I first encountered N T(Tom) Wright about 10 years ago when Dan Williamson, the rector of St. John’s, Roseville, where we worshiped urged me to read an article that Wright had written.\u00a0 The context was an ongoing discussion that Dan and I were having about what really happened at the first Easter.\u00a0 Specifically, was the Resurrection of Jesus a phenomenon of Jesus being raised physically from a tomb or was it matter of his followers coming to a significant understanding of who he is?<\/p>\n
Given my Bultmannian background, I advocate for the latter.\u00a0 Dan is convinced Easter is all about the former.\u00a0 He relies on Wright to make the case.<\/p>\n
I read the article he gave me and responded with the following:<\/p>\n
Dan,<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thanks for the copy of Tom Wright\u2019s Bible Review article on resurrection.\u00a0 It is another example that Wright is moving to a position that the Bible texts support.\u00a0 If that position does indeed express your view of the Resurrection, then you and I are closer than either of us probably thought!\u00a0 However, I suspect that is not the case.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In this article, Wright cites Romans 8:11 as a passage that indicates the early Christian significance of resurrection.\u00a0 This verse is from a pericope in which Paul contrasts flesh (sarxos) and spirit (pneumatos).\u00a0 \u201cTo set the mind on flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.\u201d (Verse 6).\u00a0 Paul then goes on to talk about resurrection of the body (somata).\u00a0 Part of what is interesting about this pericope (and Wright is well aware of this) is that it shows that Paul does not equate body with flesh.\u00a0 Soma meant one\u2019s essence, one\u2019s self.\u00a0 This was so for Paul and generally so in the ancient Hellenistic world.\u00a0 Thus, Resurrection of the soma does NOT mean what many today assume it means, namely a resurrection of the flesh.\u00a0 This, by the way coincides with Paul\u2019s citing of the early testimony in I Corinthians 15: 3-8.\u00a0 In this earliest written witness to the Easter event there is NO mention of an empty tomb!\u00a0 Rather there is the testimony that Jesus was seen by Peter, by the 12, by 500, etc. (the passive voice of vision here is interesting too).<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What I dislike about Wright is that he refuses to come clean.\u00a0 Wright expounds on the resurrection of the body but stops short of noting that \u201cbody\u201d did not mean the same thing in the ancient world as it does for us Westerners.\u00a0 Wright sights the various New Testament texts but does not show the development of the descriptions of Christ\u2019s resurrection.\u00a0 That development moves from mentioning that Christ \u201cwas seen\u201d by disciples (i.e., they had visions of Christ) to stories that have him eating with his disciples on the seashore.\u00a0 However the earliest accounts that we have do not mention an empty tomb or anything physical on the part of Jesus of Nazareth.\u00a0 My sources are:<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0John Alsup, The Post-Resurrection Appearance Stories of the Gospel Tradition<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Willi Marxson, The Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Norman Perrin, The Resurrection according to Matthew, Mark and Luke<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n H.J. Richards, The First Easter, What Really Happened<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Thus Dan, when we proclaim our belief in the resurrection of the body, I am with you.\u00a0 When you start proclaiming a physical resurrection of Jesus, I am not with you because you have left the more profound significance of the Scriptures.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0The Easter event, the Resurrection of Jesus as the Christ, means that God raised and continues to raise Christ\u2019s body (soma) in the life of those who become Christians.\u00a0 That is why, when we celebrate the Easter event with the newly baptized now, it is as new as it has been under similar circumstances for nearly 2000 years.\u00a0 We are not talking about a one-time event that happened to Jesus of Nazareth.\u00a0 We are talking about a repeating event that happens to each one who finds new life in Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Again, thanks for the article.\u00a0 It gives me continual hope that Marcus Borg is beginning to get through to his friend from Oxford.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0Shalom!<\/em><\/p>\n Dan and I agreed to disagree and life went on until Fuller Seminary, Sacramento sent notice that they were hosting Wright this November and he would give two talks. (see part 2)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I first encountered N T(Tom) Wright about 10 years ago when Dan Williamson, the rector of St. John’s, Roseville, where we worshiped urged me to read an article that Wright had written.\u00a0 The context was an ongoing discussion that Dan … Continue reading