Grant Hardy
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199731701
- eISBN:
- 9780199777167
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731701.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature, World Religions
The story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance in the New World is the climax of the Book of Mormon, but in some ways it is disappointing. It doesn’t fit well into the larger narrative and Jesus’ ...
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The story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance in the New World is the climax of the Book of Mormon, but in some ways it is disappointing. It doesn’t fit well into the larger narrative and Jesus’ words consist, in large measure, of lengthy quotations from Isaiah, Micah, and the Sermon on the Mount. When examined from the perspective of the narrator, however, several key themes emerge. In Mormon's account, the issue of prophecy and fulfillment comes to the forefront, in both Samuel the Lamanite's predictions of the birth and death of Christ, and also in Jesus’ own prophecies concerning the destiny of the House of Israel and the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. The general flow of the narrative is punctuated by four significant editorial interruptions, and with the last of these, Mormon himself undergoes a literary transformation from historian to prophet.Less
The story of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance in the New World is the climax of the Book of Mormon, but in some ways it is disappointing. It doesn’t fit well into the larger narrative and Jesus’ words consist, in large measure, of lengthy quotations from Isaiah, Micah, and the Sermon on the Mount. When examined from the perspective of the narrator, however, several key themes emerge. In Mormon's account, the issue of prophecy and fulfillment comes to the forefront, in both Samuel the Lamanite's predictions of the birth and death of Christ, and also in Jesus’ own prophecies concerning the destiny of the House of Israel and the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. The general flow of the narrative is punctuated by four significant editorial interruptions, and with the last of these, Mormon himself undergoes a literary transformation from historian to prophet.
Shelly Matthews
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195393323
- eISBN:
- 9780199866618
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195393323.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter analyzes the dying forgiveness prayer of Stephen and the related prayer of the Lukan Jesus. By reading these prayers aside related bodies of literature including Maccabees and the Sermon ...
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This chapter analyzes the dying forgiveness prayer of Stephen and the related prayer of the Lukan Jesus. By reading these prayers aside related bodies of literature including Maccabees and the Sermon on the Mount/Plain, it argues that these prayers are for Luke a Christian proprium. They are potentially more radical than Gospel teaching on enemy love, as Tertullian would have recognized, since the plea for forgiveness of undeserving persecutors, more so than enemy love, challenged the framework of cosmic justice, as Marcion would have affirmed. The prayer was frequently read intransitively, as idealizing the one who so prays, without having any effect on the prayer’s object, thereby functioning analogously to the Roman discourse of clemency. Those who read the prayer otherwise landed upon this radical challenge, which explains the prayer’s complicated reception history, including the scribal omission of Jesus’ forgiveness prayer (Luke 23.34a) from the Gospel of Luke.Less
This chapter analyzes the dying forgiveness prayer of Stephen and the related prayer of the Lukan Jesus. By reading these prayers aside related bodies of literature including Maccabees and the Sermon on the Mount/Plain, it argues that these prayers are for Luke a Christian proprium. They are potentially more radical than Gospel teaching on enemy love, as Tertullian would have recognized, since the plea for forgiveness of undeserving persecutors, more so than enemy love, challenged the framework of cosmic justice, as Marcion would have affirmed. The prayer was frequently read intransitively, as idealizing the one who so prays, without having any effect on the prayer’s object, thereby functioning analogously to the Roman discourse of clemency. Those who read the prayer otherwise landed upon this radical challenge, which explains the prayer’s complicated reception history, including the scribal omission of Jesus’ forgiveness prayer (Luke 23.34a) from the Gospel of Luke.
David W. Kling
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195130089
- eISBN:
- 9780199835393
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195130081.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter focuses on the emergence of the Anabaptist peace tradition in the sixteenth century and its various expressions extending into the present. It considers the importance of the person of ...
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This chapter focuses on the emergence of the Anabaptist peace tradition in the sixteenth century and its various expressions extending into the present. It considers the importance of the person of Jesus and his teachings (particularly the Sermon on the Mount) as the ethical rationale for their pacifism.Less
This chapter focuses on the emergence of the Anabaptist peace tradition in the sixteenth century and its various expressions extending into the present. It considers the importance of the person of Jesus and his teachings (particularly the Sermon on the Mount) as the ethical rationale for their pacifism.
Ellen T. Charry
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195134865
- eISBN:
- 9780199853472
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195134865.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter begins with a discussion of Matthean Judaism. It then outlines the structure of the Sermon on the Mount followed by an aretegenic reading of the Sermon. The aretegenic force of the ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of Matthean Judaism. It then outlines the structure of the Sermon on the Mount followed by an aretegenic reading of the Sermon. The aretegenic force of the Sermon on the Mount can be characterized as follows. The evangelist invites his hearers to consider themselves among the privileged by becoming his followers, and he prepares them for the suffering they will endure. He reassures them that they and their mission are of paramount importance, that they are capable of accomplishing it, and that through their lives God will be glorified. In this process Jesus offers his followers a sense of importance and dignity that comes from cultivating the sort of inner purity that requires great restraint under stress. Echoing the promises of Psalm 37, Matthew creates a determined esprit de corps among the beleaguered disciples to encourage them to hold to the new piety, which would triumph as the way for Jews and gentiles to live as God's privileged.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of Matthean Judaism. It then outlines the structure of the Sermon on the Mount followed by an aretegenic reading of the Sermon. The aretegenic force of the Sermon on the Mount can be characterized as follows. The evangelist invites his hearers to consider themselves among the privileged by becoming his followers, and he prepares them for the suffering they will endure. He reassures them that they and their mission are of paramount importance, that they are capable of accomplishing it, and that through their lives God will be glorified. In this process Jesus offers his followers a sense of importance and dignity that comes from cultivating the sort of inner purity that requires great restraint under stress. Echoing the promises of Psalm 37, Matthew creates a determined esprit de corps among the beleaguered disciples to encourage them to hold to the new piety, which would triumph as the way for Jews and gentiles to live as God's privileged.
Michael P. DeJonge
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- March 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198797906
- eISBN:
- 9780191839252
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198797906.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Stanley Hauerwas and others have presented Bonhoeffer as if he espoused pacifism as understood in the peace-church traditions. But reading Bonhoeffer through an Anabaptist theological lens, often by ...
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Stanley Hauerwas and others have presented Bonhoeffer as if he espoused pacifism as understood in the peace-church traditions. But reading Bonhoeffer through an Anabaptist theological lens, often by associating him with John Howard Yoder, obscures his thinking about peace. This chapter shows how Bonhoeffer developed his ideas about peace—as well as his interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount—in Lutheran terms and in explicit contrast to Anabaptist thinking. Peace, for Bonhoeffer, is a penultimate ordering of the sinful world that preserves it for redemption. This means, in contrast to Anabaptists, Bonhoeffer does not locate peace at the center of the gospel. Rather, peace keeps the world open for the hearing of the gospel. Because Bonhoeffer’s peace thinking was closely associated with his ecumenical work, the chapter also discusses Lutheran character of his ecumenism.Less
Stanley Hauerwas and others have presented Bonhoeffer as if he espoused pacifism as understood in the peace-church traditions. But reading Bonhoeffer through an Anabaptist theological lens, often by associating him with John Howard Yoder, obscures his thinking about peace. This chapter shows how Bonhoeffer developed his ideas about peace—as well as his interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount—in Lutheran terms and in explicit contrast to Anabaptist thinking. Peace, for Bonhoeffer, is a penultimate ordering of the sinful world that preserves it for redemption. This means, in contrast to Anabaptists, Bonhoeffer does not locate peace at the center of the gospel. Rather, peace keeps the world open for the hearing of the gospel. Because Bonhoeffer’s peace thinking was closely associated with his ecumenical work, the chapter also discusses Lutheran character of his ecumenism.
Morwenna Ludlow
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- August 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198848837
- eISBN:
- 9780191883217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198848837.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines cases where authors use prosōpopoeia to puts words in the mouth of Christ—either revoicing speeches which are found in the gospels, or inventing completely new ones. It first ...
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This chapter examines cases where authors use prosōpopoeia to puts words in the mouth of Christ—either revoicing speeches which are found in the gospels, or inventing completely new ones. It first studies various interpretations of the Sermon of the Mount which read it rhetorically, commenting on the setting, on the effect of Christ’s words (pathos and persuasion), and the way his words reveal his character (ethos and integrity). Next, it examines speeches invented for Christ in hagiographies, where he takes on the character of the president of the games, preparing martyrs for and standing by them in their ‘victory’—that is, their deaths in the arena. Prosōpopoeia can complement our usual sources of Christology: the use of prosōpopoeia as invented speech appropriate to a character one can draw conclusions about how certain authors viewed Christ. It also raises questions about how appropriate it was for an author to imitate Christ.Less
This chapter examines cases where authors use prosōpopoeia to puts words in the mouth of Christ—either revoicing speeches which are found in the gospels, or inventing completely new ones. It first studies various interpretations of the Sermon of the Mount which read it rhetorically, commenting on the setting, on the effect of Christ’s words (pathos and persuasion), and the way his words reveal his character (ethos and integrity). Next, it examines speeches invented for Christ in hagiographies, where he takes on the character of the president of the games, preparing martyrs for and standing by them in their ‘victory’—that is, their deaths in the arena. Prosōpopoeia can complement our usual sources of Christology: the use of prosōpopoeia as invented speech appropriate to a character one can draw conclusions about how certain authors viewed Christ. It also raises questions about how appropriate it was for an author to imitate Christ.
Martin Bauspiess
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198798415
- eISBN:
- 9780191839429
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198798415.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter addresses Baur’s treatment of the Synoptic Gospels by asking how Baur identified the essence of early Christianity through his historical research. The primary source is Baur’s Critical ...
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This chapter addresses Baur’s treatment of the Synoptic Gospels by asking how Baur identified the essence of early Christianity through his historical research. The primary source is Baur’s Critical Investigations of the Canonical Gospels (1847), in which he gathers together earlier work on John, Mark, and Luke, and makes the case for the priority of Matthew. Baur believed that Matthew is based on an earlier source, the so-called Hebrew Gospel, which functions as a “sayings source” for the teaching of Jesus. The essence of early Christianity can be found in parts of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus presents a moral–religious vision emphasizing purity of heart, morality of conscience, and righteousness before God. The chapter shows how this vision is further elaborated in Baur’s Lectures on New Testament Theology (1864) and serves as the basis for all later Christian doctrine.Less
This chapter addresses Baur’s treatment of the Synoptic Gospels by asking how Baur identified the essence of early Christianity through his historical research. The primary source is Baur’s Critical Investigations of the Canonical Gospels (1847), in which he gathers together earlier work on John, Mark, and Luke, and makes the case for the priority of Matthew. Baur believed that Matthew is based on an earlier source, the so-called Hebrew Gospel, which functions as a “sayings source” for the teaching of Jesus. The essence of early Christianity can be found in parts of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus presents a moral–religious vision emphasizing purity of heart, morality of conscience, and righteousness before God. The chapter shows how this vision is further elaborated in Baur’s Lectures on New Testament Theology (1864) and serves as the basis for all later Christian doctrine.
Jean-Yves Lacoste
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780823275557
- eISBN:
- 9780823277230
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823275557.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
In this chapter, Jean-Yves Lacoste offers a theologically rich reading of the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the antitheses (Matt. 5:38-48), in which Jesus issues a series of seemingly impossible ...
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In this chapter, Jean-Yves Lacoste offers a theologically rich reading of the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the antitheses (Matt. 5:38-48), in which Jesus issues a series of seemingly impossible commands culminating in the order to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Lacoste argues that the antitheses are speech-acts that exceed the Mosiac law without abrogating it, effectively calling Jesus’ audience to enact (and creating in them the ability to practice) the exact sort of extra-moral perfection that Jesus demands, in the context of both a world (kosmos) where such acts make little sense and a kingdom (Basileia) where they will no longer be necessary.Less
In this chapter, Jean-Yves Lacoste offers a theologically rich reading of the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the antitheses (Matt. 5:38-48), in which Jesus issues a series of seemingly impossible commands culminating in the order to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Lacoste argues that the antitheses are speech-acts that exceed the Mosiac law without abrogating it, effectively calling Jesus’ audience to enact (and creating in them the ability to practice) the exact sort of extra-moral perfection that Jesus demands, in the context of both a world (kosmos) where such acts make little sense and a kingdom (Basileia) where they will no longer be necessary.
Jack Lee Downey
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780823265435
- eISBN:
- 9780823266906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823265435.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter focuses on Onésime Lacouture's controversial retreat movement that put him at the center of a vicious intra-clerical scuffle and culminated in the loss of his priestly faculties, after ...
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This chapter focuses on Onésime Lacouture's controversial retreat movement that put him at the center of a vicious intra-clerical scuffle and culminated in the loss of his priestly faculties, after which he was shuffled around North American Jesuit provinces until his death in 1951. While Lacouture's formal retreat ministry came to an end, his evangelical influence continued; he persevered for the remainder of his life to gain satisfaction for his brand of maximalist moral theology and vindication for himself on allegations of heterodoxy. This chapter first looks at Lacouture's clerical life and retreats before discussing his preaching of the Sermon on the Mount and its doctrine. It then considers the basic principles of Lacouture's preaching and theology, doctrine of samples, and his belief in saints and demons as part of his cosmology. It also examines Lacouture's exile and his death on November 15, 1951.Less
This chapter focuses on Onésime Lacouture's controversial retreat movement that put him at the center of a vicious intra-clerical scuffle and culminated in the loss of his priestly faculties, after which he was shuffled around North American Jesuit provinces until his death in 1951. While Lacouture's formal retreat ministry came to an end, his evangelical influence continued; he persevered for the remainder of his life to gain satisfaction for his brand of maximalist moral theology and vindication for himself on allegations of heterodoxy. This chapter first looks at Lacouture's clerical life and retreats before discussing his preaching of the Sermon on the Mount and its doctrine. It then considers the basic principles of Lacouture's preaching and theology, doctrine of samples, and his belief in saints and demons as part of his cosmology. It also examines Lacouture's exile and his death on November 15, 1951.
Jonathan Klawans
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- October 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190062507
- eISBN:
- 9780190062538
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190062507.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter traces the trajectory of early Christianity’s eventual embrace of the new, as articulated in the New Testament. Early sections probe the Gospels, illustrating how difficult it is to ...
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This chapter traces the trajectory of early Christianity’s eventual embrace of the new, as articulated in the New Testament. Early sections probe the Gospels, illustrating how difficult it is to trace the word “new” back to the sayings of Jesus himself. Clearer evidence emerges in Paul, though he balances assertions of innovation with appeals to a prior covenant of faith. Other gospel traditions—above all, the Sermon on the Mount—seek to establish the novelty of Jesus’s teaching, a claim that sometimes entails denying earlier precedents for Jesus’s instruction. Going one important step further, the Letter to the Hebrews provides the earliest evidence for supersessionism, when the valorization of innovation is undergirded by a condemnation of the old. But an alternate discourse is also in evidence in texts like the Didache, which speak not of an old/new contrast but a timeless duality between good and evil.Less
This chapter traces the trajectory of early Christianity’s eventual embrace of the new, as articulated in the New Testament. Early sections probe the Gospels, illustrating how difficult it is to trace the word “new” back to the sayings of Jesus himself. Clearer evidence emerges in Paul, though he balances assertions of innovation with appeals to a prior covenant of faith. Other gospel traditions—above all, the Sermon on the Mount—seek to establish the novelty of Jesus’s teaching, a claim that sometimes entails denying earlier precedents for Jesus’s instruction. Going one important step further, the Letter to the Hebrews provides the earliest evidence for supersessionism, when the valorization of innovation is undergirded by a condemnation of the old. But an alternate discourse is also in evidence in texts like the Didache, which speak not of an old/new contrast but a timeless duality between good and evil.
William E. Mann
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- June 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190459208
- eISBN:
- 9780190459222
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190459208.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, General
“Inner-Life Ethics” presents the elements of Augustine’s moral theory, elements that can be found scattered in works written by the year 401. The theory is shaped by Augustine’s understanding of ...
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“Inner-Life Ethics” presents the elements of Augustine’s moral theory, elements that can be found scattered in works written by the year 401. The theory is shaped by Augustine’s understanding of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and Augustine’s soul-body dualism. Augustine’s dualism is distinctive in claiming that because the soul is superior to the body, the body cannot affect the soul, and that the moral appraisal of an agent’s bodily behavior must take account of the state of the agent’s soul. Augustine interprets the Sermon on the Mount as emphasizing the moral importance of an agent’s intentions: if one intends to do something morally impermissible, one is already morally culpable, even if the intention is never acted upon. The theory is then applied to Augustine’s concern over his theft of the pears, his worry about his erotic dreams, and his remarks about lying.Less
“Inner-Life Ethics” presents the elements of Augustine’s moral theory, elements that can be found scattered in works written by the year 401. The theory is shaped by Augustine’s understanding of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and Augustine’s soul-body dualism. Augustine’s dualism is distinctive in claiming that because the soul is superior to the body, the body cannot affect the soul, and that the moral appraisal of an agent’s bodily behavior must take account of the state of the agent’s soul. Augustine interprets the Sermon on the Mount as emphasizing the moral importance of an agent’s intentions: if one intends to do something morally impermissible, one is already morally culpable, even if the intention is never acted upon. The theory is then applied to Augustine’s concern over his theft of the pears, his worry about his erotic dreams, and his remarks about lying.
William E. Mann
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199370764
- eISBN:
- 9780199373635
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199370764.003.0016
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Moral Philosophy
Intentionalism is any moral view that emphasizes the importance of intention to judgments of culpability. This chapter presents two intentionalistic principles. The mens rea principle claims that if ...
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Intentionalism is any moral view that emphasizes the importance of intention to judgments of culpability. This chapter presents two intentionalistic principles. The mens rea principle claims that if an agent is culpable for performing an action, then the agent performed the action intentionally and impermissibly. The mens rea principle is examined with respect to cases of lying, strict criminal liability, and the distinction between intending and foreseeing. The Sermon on the Mount principle maintains that if an agent intends to perform an action when it is impermissible, then the agent’s intending to perform the action makes the agent as guilty as the agent would be were the agent to carry out the intention. The Sermon on the Mount principle is applied to cases of failed attempts and legalistic criteria pertaining to self-defense.Less
Intentionalism is any moral view that emphasizes the importance of intention to judgments of culpability. This chapter presents two intentionalistic principles. The mens rea principle claims that if an agent is culpable for performing an action, then the agent performed the action intentionally and impermissibly. The mens rea principle is examined with respect to cases of lying, strict criminal liability, and the distinction between intending and foreseeing. The Sermon on the Mount principle maintains that if an agent intends to perform an action when it is impermissible, then the agent’s intending to perform the action makes the agent as guilty as the agent would be were the agent to carry out the intention. The Sermon on the Mount principle is applied to cases of failed attempts and legalistic criteria pertaining to self-defense.
George Michael
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033501
- eISBN:
- 9780813038698
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033501.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter explores the early life of Ben Klassen. Bernhardt Klassen, who was named after his father, was born into a Mennonite family on February 7, 1918. In 1925, the Klassen family moved to ...
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This chapter explores the early life of Ben Klassen. Bernhardt Klassen, who was named after his father, was born into a Mennonite family on February 7, 1918. In 1925, the Klassen family moved to Canada. In late 1945, Klassen made his way to California. The next year, he married Henrie Etta McWilliams. In 1951, his only child and daughter, Kim Anita, was born. In 1955, Klassen, along with his family, joined a Presbyterian church in Glenmore Gardens, California. By 1967, Klassen decided that he had finally had enough of this religious garbage. The specter of communism and the civil rights movement rekindled Klassen's interest in politics. By 1971, Klassen decided to take a closer look at the Christian Bible. After a close rereading of the Bible, he concluded that the Sermon on the Mount, as preached by Jesus Christ, was full of “suicidal advice”.Less
This chapter explores the early life of Ben Klassen. Bernhardt Klassen, who was named after his father, was born into a Mennonite family on February 7, 1918. In 1925, the Klassen family moved to Canada. In late 1945, Klassen made his way to California. The next year, he married Henrie Etta McWilliams. In 1951, his only child and daughter, Kim Anita, was born. In 1955, Klassen, along with his family, joined a Presbyterian church in Glenmore Gardens, California. By 1967, Klassen decided that he had finally had enough of this religious garbage. The specter of communism and the civil rights movement rekindled Klassen's interest in politics. By 1971, Klassen decided to take a closer look at the Christian Bible. After a close rereading of the Bible, he concluded that the Sermon on the Mount, as preached by Jesus Christ, was full of “suicidal advice”.
Alicia D. Myers
- Published in print:
- 2022
- Published Online:
- October 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780190926809
- eISBN:
- 9780190926847
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190926809.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter turns to the Gospel of Matthew, beginning with a basic overview of historical contexts before digging more deeply into a specific issue, this time the various manifestations of Jewish ...
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This chapter turns to the Gospel of Matthew, beginning with a basic overview of historical contexts before digging more deeply into a specific issue, this time the various manifestations of Jewish practices in the Second Temple period. Emphasizing the Jewishness of Jesus, this chapter offers an overview of different Second Temple Jewish “schools of thought,” both those appearing in the Gospels and Acts and those we know of from extrabiblical materials. The chapter, then, gives a literary overview of Matthew before examining three main themes: Jesus’s origins and kingship, the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus’s reception by Matthew’s minor characters, including the Gospels’ problematic portrayal of Jewish religious leaders. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of reading Matthew in its context as a Jewish writing that participates in intra-Jewish polemic in order to combat anti-Jewish and anachronistic interpretations.Less
This chapter turns to the Gospel of Matthew, beginning with a basic overview of historical contexts before digging more deeply into a specific issue, this time the various manifestations of Jewish practices in the Second Temple period. Emphasizing the Jewishness of Jesus, this chapter offers an overview of different Second Temple Jewish “schools of thought,” both those appearing in the Gospels and Acts and those we know of from extrabiblical materials. The chapter, then, gives a literary overview of Matthew before examining three main themes: Jesus’s origins and kingship, the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus’s reception by Matthew’s minor characters, including the Gospels’ problematic portrayal of Jewish religious leaders. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of reading Matthew in its context as a Jewish writing that participates in intra-Jewish polemic in order to combat anti-Jewish and anachronistic interpretations.
Jeffrey Siker
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- August 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190465735
- eISBN:
- 9780190465773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190465735.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Theology
Matthew’s Gospel builds on the portrait of Jesus and sin found in Mark, but adds a birth story to make it clear that Jesus will save his people from their sins. Matthew thus invokes the significance ...
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Matthew’s Gospel builds on the portrait of Jesus and sin found in Mark, but adds a birth story to make it clear that Jesus will save his people from their sins. Matthew thus invokes the significance of Jesus’ death already in the birth story. Although Joseph seeks to divorce Mary because she is scandalously pregnant with Jesus before they are married, Matthew goes out of his way to assure the reader that God has worked in similar fashion before with other women heroes of the faith: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) each of whom gave birth in seemingly scandalous circumstances. But like these women, Mary is righteous in the eyes of God and she faithfully bears Jesus regardless of outward appearances. This motif of righteousness continues in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), where we find a Jesus who stresses the moral disposition of one’s heart rather than mere outward observance of the Jewish law. Sin originates from within. Like Mark, Matthew’s Jesus will die a sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins.Less
Matthew’s Gospel builds on the portrait of Jesus and sin found in Mark, but adds a birth story to make it clear that Jesus will save his people from their sins. Matthew thus invokes the significance of Jesus’ death already in the birth story. Although Joseph seeks to divorce Mary because she is scandalously pregnant with Jesus before they are married, Matthew goes out of his way to assure the reader that God has worked in similar fashion before with other women heroes of the faith: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) each of whom gave birth in seemingly scandalous circumstances. But like these women, Mary is righteous in the eyes of God and she faithfully bears Jesus regardless of outward appearances. This motif of righteousness continues in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), where we find a Jesus who stresses the moral disposition of one’s heart rather than mere outward observance of the Jewish law. Sin originates from within. Like Mark, Matthew’s Jesus will die a sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins.