James Dunn on the Cross and the Resurrection
"If the cross of Jesus stands at the centre of Paul's theology, so also does the resurrection of Jesus. Christ crucified is also he whom God raised from the dead. More to the point, the significance of the one cannot be grasped in isolation from that of the other. Without the resurrection, the cross would be a cause for despair. Without the cross, the resurrection would be an escape from reality. " James Dunn, Theology of the Apostle Paul, p. 235
Actually, my background is charismatic so I understand why you wish to emphasize the Spirit aspect of Christianity. Still, I find myself perplexed the way you elevate the experience of the Spirit as the center of Christianity. Simply from a historical vantage point the resurrection permeates every layer of the tradition. Yes, yes, I know that you don't think the empty tomb traditions go back to the earliest believers and that for Paul in 1 Cor 15 the 'appearances' are really what is important and not an empty tomb. Perhaps someday, David, in a future post I will take issue with where we differ but till then keep the comments coming.
Posted by
Chris Petersen |
8:00 PM
Great quote, great scholar! Good to hear Jimmy sound so Moltmannian - means he's not far from the kingdom! LOL! I assume, David, that "reality" is the sense in which Jesus' death is the end of everything - the total failure of his mission, the rejection of the kingdom by his hearers and the final "No!" to God from humanity. If we rush to resurrection without "doing" the cross (as many people do liturgically who miss Holy Week), we get the equivalent of Triumphal Entry leading directly to Triumphal Resurrection. Then we sing songs like David Kendrick's "Possess the Land" stuff and miss the darkness of reality and the glory of resurrection.
Posted by
Anonymous |
6:59 AM