The Crucifixion of Jesus: History, Myth, Faith (Facets) - Softcover

Sloyan, Gerard S.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0800628861 ISBN 13: 9780800628864

Publisher: Fortress Press, 1995

Synopsis

Jesus of Nazareth died on a cross at the hands of Roman justice around the year 30 C.E. Thousands of others perished in the same way, and many people before and since have suffered far more gruesome torments. Why then is Jesus, Gerard Sloyan asks, uniquely and universally remembered for his suffering death? How has his death brought solace to many millions?

To answer this question, Gerard Sloyan in this powerful historical tour de force tracks the legacy of the cross across two millennia of Christian reminiscences, piety, art, speculation, and mythicizing. Beginning with New Testament accounts, he shows how Jesus' death came to be seen as sacrificial. He then plots the emergence and development - in theology, liturgy, literature, art - of the conviction that Jesus' death was redemptive, as seen both in soteriological theory from Tertullian to Anselm, in the Reformation and modern eras, and in more popular religious responses to the crucifixion.

Sloyan's impressive scholarship and keen theological insights bring to light both the historical realities of Jesus' death and the many and profound ways in which the cross has been received in the hearts and minds of those who profess Jesus' name.

About this title

About the Author

Gerard S. Sloyan is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Temple University and Visiting Professor of Religion and Religious Education at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He is the author of numerous books, including The Crucifixion of Jesus (Fortress Press, 1995); Why Jesus Died (Fortress Press, 2004); and Preaching from the Lectionary: An Exegetical Commentary with CD-ROM (Fortress Press, 2004).

From the Back Cover

What was crucifixion? Why was Jesus of Nazareth executed and what really happened? Gerard Sloyan begins with history and traces the development of the New Testament accounts of Jesus' death. He shows how Jesus' death came to be seen as sacrificial and how the evolving understandings of Jesus' death affected those who suffered most from it - the Jews. He then traces the emergence and development - in theology, liturgy, literature, art - of the conviction that Jesus' death was redemptive, as seen both in soteriological theory from Tertullian to Anselm, in the Reformation and modern eras, and in more popular religious responses to the crucifixion. Especially fascinating is the story of the emergence of a distinct "Passion piety" that still characterizes the West. In all this Sloyan detects the separation of the cross from Jesus' life and resurrection, allowing the mythicizing of an event too large for mere words to handle: the mystery of the cross.

Edition details

• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0800628861
• ISBN 13: 9780800628864
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 228