Customer Reviews

Crucifixion (Facets)

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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.

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.

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.

Who would've known that there was so much information about this ancient method of torture? Before happening upon this scholarly gem, I didn't think that any such work existed. Hengel does a great job of presenting much information about the crucifixion and the difficulties that it presented to the early fathers of the church. Surely it was a difficult thing to present such a gospel about a man who they claimed to be God and died the most humiliating and disgraceful death, but they did so regardless. I would absolutely recommend this work if you are looking for a book that addresses virtually all questions about crucifixion.

Translated from German, this is outstanding look at this practice in the ancient world and the cross of Christ.

The great reversal of God's Son crucified and this is good news? is a scandal to the natural mind of humankind.

Hengel shows these two aspects well, carefully documented his sources from ancient history and Scripture.

The theology of the cross vs. that of glory is reflected in this theologian's writing, e.g. "The heart of the Christian message, which Paul described as the 'word of the cross' (logos tou staurou--transliterating the Greek), ran counter not only to Roman political thinking, but to the whole ethos of religion in ancient times and in particular to the ideas of God held by educated people."

Still true today. This is excellent reference for your shelf, also try and obtain Paul Maier's "In Fullness of Time," and Eric Kiehl's "The Passion of Our Lord."

Marten Hengel is a superb scholar who has devoted his life to the study of a variety of theological themes in the New Testament. In this volune, Professor Hengel researches the extant ancient literature related to the subject of crucifixion. He then defines the attitudes and reactions of leaders and the populace regarding this form of death. His meticulous and exhaustive research makes this short but powerful volume a standard in the field of crucifixion research. I highly recommend this book to scholars and lay-people alike who desire to have a a scholary, thoroughly researched work on this subject.

I had previously written a review of this book but it was quite brief and I want to make this a little longer. In "crucifixion", theologian Martin Hengle presents readers with the history and role of crucifixion in the ancient world. He also examines how this shame of the cross had theological implications for early Christian missionaries and the author looks at what could be considered supposed pagan parallels and how they don't match the Christian beliefs. This book is mainly historical and theological and is not a medical description of the barbaric practice as Dr. Zugibe and others have presented. Overall, I found this book to be quite informative in the areas it aims to be.

This is a very short read. I won't say easy because it is the history of a brutal subject. Though it is only 90 pages, it took me quite a few days to get through due to graphic imagery. The Summary is sufficient if you are not looking for a detailed history of Crucifixion.

Highlights are that Hengel's historical references are tremendous. This book is not lacking in solid research. One lowlight is that there are a number of references without English translation. Also, the outline of the book is terribly jumbled. I would have preferred that all reference notes had been found at the closing of the chapter rather than each page being half full of notes. It made for a confusing read which took me until the third chapter to devise a method in order to clearly finish the book. The main reason I am giving this book 3 stars is due to its publication, not the material.

You will have a new appreciation for Christ's suffering on the Cross after reading. Man can be utterly detestable in his behavior towards his neighbor. If you have a weak stomach like myself, take heed.

This is one of the more ground-breaking books in terms of its survey of the ancient literature concerning the crucifixion. It sheds new light on the topic of the cross with extraordinarily refreshing insight on the crucifixion of Jesus, the way such an event would have been viewed by his contemporaries, and the implications of the call for his followers to take up their respective crosses.

With the utter horror that the very mention of the term "cross" ('crux' in Latin; 'stauros' in Greek) would illicit in the minds of those in the 1st century who associated crucifixion with the most wicked of tortures, public ignominy, curse, Roman oppression, and the punishment reserved specifically for the people who were lowest on the social totem pole ('servile supplicium'- slaves punishment), who in their right mind would want to take up their cross? Have we taken the literal blood and guts out of the cross, and watered it down to a mere bloodless and far less gruesome theology more palatable to the wider world?

This book cogently explains from a historical standpoint what the apostle Paul means when he says the cross is foolishness to the Greeks and a scandal to the Jews. I encourage everyone to learn from Hengel just how God dealt with evil by allowing it to have its way with Jesus on the cross (an evil which was not docetic, nor was it bloodless). And through Jesus who, as the consummate faithful Israelite, bore the suffering and pain and agony and tears of the entire cosmos upon himself, revealing the righteousness (i.e. covenant faithfulness) of Israel's God.

Saint Mark's gospel is the starkest! Tradition says it was the gospel Saint Peter preached to the Romans, and that Mark wrote down. "Harrowing details" were well-known to this audience. In his book, Crucifixion, Martin Hengel reveals these for a not-so-ancient audience. Crucifixion was first practiced by the Persians. Then, it came to Carthage. Then, it came to Rome. It was the "supreme penalty," in the Roman Empire because it was so dastardly. You could crucify a Roman citizen only for treason. It was a quick sure way used in the provinces to pacify rebellions. It was sure to stop a revolt.

Hengel calls in credible witnesses, like Cicero, who call it: "the most cruel and frightful of all punishments, combining as it did, extreme body pain, the tortures of hunger, thirst, heat, and insects all endured in conditions of rigid immobility." Therein, Seneca asks: "Can anyone be found who would prefer wasting away in pain dying limb by limb, or letting out his life drop by drop, rather than expiring once for all? Can any man be found willing to be fastened to the accursed tree, long sickly, already deformed, swelling with ugly weals (welts) on shoulders and chest, and drawing the breath of life amid long-drawn-out agony? He would have many excuses for dying even before mounting the cross."

Hengel tells us, "The cross was succeeded in gravity only by `burning' (the body covered with pitch) and `decapitation.' It was a sign of shame which had been known as the `infamous stake,' the `criminal wood' and, the `terrible cross.' Punished with limbs outstretched, they see the stake as their fate; they are fastened (and) nailed to it in the most bitter torment, evil food for birds of prey and grim pickings for dogs."

He explains that Crucifixion was reserved for the lowest class of society. If you died this way, people would assume you were a slave. Hence, we find in the early Christian hymn, "... he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." (Ph 2:6-11).

Slave and Cross went together! That Jesus died on a cross meant he died as a slave, a common criminal, accompanied with extreme torture beforehand, stripped, involving utmost humiliation, and dying naked. Except for Jews, the person was not buried. There were no rules--it was "anything goes!" Jesus consented to this extreme human wretchedness.

Many people saw the movie "The Passion." I chose not to. Having read this several times, I was afraid the movie might misrepresent what I learned from Hengel's harrowing description of this barbaric practice, "the folly" of which our Savior submitted to, to save us.

Highly recommended, but not for the fainthearted!