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Jesus People
| Author: |
David Catchpole |
| Published By: |
Darton. Longman and Todd
(London)
|
| Pages: |
325 |
| Price: |
£14.95 |
| ISBN: |
0 232 52667 2 |
Reviewed by Julian Charley.
Sub-titled ‘The Historical Jesus and the Beginnings of Community’, the
scope of this book by a New Testament specialist is more clearly
defined. Six themes are dealt with, such as the link with John
the Baptist, discipleship, prayer and inclusiveness. The author
makes good use of non-Biblical materials, such as Josephus and the
Talmud. His conclusion is that Jesus was regarded, pre-Easter, as
a last-time prophet calling back the people of God to be the true
Israel. John the Baptist was his mentor and the continuity and
discontinuity with him is carefully worked out. The quest of the
historical Jesus has been vigorously pursued for many years.
Catchpole seeks to strip off the layers in the Synoptic gospels that
are editorial additions or post-Easter reflections. The
hypothetical source Q is accepted as a necessary explanation of the
materials we now have. There is here much food for thought and
many helpful insights. But where do you draw the line and how
much authority is left with the Gospels in the process? Catchpole
argues for a ‘critical scepticism’ and gives neo-conservatism a fierce
drubbing. The result is a study that is full of speculation, an element
of risk leading to an ultimate uncertainty. The abnormal
conception of Jesus is ‘well-nigh incredible’. So too Jesus’
raising of the dead is ‘frankly incredible’. Jesus did not
come in order to die. The apostle Paul only reluctantly uses the
language of atonement: ‘liberation from sacrificial theories of
atonement’ can only be beneficial. And so on. On the way he
rightly exposes the lack of critical awareness in ARCIC’s recent
document on Mary and the unintentional anti-semitism in Sydney Carter’s
hymn, The Lord of the Dance. Certainly challenging, but to regard
this as accessible to the laity is over-optimistic. For pastoral
use, it is more likely to confuse than to enlighten.