REL 2029 : Rel2029 Exam2 AllNotes
• Who is Jesus? Vs. Who has authority to say who Jesus is?
o http://youtu.be/jtlconnry5s
o Reza Aslan interview re: Zealot
• Q: Discuss the relevant issues in this interview
Test review:
• Orthodox Jews
o Just an umbrella term for all Jews who rejected the reform movements
o No special dress… only a small group of Orthodox Jews have special dress
o Rituals are not more important than ethics… it’s more of a commitment issue.
Once you commit to Orthodox Judaism, it’s not a buffet where you nitpick. It’s all
or nothing.
Video, continued
• The Romans did a good job of documenting
• There is historical evidence of crucifixion
• Jesus was a political revolutionary
o Crucifixion was reserved for crimes against the Roman state
o The “thieves” next to Jesus weren’t actually thieves, they were insurrectionists
• Insurgent
o A person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority
(especially in the hope of improving conditions)
• Jesus is a very important figure in Islam as well
• Using historical information to hypothesize what happened
• Historical Jesus
• Christian Jesus
o Jesus understood as the Christ, the Son, the Savior
• Muslim Jesus
o Major prophet and also messiah
o But not the son of God
Images of Jesus
*Scriptural sources of Christian religious
interpretation of Jesus
*How the images of Jesus have changed
throughout time
Gospels:
• Lenient Rabbi, strict rabbi (treating
him like a rabbi means he’s an expert
on the law… is he lenient on the law,
or pushing the law harder?)
• Demi-god
• Adopted son of God (chosen by God,
raised by God)
• Messiah (some variety of a savior.
Spiritual savior in Christian view)
• Healer
Early Church:
• King on throne (has a crown, has
power because he conquered death,
high status. You don’t see the
“crucifixion” mentioned much.
Crucifixion was still happening in
early Christianity. They didn’t want to
associate crucifixion with the king.
The symbol of the Cross is changing.
Don’t want to associate Jesus with a
criminal punishment
• Conquered death
Paul:
Medieval Images:
• Last Adam (symmetry with Adam)
• Cosmic Christ (beginning and end)
• Priest (a special kind of access to God,
and delivering that to people)
• Suffering, dying, cross, pieta (pain,
suffering, this sacrifice that he did for
us, this empathy)
Gospel of John:
• God (much more of a sense that Jesus
is God)
• Word (this is the power of God at
work)
• Logos (Jesus is God’s principle of
creation)
Renaissance:
• More human Jesus (a real celebration
of the perfect human body
Reformation:
• Moral perfection and human beauty
19th – 20th century
• “Human, only better”
• Jesus as friend (he is more relatable.
“Hotty Jesus” in the Bible series on
history channel)
• Political rebel
• Marxist
• Emmanuel (means “God with us”)
• In Jewish thought – following the law was how you stayed connected with God. It
brought you closer to God.
• The Law for Jews is what Jesus is to Christians
o → A concrete means to connect with God
Jesus of the Gospels
• Gospel (means “good news”)
o Purpose: to communicate this good news as much as possible
• Birth
• Baptism (Messiah, public announcement, identification with sinful humanity)
• Ministry
o Teachings
▪ Kingdom is at hand (this urgency! A “new way” that is coming right now)
▪ Love God and neighbor, and enemies
• Don’t just be fair, be selfless
▪ High ethical standards***
• He’s asking this of people to make them realize that they need
God, that they can’t do it on their own
• We become aware of our sinfulness, and then we turn to God for
help
▪ *Original Sin
• Only a Christian doctrine
• If we didn’t need God’s grace, if we were able to live up to those
ethical standards, Jesus wouldn’t be necessary
▪ Life of spirit > physical comfort, wealth
▪ God’s forgiveness, love for those aware of sinfulness
• God forgives those who are aware of their sinfulness
o Practices
▪ Fellowship with socially rejected, impure, women
• The Kingdom of God is this thing that will reverse the status quo
• Jesus demonstrates what this reversal would look like
• This is revolutionary. He’s rebelling against our expectations and
social rules
• Cultures around the world have been obsessed with keeping people
separate: gender, race, cast, financial standing, family
• So, in doing this, Jesus criticizes these social norms
▪ Addressed God as Father, Abba
• Jesus is teaching others how to relate to God
• In an intimate way, in a family way
• Jesus is showing people this new kingdom, and the way we relate
to it is in this affectionate, intimate way
▪ Miracles, healing
• By definition, a miracle is something impossible by natural laws
• So, Jesus being able to do this… it points to something else: God,
Jesus, everything else he is teaching
▪ The phrase “Son of God” didn’t mean biological son of god
• It meant: Chosen one; having majesty; prophet status
• Death (humility, suffering, self-sacrifice)
o This willingness to “suffer with”
o All these people, all these humans, are worthy of sacrifice
o These humans are worthy enough for me to take their body
o No one is so unlovable that God doesn’t love them
• Resurrection *** real emergence of Christianity, end of Jesus messianic cult
o Ultimate Miracle, transition to spiritual religion, promise of sharing in
resurrection
o If there was no resurrection, the movement would be over, and his promises
would be unfulfilled
o The gospels are written several decades after Jesus’ life
o The gospels are telling the story through the lens of the resurrection
o With this resurrection perspective, they look back on his life in this new,
meaningful way
• Q: Purpose of Gospels
o The spread the “good news” (evangelism means “spreading the message”)
o Also to convince you that this news is good for you
o There is a possibility of salvation
o Recording history vs. evangelism
o Without this good news, you are going to die
Document Summary
Vs. who has authority to say who jesus is: http://youtu. be/jtlconnry5s, reza aslan interview re: zealot, q: discuss the relevant issues in this interview. Once you commit to orthodox judaism, it"s not a buffet where you nitpick. *scriptural sources of christian religious interpretation of jesus. *how the images of jesus have changed throughout time. Early church: king on throne (has a crown, has power because he conquered death, high status. They didn"t want to associate crucifixion with the king. Don"t want to associate jesus with a criminal punishment: conquered death. Medieval images: last adam (symmetry with adam, cosmic christ (beginning and end, priest (a special kind of access to god, and delivering that to people) Renaissance: more human jesus (a real celebration of the perfect human body. 19th 20th century: moral perfection and human beauty, human, only better , jesus as friend (he is more relatable.
