Notes for Lecture THREE
Words of advice Handout 2 'quotes - de Mello about 'listening' - Frost and 'the road less traveled' - If you really want to know all about Jesus, you have a choice to make - 'To live is to change, and .. to be alive is to have changed often' (Newman) - For those want to be 'safe' Tacitus has an advice: 'The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise' - A personal note - consequence for my life - and for everybody.
Yeshua - Jesus the Jew - First placing Jesus in historical context - Charlesworth and Vermes remarks - Chronology of Jewish history (Handout 3 in www.gcsmorespace.com) - Looking at some highlights.
Palestine under the Seleucids - Impact of Hellenism - Antiochus IV - Changes he made in Judea/Jerusalem - Two opposite reactions - Impact in Galilee - The 'reaction': the Macchabees - Their 'freedom fight' - In 166 a decisive victory - Re-dedication of the Temple (Hanukkah) - In 142 Israel a free state for 88 yrs - Expectations in Jesus' time because of these happenings.
The Hasmoneans - (Macchabee family) - At first: excellent 'revolutionaries, later disappointed leaders - Three groups in opposition - 'Expansion' under the Hasmoneans: Idumea, Samaria, - Galilee, a special story.
End of the Judean State - Deterioration ended it - Appeal to Rome - Herod appointed king over the Roman province of Israel.
The Herods - Herod the Great (40-4 bce) - Idumean - His Roman connection - Death in 4 bce caused the division of the kingdom : Philip northern section - Antipas got Galilee - Archelaus got Judea.
Impact of the Herods on the Jews - Causing frustration and tensions - Taxation - Reaction in 67 - Revolt, ended in 70 with the destruction by the Romans of the Temple and Jerusalem - In 132 another revolt as a suicidal attempt - crushed and ended Judaism in Israel - Rabbis gather in Jamnia - Start of Rabbinic Judaism
The Romans - Life in Galilee under the Romans - About the Roman empire as ‘oikomene’ - Its positive influence in occupied territories - Romans in Jesus’ time - Jesus and the Romans.
The Jewishness of Jesus - What kind of a Jew was he?
Jewish Beliefs and Expectations -
- - - -
Notes Lecture TWO
Traditional knowledge/belief vs ‘insights’ - An exercise [it was a good exercise!]
When it comes to the person of Jesus, we constantly have to ask ourselves: Can what is written about him be proven as historical? - or: Is it a belief-item? - This presentation wants to be a 'revelation', not from God, but a revelation of new ideas and insights, strong enough to make a positive change in those who participate - Geza Vermes’ picture of Jesus in his "Jesus the Jew" - A reflection of Martin Buber.
How to read the (Bible) Book - Walter Wink's thoughts (see Handout 1 in my website www.gcsmorespace.com
A personal note
Questions - Discussions - Keep them short - there is a lot of good material to be covered.
History of Christianity unknown to many - “Blessed are those who are constantly learning’ - My presentations is not the usual ‘tradition’ - ‘Careful warning’ about tradition - It cannot be simply : ‘preservation’, ‘repetition of the past’ - It should point beyond itself - Must have the capacity to develop, must be open for criticism - Tradition should be ‘alive’ - The objection might be made: 'This is not what my religion teaches me' - Have an open mind that will enable you to catch the details of the 'origins', that you missed before - Let the ‘historical chips’ fall where they may!
Surprises - and un-expected details will come up - Like in archeology, the historical 'digging' delivers unexpected ‘findings’ - To learn, one sometimes have to be willing to ‘un-learn’ - “Timidity is not a virtue in pursuing the truth” - Some more words from the 'wise'.
Roots & Believe - Some observations - Paying closer attention to ‘roots’ and ‘sources’ might offer better ‘insights’ in the way we do believe, and what we believe in. - It will never be the purpose of this course to change anyone’s beliefs. The subject of the course is not 'certain beliefs', or 'the religion of a person', but it is about 'the person of Jesus and his teaching' and how they are a source for ‘ethical Christian’, and yes, ‘all human living’.
A parallel experience . . . - Keep in mind the distinction between 'belonging to a religion and believing in God' & 'Getting to know God' - Newman: 'Faith that is ready to believe what it is told, is faith of no substance'. (ouch!)
Words of advice - de Mello about 'listening' - Frost and 'the road less traveled'.
Yeshua - Jesus, the Jew
- - - -
NOTES Lecture ONE
Exploring Christian Roots - A historical study to re-discover the historical Jesus and his message
Introduction - For whom is this course? - unbelievers, doubters , searchers.
Personal background and data
Course's background - Some personal data - How Jesus and his message became the center of my study-life - The great question: Where is the origin of Christianity to be found? - Where is the origin of Christianity to be found: a. in gospels and Acts? b. in Paul’s writings? c. in early Christian communities? d. in Jesus and his teachings - Obstacles to finding the answer: a. ignorance, b. misconceptions about the person of Jesus, or of the Bible, c. mis-informations - Two images of Jesus: 1) the Christ of the gospels, creed and theology, 2) the historical Jesus, the Jew.
Traditional knowledge/belief vs ‘insights’ - An exercise -
When it comes to the person of Jesus, we constantly have to ask ourselves: Can what is written about him be proven as historical? - or: Is it a belief-item? - This presentation wants to be a 'revelation', not from God, but a revelation of new ideas and insights, strong enough to make a positive change in those participating - How Geza Vermes saw Jesus as pictured in his "Jesus the Jew".
How to read the (Bible) Book - Walter Wink's thoughts (see Handout 1 in my website www.gcsmorespace.com
|
