Chairs: Revd Dr David Bryan and Dr James Crossley
We will be devoting our first two seminars to an in-depth discussion of N. T. Wright's recent The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God 3; London: SPCK, 2003). This important and thorough investigation of one of the central subjects of the New Testament deserves careful attention. But the fact that Bishop Tom can attend both seminars, offering summaries of his main arguments and engaging with discussion partners, was too good an opportunity to miss.
Session 1:
'Setting the Scene for the Resurrection of the Son of God'
This seminar will concentrate on Wright's analysis of the background beliefs and expectations among Greeks and Romans, the Old Testament and wider Jewish Literature.
Respondents: Dr David Reimer and Revd Dr David Bryan
Session 2:
'Resurrection in Paul, Early Christianity and the Gospels'
This seminar will concentrate on Wright's analysis of the NT material including the historicity of the gospel resurrection traditions.
Respondents: Prof Larry Hurtado and Dr James Crossley
Written Response: Prof. Michael Goulder
Session 3:
'Much Ado about Nothing? Jesus' Sabbath Healings and Ancient Jewish Sabbath Law(s)'
This paper questions the validity of the view developed by D. Flusser, G. Vermes, H. Maccoby, E. P. Sanders and others that Jesus, while healing by mere word, did not break ancient Jewish Sabbath law at all. First, it is shown that the halakhic ruling Flusser and others refer to, 'whispering over the wound', can hardly be applied to the sort of Sabbath therapies Jesus carried out according to the gospels. It is further argued that there is no special emphasis on the 'verbality' of Jesus' Sabbath healings in the gospel accounts. Moreover, a survey of ancient Jewish positions on healing and related issues suggests that explicit Sabbatical therapies were considered forbidden by many of Jesus' contemporaries, Pharisees included, no matter what means were employed, although Sabbath law in first century Judaism was far from being uniform. It is suggested to view Jesus' Sabbath cures in the context of his eschatological ministry, in which suffering of human beings was perceived as incommensurable with the purpose of the Sabbath (cf. Mk 2:27-8) and their healing came to be seen as an extended form of life saving (cf. Mk 3:4), which would justify an infringement of Sabbath prohibitions.