April 27, 2010

Jesus' Identity: Son of the Father

'Historical Jesus' Scholars focus so much on Jesus' identity: the social prophet, the cynic philosopher, the Jewish sage, the eschatological prophet, the apocalyptic messiah. But those are all merely vocational.

One's deepest identity is always rooted in one's family origin. If your Historical Jesus is not first and foremost the Son of his Father, I'm not going to think much of your History. What's more, I'll bet most normal christian folks won't care much for it, either. Nor will they, ever.

What we need, therefore, is a Historical Method that gives more weight to Christ's Spiritual origins... which are, after all, purportedly factual... according to the New Testament.

1 comment:

Brian said...

excellent. excellent indeed!

Recent Posts
Recent Posts Widget
"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient observation than to any other reason."

-- Isaac Newton