open source theology
collaborative theology for the emerging church
Do we need re-evaluate the Resurrection now?
Submitted by Ivan Latham on 19 December, 2005 - 05:36.
Since OST and the E/C seem committed to re-evaluating/reinterpreting traditionally accepted belief (i.e. the substitutionary atonement, Virgin Birth etc.) I’m interested to learn just where contributors stand with respect to the Reurrection of Christ? St Paul rebuked disbelief in, or Gnostic-style ‘airy-fairy’ interpretation of this hell-shattering event by reminding hs readers that if this had not been a literal happening then the Christian faith is meaningless. Good Friday has only ever been seen to make sense because of Easter Sunday, but what does the Detergent Church think (well, it’s happy to scrub most belief away!).
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Re: Do we need re-evaluate the Resurrection now?
Personally, Ivan, I think we could do without the sarcasm. Your question has a distinct air of bear-baiting to it, but since you ask - and since it’s still a valid question - I would suggest that the emerging church needs to be quite clear in its fuzzy collective mind that the resurrection of Jesus was a real event. I’m sure there will be some who would prefer the Borgian approach of metaphorizing the resurrection - we have had that discussion recently. But I think this would be a serious mistake.
The writers of the New Testament certainly considered the resurrection of Jesus real enough and literal enough to risk their own lives and to call others to do the same in the belief that they too would be vindicated for taking the dangerous path of faithfulness to the God of Israel. To my mind that conviction is so central to the New Testament narrative and so crucial for the continuing existence and hope of the people of God that to let it evaporate into metaphor would fundamentally change our relationship to the community that was defined by the new covenant in Jesus’ blood.
Having said that, I think there are some interesting questions to be asked about the narrative significance of Jesus’ resurrection. On the one hand, what exactly was going on when the disciples encountered the risen Lord? And on the other, what does ‘resurrection’ signify exactly within the context of the eschatological-historical narrative? I do not think that traditional, popular formulations adequately convey the particular significance that this ‘event’ had for the early believers, either as a vindication of suffering Israel or as an anticipation of the renewal of creation.
Re: Do we need re-evaluate the Resurrection now?
Yes, ok, the Detergent Church gag was intentionally sarcastic — but without altering this thread, sarcasm was pretty evident in NT arguments. St Paul’s telling pro-Jewish believers to go castrate themselves and be done with it if they were so obsessed with circumcision. And who can forget the ‘motes and beams’ quip by the Lord (and before anyone reminds me, I DO realise that this particular parable applies to yours truly too!)
Re: Do we need re-evaluate the Resurrection now?
I agree that it’s crucial to understand the resurrection as a real event. I have been taught a ton-o-arguments for the resurrection, but recently heard one more.
I was listening to a lecture by N. T. Wright (http://www.ntwrightpage.com/) where he mentioned that there were a dozen failed (read: killed) Messiahs on either chronological side of Jesus. Aside from resurrection, what could explain Jesus’ wildfire propagation?
Re: Do we need re-evaluate the Resurrection now?
The lasting resurrection story is evidence of Jesus’ importance to his followers. I don’t think you can so easily flip that around and say that his lasting legacy is evidence of his resurrection.
Do you believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven? Does his lasting legacy and millions of followers prove his divine nature or his ascention? I think the Buddist tradition has survived well and still has one or two followers.
The reason that other "messiahs" failed is because they most likely had a message of purely political nature for liberation of the Jews from Rome. While part of Jesus message was political in nature and geared toward Jewish liberation, his message was unique in that it was not narrowly targeted to Jews and had more than just a political component. If his message had been one of exclusion it would obviously not have spread throughout the world since it would not have applied to the whole world. It was this unique idea of inclusion that allowed his message to be spread so well as opposed to the message of Jewish power typical in "messiah figures" of his day.
There is an intresting paradox of the forces leading to the execution of Jesus. The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because they didn’t see him as the revolutionary figure they expected in the messiah. However, the Romans wanted to kill Jesus because they did see him as a dangerous revolutionary figure. Had Jesus molded his vision to fit the expectations of either of these forces he could have found saftey on one side of the battle. That was clearly not his intention.
I think you may have misunderstood the EC
Ivan,
I have been reading stuff written by the EC for well over a year now. It strikes me that the EC does not scrub most belief but seeks to understand and clarify it. The emphasis on the life of Jesus and the response of the individual that I have picked up from within the EC I have found both helpful and liberating.
Andrew Jones posted recently about the misunderstandings regarding the EC, perhaps you would find his article helpful: http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2005/12/emerging_church_2.html
Re: Do we need re-evaluate the Resurrection now?
Do we need to re-evaluate the resurrection? Sure, but not in the way you may be thinking…
My journey of rethinking and reevaluating theology, far from leading me to reject things like the resurrection, has actually led me to consider more deeply the import of certain Scriptural events/emphases and put them into what I feel are more proper contexts.
One of the things that seems to have been lost in the evangelical over-emphasis of heaven, the after-life and “pray this prayer so that when you die” theology is the fact that a dis-embodied existence in heaven is not our ultimate destination… but a resurrected body in a renewed creation is what God ultimately have in mind for those in relationship with Him.
The resurrection of Christ, bodily, physically, literally is of utmost importance in Christian thought- the Bible pictures this as a promise, a guarantee… first fruits of the resurrection of us all- some to life, some to something not quite as nice…
bob hyatt lead pastor: the evergreen community www.evergreenlife.org