Here is another problem with General Convention: they passed a resolution stating that Christian Scripture expresses and anti-Jewish prejudice. The problem, more precisely, is that ECUSA now claims that the Word of God contains a (bad) anti-Jewish prejudice. Given the fact that Christian Scripture was written by Jews, I guess ECUSA is now repudiating the Christian claims of our Lord being the fulfillment of the (Old Testament) Law and Prophets. I mean, it was the mainstream 1st century Jewish denial of our Lord's claims with regard to his relation to the Old Covenant, and with regard to the Church (his Body) as contiguous with Zion, which were the target of Christian (and Jewish Christian) critique in Scripture. So ECUSA must now be saying that the mainstream 1st century Jews were right, or at least somehow just as right, as the authors of Scripture with their "anti-Jewish prejudice."
This is a problem as I believe it amounts, at best, to corporate anxiety within ECUSA about whether our Lord really is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, David's heir, etc. At worst, it amounts to a corporate DENIAL of these things. And note that some kind of revision of "lectionary use" is one of the avenues suggested for dealing with this "prejudice" in the Bible. I imagine they have in mind a continuance of a shift, manifest in the RSV and NRSV translations, as well as in the Revised Common Lectionary (which will be mandated in ECUSA within a few years), of not reading the Old Testament typologically, and concomittantly not reading the New Testament as a fulfillment of the Old. It is just more impoverished, liberal protsteant (in the worst sense of those words) enthrallment exclusively to the Historical-Critical method of Biblical interpretation.
More here at T1:9. And here is the resolution (passed) from General Convention:
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to collect and develop materials to assist members of the Church to address anti-Jewish
prejudice expressed in and stirred by portions of Christian scriptures and liturgical texts, with suggestions for preaching, congregational education, and lectionary use, and to report to the 76th General Convention.
4 comments:
God's Word is Jesus.
Jesus is a Jew.
Therefore, God's Word is a Jew.
How, then, can God's Word be anti-Semitic?
JM
I'm not sure I would call it guilt. I think they actually believe the bible is riddled with cultural anachronisms, some of them downright sinful, such as this alleged anti-semitism. The word of God, to them, is the message of love and nearly universal inclusion that has to be disentangled from the cultural anachronisms, some of which Jesus himself perpetuatued. Even His words have to be cleansed if we're to find the Gospel in them. All this leads to a Christiantiy that's based on the single concept of love and only thinly related to any historical revelation. In short, Unitarianism or something like it. Only most liberal theologians don't bother to be consistant enough to actually go whole hog and reject traditional Christianity. Orthodoxy becomes a sheep's clothing, ever-fewer parts of which hang limply off the reality underneath.
Hmmm, I think I'd like to re-cast my vote: jump! Jump now. Go! Really. This is bad.
BFC
Just when you think it can't get worse, Jefforts Schori announced that Jesus is not a unique path to salvation. There are no lifeboats on this ship, boys and girls! BFC is right! Jump! Create a new net to catch everybody!
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