A Psycho-spiritual View on the Message of Jesus in the Gospels: Presence and Transformation in Some Logia as a Sign of Mysticism

Description

&ltI>A Psycho-Spiritual View on the Message of Jesus in the Gospels explores elements of mysticism in the words of Jesus. Four fields are analyzed with the help of two key concepts of mysticism: presence of the divine and transformation of the self. Analyses, semantic and otherwise, reveal alternative understandings on each of the four fields. &ltBR> &ltI>Psuche appears as 'self' ('mind-and-heart') rather than as 'life, ' for example, in the Good Shepherd passage (dedicating one's self), or in the saving and losing logia in Mark 8.35 par, calling for transformation. &ltI>Pneuma in the Gospels appears both in a definite form and indefinitely: next to the Holy Spirit, there is holy spirit active and present, implying that baptism literally is immersing in holy spirit. Repentance (&ltI>metanoia) is alternatively to be understood as transformation of the self, and is not necessarily connected to 'sin.'&ltBR> Finally, the Kingdom of God, in line with theologian Adolf von Harnack, is found to be present (it has approached,&ltI>eggiken) and is a reality inside &ltI>(entos) the human being, a &ltI>musterion, apart from its references to the eschaton or to a paradisiacal new world. Parables teach about the Kingdom as a spiritual entity in and around the human being: presence of the divine, closely connected with transformation of the self. These findings open up to a psycho-spiritual understanding of the message &ltI>(euaggelion) of Jesus." Contents Book Marker: What to Read xi Selected Abbreviations xiii Preface xv Editor’s Preface xxi Part One - What Is It About? Chapter One: Introduction 3 This Study 4 The Process of Investigation 5 Toward a Conceptual Framework 8 The Quest for Jesus 10 Program of the Book 18 Postscript 22 A Note on the Selection of the Logia Analyzed 22 Chapter Two: In Search of Mysticism: Framing the Concept 23 Introduction: What Is Mysticism 23 The Handbooks 33 Some Testimonies 36 Mysticism in the Gospels? 42 Conclusions 46 Chapter Three: Biblical Criticism: The Case of the Jesus Logia 47 Introduction 47 Sacred Texts 48 The Logia: A Genre 53 Implications of Method for NT Criticism 68 Annex 1: Methodology Revisited 74 Conclusions 76 Annex 2: Greek and Aramaic 76 Part Two - The Kingdom of God: A Spiritual Interpretation Introducing the Kingdom of God 81 Chapter Four: The Kingdom of God: Eschaton, Polity, Inner Reality? 83 Introduction 83 The Eschaton? 84 Conclusions 93 Chapter Five: What Is a Kingdom? The Glory of the Kingdom Restored 94 Kingdom 94 Kingship 96 Inner Strength 97 Partaking 99 Conclusions 99 Chapter Six: The Kingdom in the Gospels: ‘When’? 100 Introduction 100 When?: Mk 1.14-15: The Text 102 Intermezzi 106 Near or Arrived? 109 Conclusions 113 Chapter Seven: The Kingdom in the Gospels: ‘Where’? 114 The Scene 114 The Kingdom Is Inside 116 Observations 117 Inside, or in the Midst Of? 120 Where Do We Stand? 122 Conclusions 123 Chapter Eight: The Kingdom in the Gospels: ‘What’ Is It? 125 Introduction 125 The mustêrion 126 The Sower Parable 131 Parables on the Kingdom of God 134 Summary and Conclusions 137 Chapter Nine: The Kingdom in the Gospels: ‘For Whom’ 139 Introduction 139 ‘As a Little Child’, hôs paidion 139 ‘Poor in spirit’, or: Craving for the Spirit? 148 Transformation 155 Conclusions: What Is Needed to Connect to the Kingdom of God? 161 Concluding Part Two: The Kingdom of God: A Spiritual Interpretation 162 Summarizing 164 Part Three - Transformation: The Psyche Introduction 169 Chapter Ten: Transformation of the Self: What Is the Self, the psuchê? 172 Introduction: Does psuchê Signify ‘Life’ 172 Analysis 173 Greek-Hellenistic Influences 178 Another Paradigm? 180 Conclusions 182 Annex 3: Classification of the Occurrences of psuchê in the Gospels 183 Annex 4: Some Literature Reviewed 184 Chapter Eleven: Metanoia as Transformation 187 Introduction: Mk 1.15 par 187 Terms and Concepts 189 Continuity 196 Change, Conversion, Transformation 200 Metanoia as Transformation 201 Sin and Forgiveness 204 The Other Logia 207 Conclusions 211 Chapter Twelve: Laying Down One’s Life? The Good Shepherd and Other Pericopes in John: “tên psuchên tithêmi” 213 Introduction 213 What is the Meaning of psuchê and tithêmi? 216 What is it that Jesus Wants to Communicate? 218 Comments 221 Conclusion: To Dedicate 223 Chapter Thirteen: To Lose One’s psuchê, or to Save It? 224 Logia about Saving or Losing the psuchê 224 Psycho-Spiritual Transformation 229 Conclusions 232 Chapter Fourteen: The Multifariousness of psuchê: The Other Pericopes 233 Emotional Aspects of psuchê 233 Physical Aspects 236 Conclusions 241 Concluding Part Three: Transformation: The Psyche 242 Part Four - Explorations in the Field of Pneuma, Spirit Introduction 247 Chapter Fifteen: The Concept of pneuma in the Gospels and Its Forms 249 ‘The Spirit’ or ‘Spirit’: pneuma (hagion) / to pneuma ([to] hagion) 249 Is ‘Spirit’ a Feasible Translation of the Anarthrous pneuma? 254 What is ‘Spirit’? 256 What is ‘the Spirit’? 259 Conclusion 261 Chapter Sixteen: Being in Spirit: A Case Study on the Pericopes in the Synoptics with ‘en pneumati’ 264 Introduction 264 Being in Spirit: en pneumati; the Gospels 265 Discussion 270 Other NT Texts 274 An Inquiry into Literature 277 Conclusions 280 Annex 5: The Texts Analyzed 281 Chapter Seventeen: The Words from the Cross: A Scene of Serenity 288 Introduction 288 The Scene at the Cross in John 289 And in the Synoptic Gospels 295 Evaluation and Conclusions 297 Chapter Eighteen: Rendering ekstasis in the NT 299 Introduction 299 Ecstasy: Term and Concept, Greek and English 301 Ekstasis in the NT: A Presentation 308 Comments 312 Some Issues 315 Evaluation and Conclusions 320 Concluding Part Four: Explorations in the Field of pneuma, Spirit 322 Summary 322 Part Five - What It Was About Conclusions 329 Approach 329 Analysis 333 Mysticism 337 Evaluation 338 Synthesis 340 Annex 6: Summaries of the Outcomes of the Case Studies 342 Bibliography 353 Index 371