Editorial

11 pages, 1595 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Post-Supersessionism: Introduction, Terminology, Theology

by Ralph J. Korner

Religions 2022, 13(12), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13121195 - 07 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2221

This Special Issue of Religions is dedicated to exploring post-supersessionist readings of New Testament writings [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

Research

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22 pages, 364 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Universal Light, or the Only Way to the Father? Universalism and Exclusivism in John’s Provocative Christology

by Paul N. Anderson

Religions 2024, 15(2), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020204 - 08 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1425

Abstract

Among the most perplexing of John’s theological riddles is question of salvific universalism and particularity. John is both the greatest biblical source of Christian universalism and the greatest source of Christian exclusivity. After all, the Johannine Overture affirms universal access to the saving–revealing [...] Read more.

Among the most perplexing of John’s theological riddles is question of salvific universalism and particularity. John is both the greatest biblical source of Christian universalism and the greatest source of Christian exclusivity. After all, the Johannine Overture affirms universal access to the saving–revealing Light of Christ, declaring: “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world!” (Jn 1:9). What else could this mean, other than to affirm that every person has saving access to the divine Light of Christ? And yet, Jesus also declares in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me!” What could this mean, other than to assert that there is only one means of access to God, and that it involves saving belief in Jesus as the Christ? Sorting out the apparent contradictions within these tensions is the goal of the present essay. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

15 pages, 866 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Post-Supersessionist Reading of the Temple and Torah in Mark’s Gospel: The Parable of the Vineyard

by Vered Hillel

Religions 2023, 14(4), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040487 - 04 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1292

Abstract

Most interpretations of the Temple and Torah in the Gospel of Mark have held a negative view toward the Jewish institutions, declaring that the old has been replaced by the new, meaning Jesus is the new Temple and the Church has replaced the [...] Read more.

Most interpretations of the Temple and Torah in the Gospel of Mark have held a negative view toward the Jewish institutions, declaring that the old has been replaced by the new, meaning Jesus is the new Temple and the Church has replaced the Jewish people. This article presents a post-supersessionist reading of the Temple and Torah in Mark’s Gospel, focusing on the Parable of the Vineyard (Mk 12:1–12) in the broader narrative context (11:1—13:1) and the canonical narrative, thereby maintaining the Gospel’s connection with the Jewish people and their covenant relationship with God. These two contexts frame the parable and set parameters for its interpretation, thereby preventing anti-Torah and anti-Temple interpretations and the theological belief that Christians are Abraham’s true and rightful heirs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

13 pages, 1064 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Problem(s) of Reading 1 Peter after Supersessionism

by Kelly D. Liebengood

Religions 2023, 14(2), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020206 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2272

Abstract

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the creative identity formation strategies found in 1 Peter, especially concerning the way that the letter appropriates the Jewish scriptures and Israel’s privileges, promises, and vocation. While some find these strategies to be beneficial, others [...] Read more.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the creative identity formation strategies found in 1 Peter, especially concerning the way that the letter appropriates the Jewish scriptures and Israel’s privileges, promises, and vocation. While some find these strategies to be beneficial, others regard them as problematic because they promote a posture of supersessionism toward Israel. Some have suggested that the problem of supersessionism can be ameliorated by noting the silence in the letter regarding the relationship between Israel and the gentile addressees. This silence creates theological and hermeneutical space to go outside of the text itself to resolve the tension. But the move to go outside of the text can create its own problems because of the influential “standard canonical narrative”, which fills the silence and exerts pressure on the reader to replace Israel with the church. This article seeks to demonstrate that the text of 1 Peter itself pushes against a supposed supersessionist posture in part because such a reading is inconsistent with the claims made about God, but also because the implicit narrative in the letter along with the exhortations to distance oneself from a gentile way of life necessitate that the addressees “appropriate Israelhood” without expropriating Israel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

17 pages, 4471 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Children of the Prophets and the Covenant”: A Post-Supersessionist Reading of Luke-Acts

by Jason F. Moraff

Religions 2023, 14(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010120 - 15 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2225

Abstract

Luke-Acts is a theocentric narrative. It tells how God in and through Jesus acts out of faithfulness to the covenant on behalf of Israel. This article uses this fundamental claim to offer a post-supersessionist reading of Luke-Acts. It contends that genealogical Israel (the [...] Read more.

Luke-Acts is a theocentric narrative. It tells how God in and through Jesus acts out of faithfulness to the covenant on behalf of Israel. This article uses this fundamental claim to offer a post-supersessionist reading of Luke-Acts. It contends that genealogical Israel (the Jewish people) remains God’s people because of election. God turns to Israel offering forgiveness and salvation. The people struggle to respond. All Israel, including Jesus’s disciples, stumbles. Some Jewish people are more faithful, others less. Together they comprise the less-than-faithful people of God to whom God is faithful. Luke’s Jesus and Paul embody this dynamic. Jesus recapitulates Israel’s history, acting faithfully on its behalf for its salvation. He dies in solidarity with the Jewish people, faithful and unfaithful alike. He is raised, proleptically guaranteeing their restoration. Paul embodies how God remains loyal to recalcitrant Israel. Apart from repentance from Paul, an encounter with the risen Lord transforms this “God-fighter” simply because he is a “chosen vessel”. In Paul, Luke narrates God’s radical fidelity to Israel. God will restore Israel, opening blind eyes to see Jesus as messiah. The article distills the author’s forthcoming monograph Reading Luke-Acts after Supersessionism: The Salvation of Israel and the Nations in Accordance with the Scriptures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

17 pages, 2367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Israel and the Apostolic Mission: A Post-Supersessionist Reading of Ephesians and Colossians

by Lionel J. Windsor

Religions 2023, 14(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14010044 - 28 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1527

Abstract

Interpretation of Ephesians and Colossians has often proceeded on the basis that the stance of the original authors and recipients towards Israel is supersessionist, i.e., that the church has entirely replaced or superseded Israel as the locus of divine scriptural promises. By contrast, [...] Read more.

Interpretation of Ephesians and Colossians has often proceeded on the basis that the stance of the original authors and recipients towards Israel is supersessionist, i.e., that the church has entirely replaced or superseded Israel as the locus of divine scriptural promises. By contrast, this article presents a post-supersessionist reading of Ephesians and Colossians. The reading strategy seeks to read the letters as situated within the dynamics of the apostolic mission to proclaim the gospel of Jesus as the Jewish christos/messiah to the nations. This mission is envisaged in Acts as a priestly dynamic in which the blessings of salvation in the christos/messiah began within a distinctly Israelite original community and proceeded to the nations without necessarily negating Jewish distinctiveness. The reading highlights key instances of this Israel-centered missionary dynamic in Ephesians and Colossians. It also seeks to demonstrate how this dynamic helps to provide satisfactory answers to key exegetical questions in the letters. Furthermore, it offers alternative non-supersessionist readings of critical passages concerning circumcision, law, and Jewish identity in the two letters. The article is a distillation and summary of research in the author’s previously published book Reading Ephesians and Colossians After Supersessionism: Christ’s Mission through Israel to the Nations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

Other

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13 pages, 4809 KiB

Open AccessEssay

“Remain in the Calling in Which You Were Called” (1 Cor 7:20): A Post Supersessionist Reading of 1 Corinthians

by Kar Yong Lim

Religions 2023, 14(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020183 - 30 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1345

Abstract

This essay explores how Paul negotiates and constructs social identity for the Christos-followers in Corinth from a post-supersessionist perspective by using the Social Identity Theory. Focusing on a close reading of two controversial passages taken from 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 7:17–24 and [...] Read more.

This essay explores how Paul negotiates and constructs social identity for the Christos-followers in Corinth from a post-supersessionist perspective by using the Social Identity Theory. Focusing on a close reading of two controversial passages taken from 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 7:17–24 and 9:19–23), this essay argues that there is continuation of existing social identities of both the Jewish and gentile Christos-followers. In the Christos-movement, Jews were not expected to give up their place of belonging in order to become Christos-followers. Likewise, gentiles were not expected to leave behind their previous identity and embrace Jewish practices in order to become the people of God who worship the God of Israel. While the existing social identities continue, Paul also creatively transforms them. Reflection on the implication of this reading for contemporary ethnic Chinese Christos-followers in Muslim-majority Malaysia is also offered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

14 pages, 364 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Jews, Gentiles, and “in Christ” Identity: A Post-Supersessionist Reading of Philippians

by Christopher Zoccali

Religions 2023, 14(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020131 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2924

Abstract

Interpretations of Philippians have commonly suggested that the letter seeks to demonstrate the worthlessness of Paul’s own (former) Jewish identity, and thus that the Philippians should not be led astray by those who would persuade them to adopt the Jewish Law. Accordingly, it [...] Read more.

Interpretations of Philippians have commonly suggested that the letter seeks to demonstrate the worthlessness of Paul’s own (former) Jewish identity, and thus that the Philippians should not be led astray by those who would persuade them to adopt the Jewish Law. Accordingly, it is assumed that Paul understands Judaism to have been superseded by Christianity and, moreover, that Christian identity has superseded all other identities that persons may have possessed upon entrance into the Christ community. In contrast to this long-standing interpretive tradition, this article contends that, for Paul, the ethnic distinction between Jew and gentile within the greater Christ community remains intact, along with a continued role for the Torah for both subgroups. Rather than advancing a supersessionist agenda, Paul fundamentally seeks in this letter to strengthen the Philippians’ identity as members of the nations who have, alongside those in Israel, become members of God’s holy, multiethnic people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading New Testament Writings through Non-supersessionist Lenses)

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