Transcript Synoptic Gospels Research & Contemporary Christian Theology

Synoptic Gospels Research
&
Contemporary Christian Theology
What Difference Does It Make?
What does synoptic analysis get us?
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The evangelists as theologians
Traces of Jesus’ disciples
What were their concerns, hopes, dreams?
What did they find of utmost importance
concerning Jesus of Nazareth?
Knowing Jesus of Nazareth
What difference does it make
if we know the “historical Jesus”?
– Basileia message
– Problem parables
– Soteria praxis
Divine Revelation is Historical
Present-Day
Events
Person & Message
of Christ
Faith of the
Community
Historical
Situation
Knowing Jesus as the Christ
“Before the son of God could
descend from heaven and die
on the cross,
Jesus of Nazareth had to rise
from the dead.”
John Shea, Stories of God, 117.
Jesus à la John “the Divine”
• In the very beginning
• Εv ρχ v
was the Logos, and the
 λόγoς, κα 
Logos was in the
λόγoς v πρς
presence of the one
true God, and the
τv θεόv, κα
Logos itself was
θες v 
Divine.
λόγoς.
• This is how it has been
with God from the
• oτoς v v
very beginning.
ρχ πρς τv
(John 1:1–2; SEM)
θεόv.
(John 1:1–2; UBS4)
Jesus à la John “the Divine”
• All that exists came into being
• πάvτα δι' ατo
through [the Logos], and apart
γέvετo, κα
from it not a single thing came
χωρς ατo
into existence. [Indeed] What
γέvετo oδ v.
has come into being
 γέγovεv
• v ατ ζω v, • through the Logos is Life
itself, and this Life was the
κα  ζω v τ
Light of all humanity.
φς τv vθρώπωv:
• κα τ φς v τ • And the Light through the
σκoτί φαίvει, κα  darkness shines forth, and the
darkness did not overcome it.
σκoτία ατ o
κατέλαβεv.
John 1:3–5; SEM
John 1:3–5; UBS4
Jesus à la John “the Divine”
• And the Logos became flesh and camped
among us, and we have seen its glory, the
glory as of a father's beloved son and heir,
full of grace and truth. …
• No one has ever seen God. It is God the
only Son, who is close to the Father's heart,
who has made God known.
John 1:14, 16–18; modified NRSV
Jesus à la Karl Rahner
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Evolutionary leap forward for human race
Pioneer of our faith
Eschatological prophet
Final revelation of fullness of God
Jesus à la Paul Tillich
• And Jesus said unto them, “And who do
you say that I am?”
• They replied, “You are the eschatological
manifestation of the ground of our being,
the ontological foundation of the context of
our very selfhood revealed.”
• And Jesus replied, “What?”