The Subjunctive Power of God
In what sense does the basileia tou theou rule or have power? In Christianity, Jesus is the icon of the invisible God. In Jesus, whose life is marked by compassion and forgiveness, we have an intuition of the divine order, but one in which, unlike the deities of Greece and Rome, he does not crush hi...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
SCM Press
[2020]
|
| In: |
Concilium
Year: 2020, Issue: 3, Pages: 12-21 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Corinthians 1. 1-2
/ Kingdom of God
/ Attributes of God
/ Power
|
| IxTheo Classification: | HC New Testament NBC Doctrine of God NCD Political ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Power (Christian theology)
B Compassion B FORGIVENESS; Religious aspects B BIBLICAL teaching on the Kingdom of God B Religious Aspects B Christianity B DIVINITY of Jesus Christ B God |
| Summary: | In what sense does the basileia tou theou rule or have power? In Christianity, Jesus is the icon of the invisible God. In Jesus, whose life is marked by compassion and forgiveness, we have an intuition of the divine order, but one in which, unlike the deities of Greece and Rome, he does not crush his enemies but is defeated by them. In 1 Cor 1, Paul captures this: the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Stronger in what sense? Paul's answer in 1 Cor 2 is divine violence, apocalyptic power. I argue that 1 Cor 2 compromises 1 Cor 1. The true power of God lies in the unconditional call for a kingdom without force, even celestial force, where the kingdom means what the world would look like if God ruled. The true power of God is subjunctive, and it is up to us to make that kingdom come true. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0010-5236 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Concilium
|