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CONCEPTS
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INSIGHT
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COMMENTARY
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[Jean Jacques Rousseau] |
“... the life and death of Jesus are those of a God ...” |
| Jesus and Socrates | |
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The death of Socrates, philosophizing quietly with his friends, is one of the pleasantest that one could desire: that of Jesus, expiring amid torments, insulted, railed at, cursed by a whole nation, is the most horrible that anyone could fear. Socrates, taking the poisoned cup, blesses him who presents it, and who weeps beside him. Jesus, in the midst of a frightful anguish, prays for his maddened executioners. Yes! The life and the death of Socrates are those of a philosopher, the life and death of Jesus are those of a God. —from Emile |
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| Calvin Miller on Rousseau | |
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Jesus lived in a definite historical time, but he cannot be discussed as one might discuss any other great personage of history. History is the story of man, but the gospels are the story of the God-man, Jesus. So it was Rousseau who pointed this out. The German theologians had a word for that special kind of history that we have wherever God gets involved in the historical scene. The word is Heilsgeschichte, which means holy, or saving, history. Jesus stands both inside and outside of history. Jesus’ life is verifiable like history, but its significance is not limited to any era or group of people. Christ is cosmic, Pilate only mortal. —from The Book of Jesus, © Calvin Miller (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996) |
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