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Christ: The Experience of Jesus as Lord
An exhaustive examination of the New Testament, probing the issues of grace and salvation and evaluating their meanings in the context of contemporary movements for freedom and liberation
Paperback
First published August 28, 1980
75 people want to read
About the author
Edward Schillebeeckx
154 books16 followersEdward Cornelis Florentius Alfonsus Schillebeeckx was a Belgian Roman Catholic theologian born in Antwerp. He taught at the Catholic University in Nijmegen. He then continued writing. In his nineties, he still wanted to finish a major book about the Sacraments.
He was a member of the Dominican Order. His books on theology have been translated into many languages, and his contributions to the Second Vatican Council made him known throughout the world.
He was a member of the Dominican Order. His books on theology have been translated into many languages, and his contributions to the Second Vatican Council made him known throughout the world.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 20, 2013
Wow! This is quite a book. For being over 800 pages I can't say that it is really worth it. It's scholarly breadth is top notch. Schillebeeckx again brings his style and critical drive to the whole of the NT cannon in search for the meaning of the word "Christ".
This book is really two books. Within it is about a 400 page analysis of NT documents. The rest is Schillebeeckx's argument about who Christ is. It is an arduous undertaking to read, but it is also refreshing.
There is not much out there in contemporary theology which represents the neo-orthodox tradotion which was prominent around the turn of the 20th century. Shillebeeckx synthesizes all the various strands of thought and forms a critical and well thought out tradition for our modern times in encountering the Christ. Shillebeeckx's goal is simple: Who do we say Christ is? What do we make of him in our modern world?
To answer this Schillebeeckx examines the NT literature which shows how the writers adapted and re-interpreted the Christ in order to fit their circumstances and environment. But through these various strands there were elements which remained constant.
Then in a Tillichian style Schillebeeckx gives an existential basis for us to relate to Christ through the reconciliation of our alientation, failure, death, guilt, suffering, and meaninglessness. Schillebeeckx follows the pattern of modern theologians of changing the language of faith, but at the same time, I believe, he stays true to the heart of the Gospel.
However, it must be recognized that there are some fundamental doctrines which have to be reconsidered in order to accept Schillebeeckx line of thought. The first is Biblical inerrency. The Word of God is Jesus and the canon of the NT represents an experience the Church fathers had with the risen Lord. This experience can be described as revelation, and in order for us to take this revelation seriously a critical examination of the text becomes necessary. For Schillebeeckx the text of the Bible is authentic, but the authority of the Bible only comes through an interpretation, and thus necessitates an experience. There is no stand alone authority of the Bible. It rests on faith.
The next is Christian Particularism. Now as a Chritian Schillebeeckx remains faithful to the claim that salvation is only found in Jesus, but at the same time Schillebeeckx is moved by grace and the reality of the solidarity of man. Schillebeeckx is not committed to the idea of a definate distinction as to what "marks" a Chritian and non-Christian. Though it is never explicitly stated, Schillebeeckx seems to fall into line with a kind of soft universalism. But at the same time, Schillebeeckx remains committed to evangelism and sharing the Gospel. For Schillebeeckx there is almost no distinction between sharing the informational datum of how Jesus is Lord and at the same time bringing a person to a deeper awareness of brotherly love and community. Both are representatives of the same phenomenon and neither should be neglected for the sake of the other. In this vein, Schillebeeckx looks no further for a definition of what a "Christian" is other then a follower of Christ, and at the same time it was Christ's mission to reconcile the world to him.
In all, I do not think Schillebeeckx offers anything "new" theologically. Salvation still comes through faith, and it is still by grace, and it is still through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are dimensions of the Christian faith which Schillebeeckx challenges, like the ethical demands found in the NT, but he does not abandon. Schillebeeckx identifies with an import of ethical influence in the NT, unique to our experience in Christ, but this does not follow a fundamentalistic or literalistic trend. In all Schillebeeckx sees the Christian faith is a dialogue. There is an inherent tensions which exists and we must involve ourselves in the resolution. Being dogmatic and objectifying excludes us from this process, which Schillebeeckz sees as God's continuing saving activity among men.
This book is really two books. Within it is about a 400 page analysis of NT documents. The rest is Schillebeeckx's argument about who Christ is. It is an arduous undertaking to read, but it is also refreshing.
There is not much out there in contemporary theology which represents the neo-orthodox tradotion which was prominent around the turn of the 20th century. Shillebeeckx synthesizes all the various strands of thought and forms a critical and well thought out tradition for our modern times in encountering the Christ. Shillebeeckx's goal is simple: Who do we say Christ is? What do we make of him in our modern world?
To answer this Schillebeeckx examines the NT literature which shows how the writers adapted and re-interpreted the Christ in order to fit their circumstances and environment. But through these various strands there were elements which remained constant.
Then in a Tillichian style Schillebeeckx gives an existential basis for us to relate to Christ through the reconciliation of our alientation, failure, death, guilt, suffering, and meaninglessness. Schillebeeckx follows the pattern of modern theologians of changing the language of faith, but at the same time, I believe, he stays true to the heart of the Gospel.
However, it must be recognized that there are some fundamental doctrines which have to be reconsidered in order to accept Schillebeeckx line of thought. The first is Biblical inerrency. The Word of God is Jesus and the canon of the NT represents an experience the Church fathers had with the risen Lord. This experience can be described as revelation, and in order for us to take this revelation seriously a critical examination of the text becomes necessary. For Schillebeeckx the text of the Bible is authentic, but the authority of the Bible only comes through an interpretation, and thus necessitates an experience. There is no stand alone authority of the Bible. It rests on faith.
The next is Christian Particularism. Now as a Chritian Schillebeeckx remains faithful to the claim that salvation is only found in Jesus, but at the same time Schillebeeckx is moved by grace and the reality of the solidarity of man. Schillebeeckx is not committed to the idea of a definate distinction as to what "marks" a Chritian and non-Christian. Though it is never explicitly stated, Schillebeeckx seems to fall into line with a kind of soft universalism. But at the same time, Schillebeeckx remains committed to evangelism and sharing the Gospel. For Schillebeeckx there is almost no distinction between sharing the informational datum of how Jesus is Lord and at the same time bringing a person to a deeper awareness of brotherly love and community. Both are representatives of the same phenomenon and neither should be neglected for the sake of the other. In this vein, Schillebeeckx looks no further for a definition of what a "Christian" is other then a follower of Christ, and at the same time it was Christ's mission to reconcile the world to him.
In all, I do not think Schillebeeckx offers anything "new" theologically. Salvation still comes through faith, and it is still by grace, and it is still through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are dimensions of the Christian faith which Schillebeeckx challenges, like the ethical demands found in the NT, but he does not abandon. Schillebeeckx identifies with an import of ethical influence in the NT, unique to our experience in Christ, but this does not follow a fundamentalistic or literalistic trend. In all Schillebeeckx sees the Christian faith is a dialogue. There is an inherent tensions which exists and we must involve ourselves in the resolution. Being dogmatic and objectifying excludes us from this process, which Schillebeeckz sees as God's continuing saving activity among men.
August 27, 2019
How do I describe my feelings and at the same time the impact “Christ, The Experience of Jesus as Lord” has had on my faith and belief in God’s immanent presence in my life and the world? Fr. Schillebeeckx starts with a review of the importance of remembering that the first disciples were sharing a powerful experience of truly knowing and experiencing Jesus, the Christ! They were sharing the experience! The question Schillebeeckx asked was can we recreate that same experience today of who Jesus, the Christ, is in our lives? Failure is not an option!
He points out that the first disciples were writing about “the gift, or God’s grace, is not revealed either from above or from below, but horizontally, in the encounter of human beings with one another within our human history” (49). This grace, this encounter of God shared with others, is explored through one of the most intense books I have ever read! But, oh so worth it.
So much is covered in a book of this magnitude. This journey is a discovery of how grace appears throughout the scriptures and must be experienced in our lives as we discover God’s presence in every aspect of the journey through His grace. The journey left me with a renewed sense of hope in God’s continued presence in our lives; with the ever-evolving development and transformation of our faith as we grow in awareness of Jesus’ presence in our lives. In other words: I am expecting to encounter God! This, I suspect, is the main reason for this classic.
I want to highlight the last major section entitled “Salvation from God, experienced through man and the world”. Fr. Schillebeeckx grapples with the thorny questions of life, political integration, death, liberation and suffering. Specifically, he asks how does God’s grace guide us through these complexities of life so that humanity is better by the gift of faith and God’s life through Jesus.
He ends with a compelling homily that challenges us with the same question that Jesus asks his disciples: “who do you think that I am?”. Without our lives having the experience of Jesus, as the first disciples experienced Him, will we be able to have an answer that matters to our current generation that addresses our contemporary struggles and needs? Fr. Schillebeeckx’s answer: we must have an answer worthy to be called His disciples.
He points out that the first disciples were writing about “the gift, or God’s grace, is not revealed either from above or from below, but horizontally, in the encounter of human beings with one another within our human history” (49). This grace, this encounter of God shared with others, is explored through one of the most intense books I have ever read! But, oh so worth it.
So much is covered in a book of this magnitude. This journey is a discovery of how grace appears throughout the scriptures and must be experienced in our lives as we discover God’s presence in every aspect of the journey through His grace. The journey left me with a renewed sense of hope in God’s continued presence in our lives; with the ever-evolving development and transformation of our faith as we grow in awareness of Jesus’ presence in our lives. In other words: I am expecting to encounter God! This, I suspect, is the main reason for this classic.
I want to highlight the last major section entitled “Salvation from God, experienced through man and the world”. Fr. Schillebeeckx grapples with the thorny questions of life, political integration, death, liberation and suffering. Specifically, he asks how does God’s grace guide us through these complexities of life so that humanity is better by the gift of faith and God’s life through Jesus.
He ends with a compelling homily that challenges us with the same question that Jesus asks his disciples: “who do you think that I am?”. Without our lives having the experience of Jesus, as the first disciples experienced Him, will we be able to have an answer that matters to our current generation that addresses our contemporary struggles and needs? Fr. Schillebeeckx’s answer: we must have an answer worthy to be called His disciples.
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