Crucifixion (Facets) [Paperback]

Martin Hengel (Author), Martin Hengle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1977 | Series: Facets

This learned study may claim to be the most comprehensive and detailed survey ever to have been published of the evidence of the use of crucifixion in the Graeco-Roman world and the way in which it was regarded by the people of the time. Beginning from the use of crucifixion as a form of execution practised among barbarian peoples, Dr Hengel shows how it was employed in the Roman empire, in the Greek-speaking world and among the Jews. He also investigates how far 'crucifixion' was a term used metaphorically or in philosophical discussion. His conclusions bring out more starkly than ever the scandal presented by the Christian message of the crucified Son of God and show that Jesus was seen to have died, not just a cruel death, but one of the worst forms of death devised by man for man. Martin Hengel was Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism in the University of Tubingen.

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Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 99 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (September 1, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080061268X
• ISBN-13: 978-0800612689
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.4 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not a book for the squeamish February 4, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

A recurring theme in the book is the temptation, as real today as in the early centuries of the Church, for Christians to deprive the Cross of Christ of its crucial place in Christian preaching and believing by playing down the "scandal", the stumbling-block, "of the Cross". There are many quotations from authors writing in Latin and Greek, and these are translated. The result is a book which is learned, but not incomprehensible. The sheer offensiveness of preaching, to a hearer of the 2nd century as much as to one from the 20th, that a crucified Jewish gallows-bird is the Saviour of the world, becomes very plain. Perhaps it is worth pointing out that the author takes as his starting point not the Gospel accounts of the Crucifixion, but the proclamation of the Crucifixion found in St.Paul - particularly in 1 Corinthians 1:18 and the verses following; and in Philippians 2:5 to 8. This is not a book about crucifixion in general, as practiced in classical antiquity;nor is it about the medical aspects of crucifixion. The theological importance of the Crucifixion for the the preaching of the Christian Gospel holds the centre of the stage, and everything else is considered in relation to that. This is the sort of book which should do much to help those of us who are Christians to appreciate more fully what is meant by faith in Christ Crucified.

60 of 66 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Why Christ on the cross is such an amazing concept April 20, 2000

By Wayne Symes

Format:Paperback

When Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is `folly' to those who are perishing, modern readers don't fully understand what that means. Hengel's work surveys material on crucifixion from all parts of the ancient world. In doing so he reveals that for the people of the ancient world, Greeks, Romans, barbarians and Jews, crucifixion was not something you treated lightly or glossed over. It was absolutely obscene and wasn't referred to in polite company. That Christians could claim that the Son of God was crucified would have been not just outrageous, but offensive. While parts of this book are quite technical (especially in Hengel's use of ancient languages) it is helpful in restoring our sense of just what an astonishing thing God has done through Christ. In a world where the symbol of a cross has become quite commonplace, and even something we might wear as jewellery, this book helps to change your perspective.

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not to be glossed over but full of important information May 10, 2001

By E. Johnson

Format:Paperback

Although it is less than 100 pages in length, don't let the size fool you. This book is power-packed with information about the art of Roman crucifixion and how the cross is foolishness to those who perish, in former times as well as today. The book is a translation from German, and as in many translations, the flow seems very uneven, making it hard to keep pace. In addition, Hengel uses plenty of technical terms and refers constantly to other languages, especially Latin and Greek, so some laypeople may have a hard time wading their way through it all as well as the numerous footnotes at the bottom of the page (which sometimes takes up half a page or more). But, if you work hard, you will find a number of excellent items to highlight. In the end you will realize that crucifixion was anything but a bloodless punishment. From the whipping that normally took place beforehand to the way people were stapled onto the crosses, this was torture at its worst. This was the method that the Son of Man paid the ultimate price for our sins. This message is the central theme of the historic Christian faith. Amen.