Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture

Rating:
Summary: God's LOGOS: History's True MAN for ALL SEASONS...
Review: A.D.,ANNO DOMINI:(The Great)"Year of Our Lord"(explained by renowned mythologist Mercea Eliade)continues despite assault from Post-Modernist deconstructionists [sometimes "reterming" Calendars structured BC...BEFORE CHRIST...to BCE,"Before the Common Era"]. Theologian/Historian Jaroslav Pelikan's JESUS THROUGH THE CENTURIES, His Place in the History of Culture is "intellectual" history both magnificent and magnificently accessible. In 18 chapters,Pelikan provides 18 mutually illuminating and complementary IMAGES(truly Logoi)of Christ.

Professor Pelikan...whose book THE CHRISTIAN TRADITON is regarded preeminent...begins with portrait of Jesus as Jewish contmporaries perceived him:Rabbi,a master teacher of Israel.(The Gospel according to Matthew, formerly tax colector Levi, is relevant here). A quantum-leap is then made describing Jesus as "turning point of history"(pp 21-34). First as God's intervention/INCARNATION commencing consummation (in Parousia)of humanity's Salvation.Secondly, as COSMIC CHRIST(pp 57-71)THE LOGOS:celebrated by St.John [En arche en ho LOGOS]in theological(contra synoptic)Gospel as revealed Second Hypostasis of The Eternal Godhead; and Source of BEING & Sustainer/Guarantor of TRUTH.

[The latter as Absolute Principle of Intelligibility, is noted by Pelikan referring to its acknowledgement by philosopher Alfred North Whitehead in "SCIENCE and the MODERN WORLD lectures". I further refer renowned paleontologist and mystic, Teilard de Chardin whose PHENOMENON of MAN defines humanity as informed and driven(evolutionary entelichy)by Jesus as CHRIST,OMEGA...ultimate Telos...of Universal existence and Existents.Other chapters concern Jesus(late 20th century)portrait as LIBERATOR(chapt: 17)in revolutionary philosophies of South American theologians like Segundo and Ernesto Cardinal. The Catholic Church's "preferential option for the poor" proclaimed by Pope John Paul II as well as "radicals" from Leo Tolstoy, Gandhi and Martin Luther King affirming economic and social Justice essential Gospel(cf: THE BEATITUDES from Jesus SERMON ON THE MOUNT)is noted as Christological characterization of great modern relevance.]

In my estimate, key Image,if not The KEY relevant to our Post-Modern...essentially non-Christian if not overtly anti-Christian...epoch is chapter 8(pp 95-108):CHRIST CRUCIFIED. The CROSS is absolute, preeminent image and signum of Jesus and His mission. Christians believe He was born to die for REDEMPTION of men's souls: to save them from Eternal Death in Hell. He is GOOD SHEPHERD...who lays down his Life for his sheep; and greater Love for friends, No MAN has. The Passion of Jesus is his essence as Man.His subsequent RESURRECTION...Victory over Death...is essence as revealed SON of GOD and signum of Divine LORDSHIP(Kerygma). Jaroslav Pelikan's book is beautifully written and generously appointed(comprising numerous llustrations; logoi/runes; citations and bibliography).It is vastly erudite yet astonishingly readable. Blurb on the cover of my 1999 edition proclaims, "One of the most highly regarded works of intellectual history of the past decade." I observe this to note it is not intention...overtly...of the Professor to proselytize but to inform. To inform any honest reader about THE GREATEST MAN WHOEVER LIVED;"the Man who Belongs to the World"(chapter 18; pp. 230-233); history's True Man for All Seasons. In this Time of Tribulation many of us Christians wonder if Jaroslav's missing chapter (JUDGE of HISTORY in The Parousia)is not imminent. The Lord Himself stated: "No one knows the hour." JESUS is lastly presented as what mankind again desperately needs,Incarnate Love: Friend Who is SAVIOR and...in hymnic words of St. Augustine(p.233)..."Beauty ever ancient,ever new."(10 stars)

Rating:
Summary: Inisghtful, But a Hard Read
Review: Pelikan's book looks at how Jesus has been viewed over the last 2,000 years, beginning with Jesus the Rabbi during his lifetime in Galilee and Judea. The author chooses to devote each chapter to an aspect of Jesus' place within the culture of a specific period, so the discussion can be somewhat restrictive - for example, the overview of "just war" theory within Christianity is conducted only in the context of the medieval and Reformation eras and ignores the many later theological developments. It is, however, a rich and enjoyable work, tracing the evolution of how Jesus has been seen from Jewish rabbi to deity to liberator.

Rating:
Summary: The images correspond to church history
Review: The eighteen chapters of this book roughly correspond to the 20 centuries of the history of the catholic church. One can use Pelikan's images to reflect on the meanings of Christ to the peoples of history and reflect on their meaning in present times. The images Pelikan give are all applicable today and can be helpful in understanding our relationships to God now. For example: how we as Christians can conduct a "just" war when we have an image of Jesus as "The Prince of Peace." Or, how we can better understand the middle East peace process with our image of Jesus as our rabbi. Or, how we can approach our busy, packed lives using the image of Christ as the perfect monk. This is a useful book to persons with varied educational backgrounds in theology or with just a desire to be able to relate the historical Jesus to their every day lives.

Rating:
Summary: Inisghtful, But a Hard Read
Review: This book was interesting and informational, but the prose is dry and academic. I'm a regular non-fiction reader, including the fruits of academia. I couldn't get into this. I've been able to read only half.

Rating:
Summary: Very good survey, but not great or inspirational
Review: This is a very useful, well researched, largely descriptive survey of how Western culture has viewed Jesus Christ. It's not a work of theology, it's not an inspirational work--it is what it is, interesting with its limitations. There's much that Pelikan faithfully records that's nonsense, such as Thomas Jefferson's breathtakingly vain and obtuse pronouncements about what Jesus really said. There are also some staggering transitions, such as the discussion on Emerson that suddenly veers into Dostoyevsky's The Grand Inquisitor from The Brothers Karamazov (the greatest novel ever). It's worth a read, particularly in paperback, but understand that it won't bring you much closer at all to an answer to Jesus's own question, Who do men say that I am?

Rating:
Summary: The Historical Jesus and the Church
Review: This is an unbelievable book. Pelikan does a wonderful job of looking at Christ's changing face throughout the last 2000 years. This book displays Christianity as it has been embedded in culture- dealing with issues such as christianity and scholasticism, the crusades, etc. Pelikan proves himself truly a great intellectual.