Diana, this is an excellent piece on 1 Cor 15! I've preached that passage a number of times. I don't think I've ever heard anyone explain the "spirit-body" that way. This is a point where, as Einstein said, imagination is more important than knowledge. Our future bodies will be of "another kind." Yet, we will recognize one another, I think. Wasn't it CS Lewis who said we will be tempted to worship the creature who experiences this change? Thank you!
I love it. This provides great background for understanding Pauline thought in its original context contrary to our own cultural and theological assumptions.
A few years ago, Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary, got into trouble with a number of Christian observers of a traditional sort, including faculty and alumni of Union, when in a conversation with the NY Times's columnist Nicholas Kristof she seemed to dismiss the bodily resurrection of Jesus as a matter of little interest. But her comment was devoid of any sophisticated theological reasoning. Thanks very much for your own, much more interesting reflexion on 1 Corinthians 15. Thanks also for recommending Dale Martin's book. But I must say it seems he engages in the cheerful, triumphalist bashing of Greeks and Romans, which is something I deplore when it is done by non-classicists. We'll see.
Thank you for this post and explanation of the resurrection. I have thought of it as a transformational process event and metaphor in very unexplainable concrete way--it's one of the things about Jesus that is hard to talk about with Nons and other Christians of all types and denominations. I hope you will discuss it more in the upcoming Jesus Deconstructed class. This brief historical and cultural context about "bodies" is good to learn. A class on the resurrection itself would be super helpful for me.
I am so grateful for your blog. I remember my mother, shortly before her death, marveling at what a resurrected body must be. Imagine it! Somehow uniquely me and yet of another world, a new creation. I still marvel and she has been gone for 26 years.
Paul was human. We are human, flesh and blood human. So, all discussion of resurrection is speculation on our part. We are not God. We are mortal and finite. I am not a Christian just because I want to be resurrected, in whatever form that occurs. I am a Christian because Jesus preached the radical concept that in the eyes of God we all are equal and worthy of being loved. It is our task to reach our full humanity, which is exemplified by creating a loving community which cares for the other because I am the "other" to someone else. Being a Christian to be resurrected misses the point of community and fellowship.
A revolutionary body of the cosmic order sounds a lot like Divine cosmic memory. We are created in the image of God. As we focus with intention upon this image, I am convinced that this is what it means to work out our own salvation. In other words, our biggest problem is forgetting who we are, and resurrection is remembering and re-uniting with our true given nature.
One point is sure to me The resurrection is an "event" that as Christians have to wrestle with as we continue our individual and collective journey. Gratefu l for your input to our theological thinking. What a way to wake up this Sunday. It will be interesting to hear the two other Sunday Messages I zoom to on this day. Much Needed ! Blessings
Physics tells us that nothing is ever created or changed. Physics is also changing our view of how the universe was and is being created. Science is catching up with what what the Jewish faith knew exerientilly from the time of Genesis, Jesus, Paul, Hildegard, Julian, Buber and on. Our lives are a process and spirit and body are not dualistic but. Resurrection transforms us into different beings in the universe but still in God the creative energy.
Diana....I never come to terms with the narrow minded, myopic people of the kind who criticized your discussion of the resurrection. There is little substitute for open mindedness in this world. I can confirm how conscientious you are about trying to fairly consider every nuance of the topics on which you write. Keep your head up kid!
Dear Diana, Thank you so much for your musings on Resurrection - very helpful. I was very sorry to learn of your 'twitter-tar & feathering' in the past and I appreciate you daring to put your head above the parapet once more and offer this wonderfully nuanced reflection on Paul's attempt to answer the conflicting and conflicted Corinthians.
Diana, this is an excellent piece on 1 Cor 15! I've preached that passage a number of times. I don't think I've ever heard anyone explain the "spirit-body" that way. This is a point where, as Einstein said, imagination is more important than knowledge. Our future bodies will be of "another kind." Yet, we will recognize one another, I think. Wasn't it CS Lewis who said we will be tempted to worship the creature who experiences this change? Thank you!
I love it. This provides great background for understanding Pauline thought in its original context contrary to our own cultural and theological assumptions.
A few years ago, Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary, got into trouble with a number of Christian observers of a traditional sort, including faculty and alumni of Union, when in a conversation with the NY Times's columnist Nicholas Kristof she seemed to dismiss the bodily resurrection of Jesus as a matter of little interest. But her comment was devoid of any sophisticated theological reasoning. Thanks very much for your own, much more interesting reflexion on 1 Corinthians 15. Thanks also for recommending Dale Martin's book. But I must say it seems he engages in the cheerful, triumphalist bashing of Greeks and Romans, which is something I deplore when it is done by non-classicists. We'll see.
Thank you for this post and explanation of the resurrection. I have thought of it as a transformational process event and metaphor in very unexplainable concrete way--it's one of the things about Jesus that is hard to talk about with Nons and other Christians of all types and denominations. I hope you will discuss it more in the upcoming Jesus Deconstructed class. This brief historical and cultural context about "bodies" is good to learn. A class on the resurrection itself would be super helpful for me.
I am so grateful for your blog. I remember my mother, shortly before her death, marveling at what a resurrected body must be. Imagine it! Somehow uniquely me and yet of another world, a new creation. I still marvel and she has been gone for 26 years.
Paul was human. We are human, flesh and blood human. So, all discussion of resurrection is speculation on our part. We are not God. We are mortal and finite. I am not a Christian just because I want to be resurrected, in whatever form that occurs. I am a Christian because Jesus preached the radical concept that in the eyes of God we all are equal and worthy of being loved. It is our task to reach our full humanity, which is exemplified by creating a loving community which cares for the other because I am the "other" to someone else. Being a Christian to be resurrected misses the point of community and fellowship.
Very helpful.
Well said, Martha Hamilton, and thank you Diana for this tough musing! Pamela Hiensch
prose, poetry > argument (both senses)
A revolutionary body of the cosmic order sounds a lot like Divine cosmic memory. We are created in the image of God. As we focus with intention upon this image, I am convinced that this is what it means to work out our own salvation. In other words, our biggest problem is forgetting who we are, and resurrection is remembering and re-uniting with our true given nature.
Fascinating and extremely helpful!
One point is sure to me The resurrection is an "event" that as Christians have to wrestle with as we continue our individual and collective journey. Gratefu l for your input to our theological thinking. What a way to wake up this Sunday. It will be interesting to hear the two other Sunday Messages I zoom to on this day. Much Needed ! Blessings
Physics tells us that nothing is ever created or changed. Physics is also changing our view of how the universe was and is being created. Science is catching up with what what the Jewish faith knew exerientilly from the time of Genesis, Jesus, Paul, Hildegard, Julian, Buber and on. Our lives are a process and spirit and body are not dualistic but. Resurrection transforms us into different beings in the universe but still in God the creative energy.
In a word ThanYou!! It has been heart refreshing to follow and listen to you all these years.
Diana....I never come to terms with the narrow minded, myopic people of the kind who criticized your discussion of the resurrection. There is little substitute for open mindedness in this world. I can confirm how conscientious you are about trying to fairly consider every nuance of the topics on which you write. Keep your head up kid!
Dear Diana, Thank you so much for your musings on Resurrection - very helpful. I was very sorry to learn of your 'twitter-tar & feathering' in the past and I appreciate you daring to put your head above the parapet once more and offer this wonderfully nuanced reflection on Paul's attempt to answer the conflicting and conflicted Corinthians.