Given its eschatological orientation and its marginal position in the Roman Empire, emergent Christianity found embodiment, as an aspect of being in the world, problematic. Those identified and identifying as Christians developed two broad responses to that world as they embraced the idea of being in, yet not of it. The first response, martyrdom, was witness to the strength their faith gave to fragile bodies, particularly those of women, and the ability by suffering to overcome bodily limitation and attain the resurrection life. The second, asceticism, complemented and later continued martyrdom as a means of bodily transcendence and participation in the spiritual world.
Judging from the author index, Goldingay's favorite theologians are the good company of Barth and Brueggemann, Heschel and Hauerwas, Milgrom and Miller. Going through this volume was like sitting in on lectures from a well-informed, wise, and witty lover of the OT. Goldingay's positions might be described as evangelically secular, reflecting the southern California setting where the work was produced, "where the sun shines in the winter and where every band comes to play" (p. 11). He concludes with a suggested Decalogue for the twentyfirst century. Here are some samples: "Praise God at dusk and at dawn. Relax and sleep for the time in between. Grow things to eat . . . . Keep out of department stores and shopping malls (beware the Internet, too). . . . On Thursdays, pray laments for people who are suffering…." (p. 839). I enjoyed the book, learned from it, and recommend it.
as the fulfillment of the image and likeness that God intended in creating humanity and in at least this sense as sharing in the "préexistence" of the mystery of God's eternal plan.Macquarrie justly criticizes the lingering cryptomonophysitism which continues to render classical christological language effete in a secularized, postmodern culture, and his attempt to rearticulate the "something more" that renders Jesus fully but not merely human enjoys good biblical warrant. Whether he captures the full depth of what the classical tradition claimed about Jesus, and whether it is important to do so, are both issues that make his contribution significant. This slender, clearly written volume succeeds in making his reflections broadly available.
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