Source: Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Essays on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity (Paternoster, 2008), 106–126.
The Most High God in Judaism.wav
This podcast delves into the understanding of monotheism in early Judaism, specifically focusing on the use of the title "the Most High" for God. It argues that contrary to some recent scholarly views, early Jewish literature overwhelmingly demonstrates an exclusive monotheism, where God is absolutely unique and distinct from all other created beings, including angels. The analysis of the title "the Most High" reveals its frequent use in connection with temple worship, God's sovereign rule over all things, and even its use by or to Gentiles, often to emphasize God's universal authority. The podcast contrasts this binary understanding of reality (God vs. creation) with an inclusive model where God is merely the supreme being among others, which it suggests is not characteristic of early Jewish thought despite some biblical language that might seem to imply a divine council.
1. The Theological Challenges Presented by Contemporary Historical Christological Research:
The source begins by highlighting that recent scholarly agreement regarding the earliest beliefs about Jesus and how devotion to him was expressed creates significant questions for Christian theology and practice today. The focus shifts from purely historical investigation, which occupied the earlier parts of the larger work, to issues of how these findings are interpreted and what they mean for Christian faith. This line of inquiry is particularly urgent for those scholars who are also practicing Christians and regularly engage in various forms of devotion to Jesus. The historical findings necessitate a theological exploration of why Christians engage in these practices, what constitutes legitimate "worship" of Jesus, and how early Christ devotion informs aspects of Christian life such as following Jesus, relationships among believers, the nature of the church, political theology, and missions. While a leading figure in the emerging consensus, like Larry Hurtado, may not explicitly frame his work as theological, his Christian background is apparent, and his research is often understood as providing historical support for traditional Christology. This makes it appropriate and necessary to consider the theological implications of his historical model, including potential issues related to religious experience and idolatry. The core issue is how to bridge the gap between historical findings about the origins of Christ devotion and the continuing practice of devotion to Jesus in contemporary Christianity, requiring a robust theological justification grounded in or at least compatible with the historical picture.
2. Defining and Mandating the Worship of Jesus in Christianity:
A central question raised is whether followers of Jesus are fundamentally required to "worship" him, and if so, what this worship should actually look like. The source acknowledges the diversity of perspectives within Christian traditions and evolving theological understandings of core beliefs. It asks what the findings of the historical consensus specifically reveal about the identity of the Jesus Christians worship in relation to God, humanity, the world, and history, and how this historical understanding should shape contemporary worship practices. The daily life of a Christian often involves engaging in various forms of devotion to Jesus, which demands a clear theological rationale for this behavior. The source implicitly probes whether the historical record provides a command or simply a description of early practice, and how that distinction affects the theological requirement for worship today. Understanding what this "worship" entails in substance and form is crucial, especially given the historical context and the relationship between Jesus and the one God of Israel as understood in earliest Christianity.
3. Distinguishing Authentic Worship of Jesus from Idolatry:
A persistent and critical concern throughout the source is the ability to differentiate between genuine and appropriate devotion to Jesus and forms of devotion that are misguided, sinful, or constitute idolatry. Drawing a parallel to the Jewish concept of "strange worship" (avodah zarah), the source asks how a theology centered on Christ can provide criteria for discerning between orthodox, healthy worship of Jesus and heterodox or idolatrous practices. This challenge is recognized as one that has been prominent throughout Christian history. The source argues that this question is particularly pressing when considering the findings of the emerging consensus, especially models like Hurtado's. These models describe the devotional behaviors of the earliest Christians toward Jesus as having a structure that appears superficially similar to idolatrous worship directed at other beings or objects in the ancient world. The source suggests that, based on this historical picture, the distinction between valid worship of Jesus and idolatry is not immediately obvious and requires careful theological consideration to articulate why Christian devotion to Jesus is not, in fact, idolatry despite these structural similarities.
4. The Reliability of Religious Experience as a Basis for Christ Devotion:
The source expresses skepticism regarding the appeal to religious experiences, such as visions or other powerful subjective events, as the primary origin or justification for Christ devotion, as proposed by models like Hurtado's. While acknowledging that attributing the origin of Christ worship to early experiences might offer a straightforward historical explanation, the source questions the theological validity of basing two thousand years of Christian practice on what are described as "notoriously shaky foundation[s] for religious belief." It draws a comparison to earlier psychological explanations for high Christology, such as the idea that it arose from the emotional crisis following Jesus' death. The source poses the critical question: How can Christians today be confident that these foundational early experiences were not simply a form of communal self-delusion driven by grief and cognitive dissonance after the crucifixion? Could the earliest followers have misinterpreted their subjective experiences, leading them to incorrectly believe that God was commanding them to worship Jesus as uniquely divine? Christian theology traditionally emphasizes revelation grounded in concrete historical events, particularly the Incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus, rather than subjective religious experiences. The source suggests that models focusing on experience over the historical life and work of Jesus may fail to adequately capture the fundamentally incarnational nature of early Christian belief. Trusting in the subjective testimony of a limited group of individuals, however devout, for something as crucial as the warrant for worshiping Jesus is presented as a significant challenge, especially since the New Testament itself doesn't seem to explicitly present Jesus' divine identity solely on the basis of these visionary experiences.
5. Linking Christological Origins Based on Experience to the Problem of Idolatry:
This topic directly connects the historical account of Christological origins, particularly one emphasizing religious experience, to the serious charge of idolatry. The source echoes the warning from other scholars, like James Dunn, that focusing worship exclusively on Jesus carries the risk of idolatry. It notes that the historical consensus models, including Hurtado's, observe that early Christian worship of Jesus occurred despite the high probability that it would be perceived as idolatrous by non-Christian Jews. The fundamental question then becomes: On what basis can "orthodox" Christian devotion to Jesus be defended against the charge of idolatry, a charge that has been leveled against it throughout history? The source points out that historical models like Hurtado's do not explicitly explain why modern Christians are not engaging in idolatry when they worship Jesus. According to such models, the justification for the earliest Christians' worship of Jesus seems to derive from their belief, stemming from their religious experiences and encounters with the exalted Jesus, that God somehow instructed or validated this worship. This suggests that contemporary Christians worship Jesus based on the authority they grant to the New Testament accounts of these early experiences and their faith that the earliest followers correctly interpreted what they perceived. This reliance on the subjective experiences of others as the foundation for worship is argued to bear a potential structural resemblance to idolatry. This is especially problematic if, as Hurtado's model might imply, the earliest Christians projected divine qualities onto the post-resurrection Jesus that were not inherent to the historical Jesus, given the argument that the historical Jesus himself did not make such divine claims. The source asks how this projection differs fundamentally from other forms of projection seen in the worship of Roman emperors, celebrities, or dictators, where followers ascribe idealized or divine attributes to figures who do not inherently possess them. Basing two millennia of Christian worship practice on such potentially subjective and group experiences is questioned, particularly when considering that other ancient groups also believed their worship practices, including the creation and veneration of idols, were divinely ordained.