Jesus Christ in World History

Contents
Foreword and Acknowledgments x
1 Perceptions and Receptions of Jesus Christ 1
	Methodological reflections 4
	Overview of presentation 5
2 World History, World Religions, and Worldviews 9
	Outlining world history 9
	Surveying world history 11
		From oral traditions to scripts and alphabets 11
		From incidental truth-findings to complete belief systems 13
		From Roman Empire to corpus Christianum and corpus Islamicum 19
		From Western to worldwide orientation 21
		Transformation through globalization 23
	History in the perspective of world religions and worldviews 26
		Linear versus cyclical views 26
		Immanent versus transcendent views 31
	Final observations 32
3 Messianic Expectations and Beliefs before the Common Era 34
	Messianic expectations and beliefs outside Israel 35
		Ancient civilizations 35
		Jaspers’s axial period 36
		Roman empire 37
	Messianic expectations and beliefs in Israel 38
		The terms “Messiah” and “Christ” 39
		Anointed people in Israel 39
		Political messianism 40
		Spiritual messianism 42
		Apocalyptic messianism 46
	Final observations 48
4 Jesus, the Messiah/Christ 51
	Sources of our knowledge 51
		Jewish sources 52
		Greco-Roman sources 53
		Christian sources 54
	Jesus’ life and work 59
		Baptism and communion with God 60
		Public ministry 61
		Cross 65
		Resurrection 66
	Jesus’ identity 68
		Jesus’ self-determination 69
		Christology of the apostles and evangelists 74
	Final observations 76
5 From the Birth of Christianity to the Rise of Islam 78
	Cyclical worldviews 79
		Primal societies 79
		Eastern societies with sacred texts 80
	Linear worldviews preceding Christianity 81
		Zoroastrians 82
		Jews 82
	Linear worldview of Gentile Christianity 86
		Development of the Christian faith 87
		Encounter with traditional philosophers, mystery religions, Gnosticism, and Manichaeism 94
	Developments in understanding time and Christ 102
		Advance of the linear view of history 103
		Presence and representations of Jesus Christ 105
6 From the Rise of Islam to the Discovery of New Worlds 108
	Cyclical worldviews 109
		Primal societies 109
		Eastern societies with sacred texts 110
		Western societies: The Buddha and astrology 115
	Linear worldviews 115
		Zorastrians 116
		Jews 116
		Christians and the corpus Christianum 119
		Muslims and the corpus Islamicum 126
	Developments in understanding time and Christ 137
		Advances in linear worldviews following Muhammad 137
		Presence and representations of Jesus Christ vis-à-vis emerging Islam 139
7 From the Discovery of New Worlds to the French Revolution 142
	Cyclical worldviews 143
		Primal societies 143
		Eastern societies with sacred texts 146
		Western societies under classical Greek influences 152
	Religious linear worldviews 154
		Jews 154
		Christians 157
		Muslims 166
	Secular linear worldviews 168
		Deists and atheists 168
		Empiricists, historians, and scholars of comparative religions 170
		Rationalists and idealists 175
		Impact of French Revolution 176
		Christian polemics and apologetics 177
	Developments in understanding time and Christ 178
		Extension of the linear worldview in the age of emerging secularism 179
		Presence and representations of Jesus Christ vis-à-vis emerging secularism 181
8 From the French Revolution to World War I 185
	Cyclical worldviews 186
		Primal societies 186
		Eastern societies with sacred texts 188
		Eastern influences in Western societies 198
	Religious linear worldviews 204
		Jews 204
		Christians 206
		Muslims 213
	Secular linear worldviews and the Christian response 216
		Philosophers, scientists, and scholars of comparative religion 216
		Religious pluralists 219
		Christian apologetics 220
	Developments in understanding time and Christ 221
		Linear views challenged by the renaissance of the East 221
		Presence and representations of Jesus Christ vis-à-vis the renaissance of the East 222
9 From World War I to the End of World War II 225
	Cyclical worldviews 226
		Primal societies 226
		Eastern societies with sacred texts 228
		Eastern influences in Western societies 234
	Religious linear worldviews 237
		Jews 237
		Christians 242
		Muslims 248
	Secular linear worldviews and ideologies 251
		Worldviews 251
		Ideologies 254
		Christian apologetics 261
	Developments in understanding time and Christ 262
		Linear views challenged by emerging ideologies 263
		Presence and representations of Jesus Christ vis-à-vis ideologies 264
10 From the End of World War II to the Present 266
	Cyclical worldviews 267
		Primal societies 267
		Eastern societies with sacred texts 269
		Eastern influences in Western societies 277
	Religious linear worldviews 283
		Jews 283
		Christians 289
		Muslims 299
		Linearly oriented new religious movements 303
	Secular linear worldviews and the Christian response 304
		United Nations 304
		Worldviews 304
		Marxism/communism 306
		Christian apologetics 308
	Developments in understanding time and Christ 310
		Cyclical and linear views in a globalizing world 310
		Presence and representations of Jesus Christ in a globalizing world 311
11 Messianic Expectations and Beliefs in the Wake of Jesus Christ 315
	Messianic figures and movements in cyclical contexts 316
		Primal societies 316
		Hinduism 319
		Buddhism 321
		China 322
		Japan 323
		New religious movements in the West 325
		Jesus Christ vis-à-vis cyclically oriented messianianism 326
	Messianic figures and movements in linear contexts 328
		Judaism 329
		Christianity 332
		Movements influenced by Christianity 338
		Islam 339
		Secular worldviews and ideologies 342
		Jesus Christ vis-à-vis linearly oriented messianism 344
	Black and female messianic figures and movements 345
		Black messianic figures and movements 345
		Feminist messianism 348
		Jesus Christ vis-à-vis black and feminist messianism 350
	Messiah Jesus and politics, spirituality, and apocalyptism 350
		Jesus Christ and political messianism 351
		Jesus Christ and spiritual messianism 352
		Jesus Christ and apocalyptic messianism 353
12 Presence and Representations of Jesus Christ in World History 355
	Presence of Jesus Christ 356
		Contemporary presence: Transformative power 358
		Future presence: Finalizing power 361
		Past presence: Initiative power 364
		Seminal presence: Cosmic power 368
	Representations of Jesus Christ 370
		Representation by words 371
		Representation by deeds 373
		Representation by suffering 375
		Representation by resurgence 377
Epilogue: The Axial Significance of Jesus Christ 379
	Personality: From the cosmic law to a personal God 380
	Originality: Jesus as the Messiah/Christ of Israel and the nations 382
	Finality: Newness and the judgment of history 383
	Normativity: From fear to gracious freedom 385
Appendix: Napoleon’s purported musings regarding Jesus Christ 389
Bibliography General 391
Bibliography Special 427
Index of Persons 434
Index of Subjects 445