Book Review: Christ Is the Question

by Wayne A. Meeks (Westminster John Knox, 2006)

Wayne Meeks is a well-known and highly regarded New Testament scholar. It is therefore striking to hear him admit in the Preface of his most recent book, "For many years, students and friends have badgered or implored me to say something about Jesus. Until now I have shied away from this most central of issues for the New Testament scholar and for the Christian, because it seemed too difficult. Jesus, I replied to those entreaties, could be known only the way a black hole is known: by the effects, never directly" (ix). Professor Meeks' remarks resonate deeply with me, as both a Christian and an academic.

In just over 150 pages, the book offers readers a sweeping review of seismic shifts in the way all sorts of readers think about and interpret the Bible, and consequently understand the figure of Jesus. The first chapter, "Answers and Questions," introduces readers to the so-called quest(s) for the historical Jesus, which began in earnest in the nineteenth century. Meeks demonstrates how questions about Jesus' identity were of paramount importance to the religious sensibilities of Christians in Europe and America, and how the failure of scientific history to answer those questions resulted in frustration and disillusionment.

Chapter Two, "Does Anybody Know My Jesus? Between Dogma and Romanticism," delves more deeply into some of the problems inherent in the quests just described. For Meeks, the problem is four-fold. First, in debates over the person of Jesus, literal interpretations are privileged. Then, there is also a tendency to privilege literalism on both the historical and the theological sides of various debates over the person of Jesus. In other words, the default assumption is that if the Bible is thought to be "true" it must, therefore, directly and accurately reflect "reality" (i.e., historical events, natural facts, etc.). Second, a history of theological debates carried on by professional theologians has led Christians to think that beliefs and doctrines are what fundamentally define faith and determine whether or to what extent someone is a disciple. Third, the "individualism" that permeates every aspect of the modern Western world reduces religion to a private affair, leading us often to overlook the social and communal dimensions of Jesus' religious identity and our own. Finally, despite all the emphasis we place on beliefs and doctrines, personal feelings hold greater sway than rationality for most people. In response, Meeks proposes that we consider a "dialectical, social model of the self in our inquiries into the identity of history-forming personages of the past" (58). In other words, we should entertain the idea that Jesus' identity takes shape in the same way our own identities are formed.

In Chapter Three, Meeks investigates how early Christians interpreted and made sense of Jesus in relation to inherited traditions and "culturally fashioned roles." He asks, "What was the process by which the emerging movement of Jesus' followers discovered an identity for him that turned themselves into Christians and him into the Christ, the Son of God, the Lord, the eternal Word?" (75-76). Meeks looks to the Qumran community (those responsible for what we refer to as the Dead Sea Scrolls) for clues as to the nature of this interpretive process.

Many readers are likely to find Chapter Four, "A Story to Think With: From Crucifixion to Metaphor," either the most interesting or the most difficult. Nevertheless, Meeks is at his best when he's reflecting on the apostle Paul. Meeks points out that Paul's writings are difficult for us because, more often than not, we want to force him into the framework of a systematic theology. But for Paul, the cross changes the very logic of reality, and such a change "can be expressed only by indirection, by metaphor" (98). The author goes on to say, "Paul's most profound bequest to subsequent Christian discourse was his transformation of that reported event into a multipurpose metaphor with vast generative and transformative power" (99). As a multifaceted metaphor rich in meaning, the cross cannot be converted into something that will fit on a bumper sticker. Instead, the cross becomes simultaneously the wellspring of endless new narratives and a safeguard for those narratives (100).

Chapter Five, "The Bible Teaches . . . through a Glass Darkly," addresses the claim that the answers to everything we need to know are to be found in the Bible. The author explains some of the problems that surface when we speak of "literal" readings and interpretations. He makes a case for bringing history to bear on our understandings of the text, but at the same time notes the ironic distancing that takes place when the plain sense of Scripture becomes the historical meaning. The manner in which Meeks attempts to navigate these tensions is thought-provoking, although it is unlikely that he will convince all of his readers. Meeks gives consideration to recent efforts to rescue the plain sense of Scripture, but in the end advocates lingering with obscurity.

Meeks' concluding chapter leaves us with another question: "Is Jesus the Last Word?" The question is two-fold: is the issue of Jesus' identity settled, and is the person of Jesus God's final revelation? Meeks answers his own questions in ways that some readers may find disagreeable. But in his defense, it should be remembered that the book is written from a very personal perspective, and one cannot entertain questions of this sort without taking certain risks for the good of open dialogue.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in taking seriously questions of both history and faith, with all the difficulties such questions entail. I recommend it to those who are constantly seeking new ways to make ancient narratives speak to modern contexts. Many will find plenty to disagree with in this book. I took issue with certain things, and I did not find all of Meeks' answers entirely satisfying. However, the author's notion of dialectical identity formation, his criticism of giving undue privilege to belief and individuality, and his lively reading of the meaning of the cross in Paul's letters are ripe for further discussion. For such a short book, Christ Is the Question offers readers a great deal to think about, and to wrestle with, and to question without moving too quickly toward resolution.

Reviewer: Scott S. Elliott

 

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