From: Kevin (kevin@xap.com)
Date: Tue Oct 15 2002 - 22:46:33 BST
Steve:
I know that there are at least a couple of other people out there who
are interested in Christian theology, so I would like to suggest this
topic of discussion. I think a case could be made to view the conflict
of Jesus and the Judaism of his time as one of intellect and society,
and I invite someone else to make such a case or disagree (or refer me
to something to read on the subject).
Kevin:
Interesting topic. I think it might be important to differentiate the
message of Jesus from the movement that became Christianity. If you
stick to the ideas attributed to Jesus in the New Testament, I think
there's a pretty good argument for it being Intellectual in comparison
with Judaism. I'm not sure I could say the same about Christianity 500
years later.
Jesus' message certainly contains elements of transcending suffering and
hardship and the liberation of the mind from Social contraints. Morality
is extended beyond the outward rituals of Faith to the inner workings of
the mind and the motivations of the heart.
OTOH, I'm reminded of the scene in Monty Python's LIFE OF BRIAN where
the members of the radical separatists from the Judean People's Front
are walking away after listening to the Sermon on the Mount and one
says, "Well, Jesus has just blessed everyone with a stake in preserving
the status quo."
Wasn't the Saducees and Pharicees rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as the
legitimate Messiah partly do to the fact that he didn't preach rebellion
and liberation from the contraints of the Roman Empire? They expected a
King to free them, not a philosopher to suggest bearing their suffering
in humility and achieving the Kingdom of God after Death.
The message might ring Intellectual, but it's effect was far from the
open challenge of Static Social Patterns of oppression and slavery. Some
have called it an Opiate.
>From an MOQ standpoint, was it more or less Moral for Jesus to preach
humility and patience in affliction rather than open revolt? Interesting
indeed.
With hope,
Kevin
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Nov 01 2002 - 10:37:58 GMT