Pope Benedict has a favorite rabbi, none other than the distinguished Jewish scholar Jacob Neusner. At first glance this is a puzzle. Many years ago Neusner wrote a book called A Rabbi Talks With Jesus. In it, he noted, "I explain why, if I had been in the land of Israel in the first century, I would not have joined the circle of Jesus' disciples."
Neusner sent his book to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, asking him to write a blurb. Ratzinger agreed, and then even more remarkably, praised the book again when he became Pope Benedict. More than a dozen pages of Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth are devoted to discussing Neusner's argument. Benedict writes that Neusner's work "has opened my eyes to the greatness of Jesus' words and to the choice that the gospel places before us."
To understand what Benedict is getting at, recall atheist Richard Dawkins' famous claim that we are all atheists when it comes to other people's gods. For instance, I am an atheist when it comes to the gods of the ancient Greeks and Romans. By the same token Neusner is an atheist when it comes to the Christian notion of the divinity.
Even so, Neusner's treatment of Christ could not be more different than that of Dawkins. One of the main differences is that Dawkins is a biologist and Neusner is a scholar of ancient texts and history. Consequently Dawkins' historical and literary understanding is at the eighth grade level, while Neusner brings to his work a depth and sophistication worthy of a man regarded as perhaps the greatest living scholar of Judaism.
Neusner discusses Christ as a great and pure man whose teachings, especially at the Sermon on the Mount, embody unforgettable insight and wisdom. Taking up the oldest of Jewish prescriptions, they interpret and transform them in a powerful and surprising way. And yet Neusner notes that Christ violates the old law, as when he says that actions are permitted on the Sabbath that were regarded as forbidden on the Sabbath. This is the basis of Neusner's rejection of Christ as a fulfillment of the old covenant.
What gives Christ the right to change the old law? Neusner notes that Christ is not another liberal rabbi, seeking to bend the rules of the orthodox to make life easier for people. Rather, "Jesus' claim to authority is at issue." In effect, Christ claims to be "Lord of the Sabbath" and this provokes Neusner to ask, as if conversing with one of Christ's disciples, "Is your master God?"
Pope Benedict finds this a penetrating question. "The issue that is really at the heart of the debate," he writes, "is thus finally laid bare. Jesus understands himself as the Torah--as the word of God in person." In other words, Jesus claims to speak with a divine authority. If Jesus is God, then obviously he has the right to say what the old law really means. So ultimately Jesus confronts us with the choice of accepting or rejecting his claim to divinity.
In the January issue of First Things, a Jewish writer Meir Soloveichik takes Rabbi Neusner to task for his admiring words about Jesus. Soloveichik charges that Neusner, despite his denials, seems to accept the divinity of Christ. Why? Here Soloveichik borrows a famous argument from C.S. Lewis. Lewis argued that since Christ claimed to be God, either he was speaking the truth or he was an astounding liar. Lewis insisted that Christ does not give us the option of considering him a great and wise human teacher. Rather, Christ compels us to take him at his word that he is the son of God, or rather reject him as an impostor and a fraud.
Soloveichik goes with the latter option, as indeed he says all Jews must. "If we deny Christ's divinity," he writes, "then we can respond with nothing short of shock and dismay when we read the words of a man who puts himself in the place of God." Yet Soloveichik notes that this is not Neusner's reaction. Neusner treats Christ with deep respect; yet who can have respect for a liar? Neusner writes as a friend of Christ; yet who can befriend an impostor and fraud? Soloveichik concludes that "even as Neusner argues that Jesus is mistaken about his divinity and authority, it follows from much that Neusner has written that Jesus must be God."
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A Rabbi Talks With Jesus
Posted Feb 4th 2008 8:38AM by Dinesh D'Souza
Filed under: Religion, Christianity, Controversy, Atheism
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Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 41)
16. "Here Soloveichik borrows a famous argument from C.S. Lewis. Lewis argued that since Christ claimed to be God, either he was speaking the truth or he was an astounding liar" DD
-------------------------------------------
Here, DD makes the unproven and unlikely statement that the "bible" is actually the spoken words of "jesus". The truth is, the supposed words of "jesus" are written years after "his" death. Maybe the author decided to put in the principles of the sermon on the mount to appeal to the masses and downtrodden (of which there were many) of the time.
For me, all of those "gospels" assume facts not in evidence. As I understand it, the whole "son of god" idea came much later, to insert superstition into the propaganda. People adopt superstitions readily, as a response to normal fears. I believe the superstitions take one's mind away from REAL fears.
Linda at 11:43AM on Feb 4th 2008
17. I have sinned, day after day. Because God showed himself through Jesus in the Bible, I was able to believe, receive forgiveness and know I will be with Him one day. The sin I carried is gone, I now bring each days to him, I don't have the past sin.
SMS
Sheila at 11:48AM on Feb 4th 2008
18. Not much to be said about this one. Everyone has gotten it all covered right from the get-go. Although, can we stop calling him DD? Whenever I see that I think about underwear....
Strados at 11:51AM on Feb 4th 2008
19. It is my contention that Jesus was just a very charismatic speaker, who - at the time needed some food and shelter, and what better way to obtain that then speak to any who would listen as though he were of some importance. They were ready for a change and I'm sure that some Jews were shaken in their faith and who wouldn't be with the way the old testament reads. Their own faith called for a Saviour and what better way to achieve success but to create one in yourself. Ultimately, like all famous people who go down in flames, the stories that come after are far more entertaining and meaningful than the actual events. Perhaps Neusner just wanted to ride on the coat tails of such a revered and worshiped being.
It's like admitting that even though he listened to Elvis and liked his music, He didn't think he was "The King".
TJ at 11:55AM on Feb 4th 2008
20. Strados, you have an unfortunate sense of pareidolia, and I feel for you. Why not adopt the convention of appellating him via anagrammation:
D'azed On Sushi
His D'ozed Anus
Odd Sinus Haze
I Sounds Hazed
Mokele-Mobembe at 11:56AM on Feb 4th 2008
21. I was wondering when you were gonna start talking about the nazi in the vatican.
....but what does a jewish holy man talking to a latino have to do with anything?
America's Most Gangsta at 12:09PM on Feb 4th 2008
22. I think Soloveichik's concluding remarks about Neusner's book are presenting a false dichotomy. There are infinitely more positions than the polar opposites of seeing Jesus as God and seeing him as a tactless charlatin. Concluding that he believes in the divinity of Jesus because he views Jesus as a great man is a little off base. I think Neusner can legitimately view Jesus as a great person despite the apparent deception of his divine nature. Consider that it is a very real part of human nature for us to be deceivers at some point of our lives. In this vein, Jesus was merely being human, with all the frailties such entails.
Remember that we are all capable of accepting and loving our fellows despite mistakes and lies. It is highly plausable for Neusner to still have respect for Jesus despite of his deception. We all do it all the time, why can't he?
Pete at 12:15PM on Feb 4th 2008
23. I liked what TJ said. Only, the jews were waiting for a "messiah" which is totally different from the "saviour". The "messiah" was a human who would be king, from the line of David, lead the nation, etc etc.
The supposed "jesus" made these wild claims that had nothing to do with judaism. It's probable that "jesus" wasn't the first guy with a "messiah" complex.
I like TJ's charactization, and I even consider the person described in the bible to be someone with manic-depressive disease.
Just a thought.
Linda at 12:28PM on Feb 4th 2008
24. Oh, and MO
LOVE the anagrams.
His d'ozed anus is my favorite. Can we call him "anus" for short?
Linda at 12:30PM on Feb 4th 2008
25. If Soloveichik merely calls Jesus a "fraud", "imposter", and an "astounding liar" for claiming to be God, then he is being either very generous or very cautious. If Jesus claimed to be God and if he in fact is not God then he has committed the height of blasphemy. And, according to both the New Testament and the Talmud, it is precisely for blasphemy that the Chief Priests and the Sanhedrin sought his execution. This kind of puts a crimp into the whole concept of "Judeo-Christianity", doesn't it?
emelpe at 12:30PM on Feb 4th 2008
26. now this is interesting,
the jews of old rejected jesus's divinty and hung him on a cross using the romans to do thier dirty work. nothing has changed, the jews still reject jesus' claim to divinty. big deal. his miracles prove who he was and his resurrection prove who he was and this is the age of the gentiles anyway. as jesus said the jews did not know the time of their visitation. you atheist should restrain yourselves from this conversation number one because you don't believe and number two it does not concern you whatsoever. so why not stay out of the matter. you deny even god, so why concern yourself with this blog. go to africa, spend a year or two or more. jesus is God in the flesh, he said before abraham was I AM!! he said HE was the truth. HE was and is the Word!! praise God. jesus is alive, death has lost the victory and the grave has been denied!!!
brian at 12:36PM on Feb 4th 2008
27. Damn! I was having a wonderful vomit-free day and then... brian.
Linda,
Also consider:
Dude Sinz, So Ha!
Sin Us, Dazed Ho
And for the Superman fans:
His Zod Sundae
Zod Shuns Idea
Zod Hides Anus
Zod Heads Us In
Zod Had N Issue
I Use Zod's Hand
Zod Is Sane, Duh!
Hi, Nude Ass Zod!
Mokele-Mobembe at 12:49PM on Feb 4th 2008
28. brian, where is the proof of these supposed miracles? They couldn't be that amazing cuz they didn't impress the Jews.
K at 1:07PM on Feb 4th 2008
29. "Where is the proof of these supposed miracles? They couldn't be that amazing cuz they didn't impress the Jews."
K, somewhy I just love this argument! Maybe it's my inner Jew.
** Somewho, and somewhy are real words if I say they are.
Mokele-Mobembe at 1:14PM on Feb 4th 2008
30. "Christ compels us to take him at his word that he is the son of God, or rather reject him as an impostor and a fraud."
-------
Hmmm...gives me pause to think? Who else do I know that compels us to take him at his word or reject him as an impostor and a fraud?
Hmmmm....what was his name?
Let's see...George something? Was it George? Yeah...George D-something..George Dimwit? No..that aint it...George Doubleday? No...that's not him...George...wait...there was a U in his name too. George Double Bubble?
Oh, hell! I give up!
I just know there have been countless people who've held positions of leadership without a clue as to what they were doing. And I just know that there have been countless people who were either near-sighted, deaf, of feeble in some way that STILL accomplished great things in fields where their handicap might have...well...handicapped them. (Rodin, for example, was nearsighted. Mozart became increasingly hard of hearing as he aged. Monet's eyes nearly quit on him, although some think his best work came during the periods of worst eyesight. Jim Abbot pitched baseball...with ONE FREEKING arm!)
My point is, insanity and greatness are NOT mutually exclusive. Christ could easily have been simultaneously great and insane!
In fact, insanity is sometimes the very thing that inspires greatness. I'm sure Rosa Parks felt pushed to the brink of insanity when she finally refused to once again subject herself to the widely accepted laws of mid-century America.
Paul at 1:16PM on Feb 4th 2008