Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: 1 Corinthians 15

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: John Lupia <jlupia2 AT excite.com>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: 1 Corinthians 15
  • Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 08:25:53 -0700 (PDT)


Eric,

I was very much taken by your posting and could not help but see the
striking parallel between your two questions and two identical ones posed to
John P. Meier during an interview. The following URL will take you to the
entire published interview. Below I have posted the two questions in that
interview and Meier's responses for your convenience.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Dec1997/feature3.asp


Truth of the Resurrection

Q: Can historians address the Resurrection, then?

A: We can verify as historians that Jesus existed and that certain events
reported in the Gospels happened in history, yet historians can never prove
the Resurrection in the same way. Why not?

Perhaps some fundamentalists would claim you can. Apart from
fundamentalists, perhaps even some more conservative Catholic theologians
would claim you could. I myself along with most questers for the historical
Jesus—and I think a fair number of Catholic theologians as well—would say
the Resurrection stands outside of the sort of questing by way of
historical, critical research that is done for the life of the historical
Jesus, because of the nature of the Resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus is certainly supremely real. However, not
everything that is real either exists in time and space or is empirically
verifiable by historical means.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
“The resurrection of Jesus is certainly supremely real....Not everything
real is verifiable by historical means.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Q: What do you think happened to Jesus’ body?

A: The true Jesus who had died rose in the fullness of his humanity into the
full presence of God. That is, I think, the essence of belief in the
Resurrection. What the relationship of that risen body is to the body that
was laid in the tomb is first of all not something that is historically
verifiable. It is not subject to historical research at all.

Indeed, theologians among themselves disagree on that question. The
fundamentalists would almost have a rather crass resuscitation view. Most
traditional Christians have at least read Paul, First Corinthians 15 about
the necessary transformation, as well as the Resurrection appearance
narratives in the Gospels. They think in terms of transformation as well as
continuity.

Thus the risen body of Jesus is indeed in continuity with the body laid to
rest in the tomb. But nevertheless it has undergone radical transformation
as a glorified, risen body. It is no longer of this world of time and space
and not subject to its laws....There is a whole range of speculative
possibilities about the precise relationship of the risen Jesus to the body
laid in the tomb. As a person trying to pursue historical work, that is
something beyond what I can investigate.


Cordially in Christ,
John
<><

John N. Lupia
501 North Avenue B-1
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07208-1731 USA
JLupia2 AT excite.com
<>< ~~~ <>< ~~~ <>< ~~~ ><> ~~~ ><> ~~~ ><>
"during this important time, as the eve of the new millennium approaches . .
. unity among all Christians of the various confessions will increase until
they reach full communion." John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 16





_______________________________________________________
Send a cool gift with your E-Card
http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page