Customer Reviews

Jesus, Symbol of God

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Let me qualify my title for this review by saying that I am not a trained theologian! This book was recommended to me by my (Episcopal) priest, as I had asked him for something scholarly yet still reasonably accessible which could help me further "understand my own understanding" of Jesus Christ. Though I am not a Catholic, I think Haight's work has appeal for all Christians, from Catholics to mainlines to Evangelicals. I confess that I have only read about 2/3rds of the text (it is weighty), but I have been challenged and inspired by each chapter. Haight does a superb job of discussing the ways in which Jesus has been understood in other, non-western cultures. For an evangelical Anglican, it is not always easy to understand what Christ means in an Asian, or African, or South American context. We proclaim Christ to be universal -- but how Jesus, as symbol of God is understood in other cultures is not necessarily how He is understood by prosperous, over-educated Britons and Americans!

This is the sort of text I intend to have on my bedside table for a long time -- read in small snippets (I digest slowly), I know it will continue to provoke and inspire, and, it is to be hoped help me to clarify my own ongoing relationship with Christ.

Who and what is Christ in a world that finds past formulations of belief unintelligible or irrelevant? What does salvation mean today? Where does Jesus fit in our pluralistic society? How should Christianity deal with other religions? Roger Haight suggests some answers in this insightful work.

In order for Christianity to remain meaningful, it has to adapt to differing times and circumstances, Haight argues. This book is therefore a modern apologetic; that is, it explains the faith in terms of the dominant culture. It focuses on christology, the study of Christ's relationship to God and man. For Haight, a christology must follow certain criteria, including fidelity to Christian tradition, ability to speak to the modern world, and how it empowers the Christian life.

Haight uses most of the book to construct the foundations for the "constructive christology" of the final part. The first part contains introductory chapters on what christology is and how to go about the task. The next two parts are concerned with analyzing the New Testament and historical approaches to Christology. In his analysis of these sources, Haight makes some things clear about the way christology should be done.

The most important is the sources need to be analyzed critically. Merely citing a biblical text, creed, or a theologian simply will not do. A text is never self-evident; using it always implies a method of interpretation. Citing a text without divulging the hermeneutical method will render a theology unintelligible to anyone outside a small circle. Such usage also implies a uniformity throughout history that is not there. Traditional sources are a result of historical processes, and originally spoke to a given time and audience. Simply bringing those sources forward without considering these factors distorts the text, notably by failing to recognize the pluralism that characterizes christology through the ages.

Next, any christology needs to be grounded in the historical Jesus of Nazareth. It was this human being in whom his disciples experienced God, and it is to this human being we must turn to find out why. Appropriately, Haight surveys several models of the historical Jesus put forward today by historians. From this, he abstracts common themes from this research which appear to have some consensus.

Finally, christology cannot be separated soteriology (theology of salvation). Haight believes soteriology has always determined the christology of any given biblical writer or theologian. This is the assertion I found most enlightening. In retrospect, this should have been obvious, but for me it was a revelation. What does Christ save us from and why? Answer those questions, and the nature of Christ in relation to God and man becomes almost self-evident.

The analysis of the sources, especially historical Jesus research, serves other purposes besides laying the foundation for his christology. Historically, christology has been done "from above," using the Logos concept of John 1 as its starting point. Essentially, christology started with a consideration of God as Trinity and worked its way "down" to Jesus. Such christologies have its basis in Christ's divinity. Haight argues such christologies are unintelligible in the postmodern era.

Haight argues that to speak to this generation, we must approach christology "from below." Essentially, we start with a consideration of Jesus as a human being and work our way "up" to God as Trinity. Such christologies will have its basis in Jesus' humanity. Though Logos christology may be so appropriated, Haight opts for what he identifies as "Spirit christology" as better able to answer modern needs in christological consideration. Stated succinctly, Jesus embodies God as Spirit in that "God is, as it were, let loose in a final, climactic, and saving way through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and is vividly experienced in the communities of the Jesus movement that became `Christian'" (449).

The experience empowers both the Christian individual and the community to work in the world. Christians are expected to bring salvation in Christ to the world. Haight appropriates liberation theology to show how the empowered Christian should live in the world. Spirit christology also enables Christians to take a normative non-constitutive position to religious pluralism, while avoiding relativism. If a given religious tradition is a channel for God's Spirit, it is valid (i.e., a follower will find salvation in it).

Overall, Haight has given us a well conceived and thoughtful Christology. He has not intended it to be the final answer. Theologians of all denominations can and should engage in unfettered debate of the individual issues he raises. In this, Haight does well in keeping ecumenical considerations in mind. Traditions that must bypass consideration of the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon may find this work less useful, but still worth considering its insights.

This is also a book that must be read carefully and digested slowly. It can get quite technical; I recommend some familiarity with christological issues before reading this book. Though it does survey many different christologies, its purpose is not to serve as an introduction for the general reader. This consideration aside, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Haight writes that "theology is a constant entertainment of perennial questions...a reflection on the nature of reality from the perspective of the SYMBOLS of the Christian faith." What does that say but that interpretation of religion is an ongoing process, one that is never completed? The source of all Christian theology is scripture; we begin with words written about Christ and construct systems of belief, first worked out in church councils, always in response to other systems which were considered indequate, if not misleading, about the nature of Christ and what it means to believers. The meaning of words, of language is not static, but always changing and ongoing.

At the heart of any discussion of Christ is his relationship to God, the ultimate reality. This relationship matters because it discusses the ultimate end and purpose of human existence. If one is concerned about this, then Christianity offers some answers, at the heart of which is the notion of "salvation", of achieving the "kingdom of God." For example, the whole idea of the resurrection is an attempt, I think Haight is suggesting, to dramatize the nation of self-transcendence.

All of this, to me, sounds like the ways of interpreting poetry. There are many constructs of how Christ operates and we can learn from all of them; we do not have to make decisive judgments of the type that people do who interpret the words of the Bible literally. In the same way, there is no final and decisive answer to what a good poem means - there are always further interpretations that are valuable and freeing. A very impressive book which places Christianity in an intellectually defensible

framework.

Once in a while a masterful book comes along in the field of Christology ... this is one of those books! In Jesus Symbol of God, Roger Haight offers his written insights in the same manner he uses in the classroom: with clarity, precision and a grasp of catholic tradition which is mind-blowing in its universality. This book is so well-informed as to be a struggle at times, but it is worth the intellectual investment for anyone who wants to know the state of Christology for today or its implications and possibilities for tomorrow.

Haight's grasp of the field is incomparable. This work is truly on the cutting edge as it brings catholic tradition into dialogue with postmodern realities. Haight seems destined to ask the difficult questions and one worries that this penchant may well find him in "hot water" with those short-sighted minds who claim the prerogative of preserving Roman Catholic doctrine in the curial halls of Vatican City.

The theological world is indebted to Roger Haight and I am proud to have learned from him personally.

Dr. Hiaght is to be congratulated on this extraordinary work in the theological field of christology. This work is evidence of the growing influence of North American theologians. This book is written in a lucid and scholarly style that helps to clarify the historical development of christological thought up to and including the present. This book is a must read for all graduate students and should find its way into the hands of all involved in ministry. I enjoyed the structure of the book and the clear and inviting writing style of Dr. Hiaght. I believe this book will advance christological thought in the 21st century. Of course, that is the task of the theologian. Dr. Hiaght has an excellent grasp of the major themes of the liberation and political theologies and the implications for christological thought.

This primer was written by a Jesuit scholar who was sanctioned for his work because he plumbed the depths of the topic and didn't stay close to the traditional lines of thought. Written systematically with clear bullet points, this is a thorough discussion of post modern Christology.

It is amazing how this book has generated such discussion and even condemnation! Perhaps that's a good thing since the field of christology is like any other area of study: it needs to be refreshed and new ideas need to be generated to light the fire of new insight. When it was first published, I posted one of the first reviews of this item on Amazon. But that was by no means the last word because the book has continued to be a source of inspiration and learning for me. It is very challenging reading, but it contains untold riches to be dug out like gold in a mine. As I read the negative reviews the book has received, I find myself thinking that the reviewers simply don't understand what Haight is attempting to do. His mind runs deep and has a very sharp edge to it. Few are able to keep up, but I encourage anyone interested in the cutting edge of christology to buy this book and to study it. Don't be in a hurry, but taste every sentence and every word. And don't believe the charges against Haight that suggest that he's not faithful to the catholic tradition. He is very faithful and very orthodox. His criteria for authentic christology make that clear. But he's not afraid to ask difficult questions to bring christology to a meaningful place in the contemporary theological scene.

Jesus Symbol of God is breathtaking in scope and wonderfully written. It is the right book at the right time. Haight uses the concept of "symbol" as the governing principle of his work. He frequently cites Rahner as his source for the notion of symbol. Haight's definition of the word, however, is not Rahner's definition. Haight's often repeated definition is on p. 11:" ...a symbol mediates something other than itself..." This understanding of symbol is restated on pp. 13, 197, 198, 199, etc. This definition can not be reconciled with Rahner's idea of symbol as it is developed in Theological Investigation, Vol VI, pp. 221-252, :"The Theology of the Symbol." Rahner says on p. 224f: "...all beings are by their nature symbolic, because they necessarily 'express' themselves in order to attain their own nature. We should already be dealing with merely derivative modes of symbolic being if we started with the fact that two realities...'agreed' with one antoher on a certain point..." Further evidence of Rahner's view is developed on pp. 225 (lines 1 to 7), 229 (llines 4-12), 230 (lines 6-19) and 231 (lines 1-13). For Rahner, a symbol is not something that "mediates something other than itself." A symbol "mediates" itself. Symbolization at its highest level is the process of self realization that occurs within each and every being insofar as that being is present to itself and thus open to being present to the world. For Haight, the consequences of not using Rahner's notion of symbol results in his dialectical difficulties as expressed on pp. 206 and 207 (and elsewhere). He is unable to carry through with the notion that the human and the divine in Jesus are positively correlated. He is unable to say that it is exactly the "fully human" in Jesus that is the divine and that the "fully divine" is exactly the human. The reader will not suffer the same difficulties if s/he simply uses Rahner's definition of symbol and inserts it as needed.

This book is well worth reading for those with a serious interest in contemporary christology. Some may take a different position from Haight's, but his findings are well worth considering. A book to chew carefully before digesting!!!

This is not a book for laymen. I found the first 50 pages difficult. Yet, even as a thinking laymen, I find it very rewarding. I am 1/3 through it as I write.

Bob