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Jesus: An Experiment in Christology
The existence of the historical Jesus cannot be doubted. But who was Jesus of Nazareth? And who is he for us today? In this controversial work Schillebeeckx offers his ‘experiment’: an informative and sustained hermeneutical reflection on the story of Jesus. It became a bestseller, and would become the first volume of Schillebeeckx’ trilogy on Jesus Christ. He presents a Christology ‘from below’, rooted in the synoptic gospels, but especially in Mark and in the Q tradition. At the same time he is clearly interested in portraying ‘the historical Jesus’ as both Proclaimer and Proclaimed. In this major work Schillebeeckx tries to answer questions such Is the promise of salvation only to be found in Jesus Christ because he was a gift from God, as the Gospels tell us? What can we say about the inspiration of so many who do not attend church or adhere to any believe they find in Jesus Christ? Schillebeeckx takes us into his promising quest that leads to the ultimate question of what religious truth actually is.
Hardcover
First published May 31, 2012
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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 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 24, 2012
Wow! This is a book worthy of the subject matter it entails. You want a book about Jesus and here is a book about Jesus. This book is near 700 pages and it deals with the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth and the theological implications which come from a modern approach to the study of Jesus.
This worst thing to say about this book is Shillebeeckx's style. His writing is very hard to get used to, and he clearly has a nuance that you have to get used to or you will be lost for most of the book. Be prepared to read parenthesis within parenthesis and sentences compounded beyond distinction. There are many places where his writing can seem like irony, but this only goes to show how dry and difficult a style Shillebeeckx can be to read. His writing is so complex and layered that he is unaware in most circumstances how his message can seem frivolous and satirical, but be assured Shillebeeckx is incapable of a sense of humor, at least with his writing. Understanding this will help you immensely in reading this.
The next thing to say about this book is a warning. If you are a conservative Christian and you believe that the Bible is above criticism then you will have a hard time reading this book. Shillebeeckx takes no stock in holding to a authoritarian view of the Bible. And when you are considering a historical question this is the right approach to take, but at the same time Shillebeeckx's theological conclusions might be seen as unorthodox since he does not rest his case on the foundation of Scripture and Tradition. Also, if you see the Evangelical importance of a physical and objective origin of the Christian faith then you will have objections to Shillebeeckx's views on the resurrection and divinity of Christ.
But what is amazing about this book is its bold attempt to discover and report on a solid locution of spiritual truth that can be found in Jesus Christ. Shillebeeckx still holds to the resurrection in the form of exaltation, and to the divinity of Christ in the form of adoption. He still holds to the Trinitarian theology, and he still holds to the radical form of grace that can only be received on the initiative of God Himself. He believes that many of the Gospel stories are symbolic representations resting on ancient Jewish notions of eschatology and prophecy. They are reliable because they are response to the person of Jesus, but they are not literal. However, Shillenbeeckx does speak of a reliable tradition which can be directly connected to Jesus.
Most of Shillebeeckx's theological conclusions about Jesus stem from what he terms as his "Abba" experience. Shillebeeckx sees this as part of the genuine Jesus tradition because it is original and unique. From this Tradition Jesus is rightly called the Son of God, and from this as well his message is rightly seen as prophetic which bestows upon Jesus a synthesis of such lines of Jewish traditions like Son of Man, Messiah, and Teacher.
What I applaud Shillebeeckx for is his commitment to understand what the original belief in Jesus was and how modern forms of criticism can shed light on an ancient faith and even deepen it. This work challenges many traditional forms of Christian spiritual belief, but I find this to be a refreshing approach and one that can deepen our connection to a relational God.
This worst thing to say about this book is Shillebeeckx's style. His writing is very hard to get used to, and he clearly has a nuance that you have to get used to or you will be lost for most of the book. Be prepared to read parenthesis within parenthesis and sentences compounded beyond distinction. There are many places where his writing can seem like irony, but this only goes to show how dry and difficult a style Shillebeeckx can be to read. His writing is so complex and layered that he is unaware in most circumstances how his message can seem frivolous and satirical, but be assured Shillebeeckx is incapable of a sense of humor, at least with his writing. Understanding this will help you immensely in reading this.
The next thing to say about this book is a warning. If you are a conservative Christian and you believe that the Bible is above criticism then you will have a hard time reading this book. Shillebeeckx takes no stock in holding to a authoritarian view of the Bible. And when you are considering a historical question this is the right approach to take, but at the same time Shillebeeckx's theological conclusions might be seen as unorthodox since he does not rest his case on the foundation of Scripture and Tradition. Also, if you see the Evangelical importance of a physical and objective origin of the Christian faith then you will have objections to Shillebeeckx's views on the resurrection and divinity of Christ.
But what is amazing about this book is its bold attempt to discover and report on a solid locution of spiritual truth that can be found in Jesus Christ. Shillebeeckx still holds to the resurrection in the form of exaltation, and to the divinity of Christ in the form of adoption. He still holds to the Trinitarian theology, and he still holds to the radical form of grace that can only be received on the initiative of God Himself. He believes that many of the Gospel stories are symbolic representations resting on ancient Jewish notions of eschatology and prophecy. They are reliable because they are response to the person of Jesus, but they are not literal. However, Shillenbeeckx does speak of a reliable tradition which can be directly connected to Jesus.
Most of Shillebeeckx's theological conclusions about Jesus stem from what he terms as his "Abba" experience. Shillebeeckx sees this as part of the genuine Jesus tradition because it is original and unique. From this Tradition Jesus is rightly called the Son of God, and from this as well his message is rightly seen as prophetic which bestows upon Jesus a synthesis of such lines of Jewish traditions like Son of Man, Messiah, and Teacher.
What I applaud Shillebeeckx for is his commitment to understand what the original belief in Jesus was and how modern forms of criticism can shed light on an ancient faith and even deepen it. This work challenges many traditional forms of Christian spiritual belief, but I find this to be a refreshing approach and one that can deepen our connection to a relational God.
January 16, 2011
I'm in the early middle of reading Christ (the sequel), and, so far, Jesus is still my very favorite. It took me a long time to read as before bed reading, but I never had a problem remembering what I had read -- in other words, it is a gripping book.
Maybe what Schillebeeckx wrote (in 1974) has entered into mainstream thinking, but his logic, his explanations of how he drew his conclusions, and his ability to define the crux of the issues he addresses are enthralling. The thing I liked most is that he is not afraid to ask questions of his faith -- and then do meticulous research and really think things through before leaping to any conclusions. My reading of scripture is a lot richer for having read this book. Have patience with the Prologue and beginning of the book. Like a lot of authors, he's setting things up there, and I had to keep wading through parenthetical phrases to put the subjects and verbs of his ideas back together again so I could understand what he was saying. This habit lightens up quickly, however, once he is done with that part--and, of course, the book is translated from the Dutch.
This was a joy to read. As I said, I am reading the next book in his "trilogy," and last of all (and shortest of all) is Church. Good reading, so far. Schillebeeckx is my current hero. I was sad to read that he died.
Maybe what Schillebeeckx wrote (in 1974) has entered into mainstream thinking, but his logic, his explanations of how he drew his conclusions, and his ability to define the crux of the issues he addresses are enthralling. The thing I liked most is that he is not afraid to ask questions of his faith -- and then do meticulous research and really think things through before leaping to any conclusions. My reading of scripture is a lot richer for having read this book. Have patience with the Prologue and beginning of the book. Like a lot of authors, he's setting things up there, and I had to keep wading through parenthetical phrases to put the subjects and verbs of his ideas back together again so I could understand what he was saying. This habit lightens up quickly, however, once he is done with that part--and, of course, the book is translated from the Dutch.
This was a joy to read. As I said, I am reading the next book in his "trilogy," and last of all (and shortest of all) is Church. Good reading, so far. Schillebeeckx is my current hero. I was sad to read that he died.
July 29, 2015
At last an intelligent discussion
Schillebeeckx, a Catholic priest brings intelligence to the discussion of the study of the person of Jesus Christ. You may not like what he has to say, but it is refreshingly honest. I recommend this book for all who seek the truth about the greatest person in the history of mankind.
Schillebeeckx, a Catholic priest brings intelligence to the discussion of the study of the person of Jesus Christ. You may not like what he has to say, but it is refreshingly honest. I recommend this book for all who seek the truth about the greatest person in the history of mankind.
August 18, 2025
This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Schillebeeckx effectively synthesises the various traditions surrounding Jesus of Nazareth, from the peculiar Q source to the pre Matthean, Marcan, Lucan and Johannine traditions and the later writings of the early church. The underlying narrative, whether analysing the portrayal of Jesus as Messiah, Davidic King or Son of Man, points to Jesus as the eschatological prophet of God, the historically-concrete manifestation of God.
One of Schillebeeckx' points I thought was critical to note was the development of Jesus as an idea. He brings the idea of Jesus back to historical critique, and emphasises the historically concrete character of Jesus and the significance that holds for us today.
There is so much more I could go into but if you want a book about Jesus I would highly recommend this. However it's almost 700 pages of dense theology and the style is often confusing to read, although I began to really appreciate it. There were a lot of highly technical terms I didn't understand so I had to do a fair bit of research, but I would recommend this to anyone wanting to understand Jesus of Nazareth more and what he offers to those who believe in him.
One of Schillebeeckx' points I thought was critical to note was the development of Jesus as an idea. He brings the idea of Jesus back to historical critique, and emphasises the historically concrete character of Jesus and the significance that holds for us today.
There is so much more I could go into but if you want a book about Jesus I would highly recommend this. However it's almost 700 pages of dense theology and the style is often confusing to read, although I began to really appreciate it. There were a lot of highly technical terms I didn't understand so I had to do a fair bit of research, but I would recommend this to anyone wanting to understand Jesus of Nazareth more and what he offers to those who believe in him.
July 13, 2010
So far this book is a good comprehensive understanding of Christological themes as they are seen within their own respective the New and Old Testament background(s). Written by the late Schillebeeckx (died Dec, 2009) a Belgian Catholic Theologian. I think he has some rather provocative things to say for any Christian. Not a book i read page-by-page, but somewhat of a reference guide to specific teachings, what have you!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews