An Intellectual History of
Judaism and Christianity
HILR Fall 2015
SGL: B Ruml
7. The Historical Jesus
What's the main difference between Judaism and Christianity?
Review
What (arguably) motivated the shift among Jews to cosmic dualism and apocalypticism?
- promise of protection from enemies
- promise of the Davidic covenant
- promise of rewards to righteous and punishment to wicked
Review
What are the major elements of apocalypticism?
- cosmic dualism
- historical pessimism
- ultimate vindication
- imminence
Review
Assuming an apocalyptic worldview, what are the manifestations of the evil force?
Review
Assuming an apocalyptic worldview, what is an exorcism?
How is it different from a healing?
Review
What are the metaphysics behind the raising of a dead person?
Is it therefore analogous to an exorcism?
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What are the historical criteria for probability?
- independent attestation
- dissimilarity
- contextual credibility
It's all a matter of probabilities!
What did Jesus mean by “the Kingdom of God”?
- where?
- climatic battle? (see Matt 24)
- judgment?
- resurrection?
How would the “the Kingdom of God” be different?
- God would rule (with Jesus and 12 on thrones)
- evil would be gone
- a reversal of fortunes
- why would life be everlasting?
How should one prepare for the “the Kingdom of God”?
- serve others
- be like children
- place human relationships above cult worship
How did Jesus use the phrase “Son of Man”?
What was Jesus' position on “keeping the law”?
Did Jesus propound “family values”?
To what extent can we say that Jesus thought the kingdom had already arrived?
Jesus' acts as a foretaste: exocisms, healing, raising
Was Jesus a social reformer? (e.g., role of women)
He did encourage followers to implement the ideals of the Kingdom now.
What can an historian say about “miracles”?
What was the ancient understanding of “miracles”?
Who could do these unusual things?
What was the source of their power?
Kloppenborg's five distictive aspects of Q as a gospel:
- addressed to a rural audience
- the kingdom has come and it transforms lives
- Jesus' death not salvific but suffering is required to follow him
- Jesus' vindication: resurrection required by soul/body monism; or disappearance via assumption
- ethics are those of the non-elite: oriented toward daily life
Jesus was a Jew who preached to other Jews about how to be good Jews so as to enter the coming Kingdom.