Robert Funk, RIP
Robert Funk - perhaps best known for his work with the Jesus Seminar passed away on Saturday. May God have mercy on his soul.
He and others of the seminar were famous[infamous?] for denying many of the miracles of the New Testament and that Jesus bodily rose from the Tomb.
Unfortunately, they were deeply influenced by the history of German scriptual scholarship following the lines of Hegel, Bultmann and Heidegger. As a historian, let me say that the historical critical method is neither historical - nor is it critical - instead what you end up with is a Jesus that [not surprisingly] looks a lot like the author[s]. Once you reject the historical authority of the New Testment what are you left with? Nothing.
Even more unfortunately, the plague of this sort of scholarship found root in many seminaries throughout the United States. I can only hope that the upcoming investigation will begin a process of cleaning house and authentic historical scholarship instead of ivory tower fantasizing.
He and others of the seminar were famous[infamous?] for denying many of the miracles of the New Testament and that Jesus bodily rose from the Tomb.
Unfortunately, they were deeply influenced by the history of German scriptual scholarship following the lines of Hegel, Bultmann and Heidegger. As a historian, let me say that the historical critical method is neither historical - nor is it critical - instead what you end up with is a Jesus that [not surprisingly] looks a lot like the author[s]. Once you reject the historical authority of the New Testment what are you left with? Nothing.
Even more unfortunately, the plague of this sort of scholarship found root in many seminaries throughout the United States. I can only hope that the upcoming investigation will begin a process of cleaning house and authentic historical scholarship instead of ivory tower fantasizing.
posted by Fr. Seraphim Beshoner, TOR | 3:38 PM
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