The Resurrection of Jesus: New Considerations for Its Theological Interpretation

Rating:
Summary: Well done
Review: Osborne brings to the discussion the various resurrection narratives in the New Testament (Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Matthew, Luke, Acts, John I, John II, and Pauline). After establishing the actual contents of the various narratives, one more clearly sees the theology to which Osborne points. He stresses the primary focus of the resurrection is the religious experience, and its historiocity of lesser importance in both the New Testament and personal experience. The resurrection of Jesus, he argues, is part of the mystical element of Christianity---the mystery that forms its core. In the final chapter he discusses the importance of this theology in a compartive context; he calls for the need of a unified christology. He argues that theologians have given overwhelming attention to the death of Jesus, and thereby relegated Jesus' teachings and resurrection to nearly minor roles. By unbalancing the underlying unified christology, Osborne claims theologians have gotten off-track. One such example: Jesus never says he is going to have himself killed so that humankind's sins will be covered-over, rather Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God, and an underlying theology of the kingdom of God is found in the general areas of his life: the preexistance/infancy narratives, his life and ministry, his arrest-trial-death, and his resurrection. He then establishes what that message of the kingdom of God is: (1) The kingdom of God is at hand, it is a not-yet, but also a now event; (2) the kingdom of evil is ending; (3) the quenched Spirit has returned; and (4) the poor have the good news preached to them. This is ultimately what christology should be based upon, for there is both unity in it and it is the very gospel message itself.