - Claims sory is spiritual and metaphorical; should not be taken literally
- Son of Man - term used throughout the bible suggest that he is not the Son of God
- Hick says without incarnation / a metaphorical understanding of it we set aside the traditional doctrine that Jesus had a divine nature
- Miracles e.g. Mark where Jesus calmed the storm and John where he healed a blind man. Godly abilities suggest that Jesus is dvine
- TEACHER OF WISDOM
- Repentance and forgiveness e.g. Luke 15 Parable of the lost son, father who forgave the son even though he sinner; moral guidance
- Inner purity and moral motivation e.g commandments and Matthew 5 teachings on adultery and divorce. Advocated for moral purity r.g. purity we seek measured by our externalities and inner intentions
- Dawkins - 'Jesus was a great moral teacher'; atheist shows teachings transgress through beliefs
- Wittgenstein - Jesus affirmed authentic living. He embodied spiritual and moral virtuousness.
- Social responsibility -Sabbath was made for man - Argued that people were using the Sabbath laws as a means of avoiding personal responsibility
- Golden rule/10 commandments e.g Love thy neighbour - the basis of Christianity; fundamental.
- Gustavo Guiterrez - Jesus was a revolutionarist not a moral teacher
- CS Lewis - Argues against him being just a teacher of wisdom - If he isnt the Son of God then he was a liar and cannot be a good moral teacher - 'Either this man was and is the Son of God or else a madman'
- Nietzche - the power and authority of Jesus' moral teachings is that they do not rely on abstraction but rather real engagement with affirmation of life'
- Hitchens argued against Jesus being a moral teacher and several of his teachings 'if only non-sinners have the right to punish then how can an imperfect society ever determine how to prosecute others
- Tolstoy - 'significance of Jesus' life lay in his moral commandments'
- Jesus was just a rabbi with special message - sometimes described as a rabbi e.g. Mark 11:21 and spent a lot of his time preaching in synagogues
- Relationship with God
- Hard to claim he knew he was God's son if at the same time he thought he was human 'the father and I are one', 'whoever has seen the father' Jesus expresses unique relationship with God is the only means of slavation - Soem say that it illustrates he wasnt God but was are of God's will and desired to fulfill it
- LIBERATOR
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