Lord Longford's Christ
From Rev J. Morris " - Sir: It is an interesting observation of Your new theology critic Alan Brien that "Jesus is continually recast in the image , of his commentator." What would you saY is the resulting image of Alana . Brien's comments in his review of Lord Longford's book? Jesus the Pharisee?. Well, it's daringly different.
Some of the theories put forward by WhBrien's select list of authorities are fascinating, but theories they remain; Whether they are really supported by the available evidence (principally, of coursb, the New Testament tradition) can be questioned and has been. It has been a commonplace of New Testament study for most of this century that in their treatment of Jesus the New Testament books are catechetical rather than prosaically biographicalm If you ask how you get behind the
• evy Testament tradition to the man himself you have to take into account ,T, we character of the tradition as in some Way stemming from him.
Because he was the man he was, because he said the things he said and did the things he did, the whole story Was pointed in a particular direction and eadewed with certain specific potentials. The books of the New Testament are like the pieces of a puzzle; when we they Put them all together, however, F eY do not fill the whole space Provided; at the centre a piece is missing which locks in to every single one of the Other Pieces ranged around the outside, 'arlui because it will lock into them in Only one particular way, determines their Position. The missing piece is Jesus !is, he was in his historical reality. But have we do not have the piece, we do i',a_ve the gap which it has left; and the 'LlaPe of that gap gives us our exciting certainty that we can know him, in all
essential points and qualities, for the ness of God by John Austin Baker, published in 1970. Although not cited by Alan Brien, and not written by a man he really was." The quotation is from The Foolishnon-believer, it will repay the attention of your readers who would like to see more clearly the Jesus with whom Christianity began, -,
The Vicarage, Cardaha Road, h n Morris
or r
John
SW"
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