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Soëlle and Schottroff have woven through this short study a self-critical response to the tragedy of “centuries of Christian anti-Judaism” (p. 8). They make clear that, while Jesus had his differences with the Pharisees on existential matters, they were not “Christ-killers” and, in fact, play no role in the passion narrative. A chapter on the meaning of shared meals depicts Jesus consciously taking the role of a Jewish father at tables he shared with members of his fictive family “which were responsible for each other, which prayed and ate together” and were the beginning of the Christian church (p. 86).
Later comes the explanation of how the Eucharist “emerges from the Jewish theology of martyrdom and shapes the remembrance of Jesus in Christianity” (p. 127). Citing a telling Jewish Hellenistic text from the period, they make the case that this theology of Jewish martyrdom was the historical context for the New Testament doctrine of the atonement. Interpreting Jesus’ death as that of a self-conscious martyr who died to liberate humankind from the power of sin is a long step away from seeing him as the innocent lamb slaughtered to appease a wrathful God.
The design of this book raises questions. Who is the target market for this paperback that looks like a little gift book with its glossy paper and illustrations on nearly every page? (The illustrations lose their impact in their reduced versions. We should note also that occasionally translator John Bowden’s sentences are beyond comprehension.) But the content is anything but gift book material. Soëlle and Schottroff are well enough known that they could easily supplement their retirement incomes by producing monographs that trade on their fame. But there is more to this book than that. This may be their effort to reach a wider audience.
If your small group is ready to take another look at Jesus, this book could serve you well.
Posted March 19, 2003
