The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews
How does Hebrews negotiate the whereabouts of the risen Jesus, on the dialectical spectrum between physical and indeed metaphysical absence on the one hand, and affirmations of a continuing or intermittent presence on the other? More than perhaps any other New Testament writing, Hebrews concentrates...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2019
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| _version_ | 1826266708204060672 |
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| author | Bockmuehl, M |
| author_facet | Bockmuehl, M |
| author_sort | Bockmuehl, M |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | How does Hebrews negotiate the whereabouts of the risen Jesus, on the dialectical spectrum between physical and indeed metaphysical absence on the one hand, and affirmations of a continuing or intermittent presence on the other? More than perhaps any other New Testament writing, Hebrews concentrates on Jesus’s distance from the world of earthly Christian life and discipleship. And yet the author’s ‘word of encouragement’ (13:22) evidently serves his recipients’ situation more urgently through its emphasis on the Son’s heavenly high priesthood rather than on his immediate presence. The presence of Jesus is here most clearly articulated in relation to his incarnation in the past: unlike elsewhere in the New Testament, no obvious attempt is made to sublimate or compensate for the absence of Jesus by sacramental, mystical, or pneumatological means. Nevertheless, even the pastness of the incarnation remains a powerful and abiding ingredient both in Christ’s ongoing priestly work and in the expectation of his coming. As a result, Jesus’ seeming remoteness in Hebrews remains in important respects compatible with his continuing accessibility and closeness to pilgrim believers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:43:04Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:34e7e596-f6c0-45a9-94e3-b37614019105 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:43:04Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:34e7e596-f6c0-45a9-94e3-b376140191052022-03-26T13:29:00ZThe dynamic absence of Jesus in HebrewsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:34e7e596-f6c0-45a9-94e3-b37614019105EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordOxford University Press2019Bockmuehl, MHow does Hebrews negotiate the whereabouts of the risen Jesus, on the dialectical spectrum between physical and indeed metaphysical absence on the one hand, and affirmations of a continuing or intermittent presence on the other? More than perhaps any other New Testament writing, Hebrews concentrates on Jesus’s distance from the world of earthly Christian life and discipleship. And yet the author’s ‘word of encouragement’ (13:22) evidently serves his recipients’ situation more urgently through its emphasis on the Son’s heavenly high priesthood rather than on his immediate presence. The presence of Jesus is here most clearly articulated in relation to his incarnation in the past: unlike elsewhere in the New Testament, no obvious attempt is made to sublimate or compensate for the absence of Jesus by sacramental, mystical, or pneumatological means. Nevertheless, even the pastness of the incarnation remains a powerful and abiding ingredient both in Christ’s ongoing priestly work and in the expectation of his coming. As a result, Jesus’ seeming remoteness in Hebrews remains in important respects compatible with his continuing accessibility and closeness to pilgrim believers. |
| spellingShingle | Bockmuehl, M The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews |
| title | The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews |
| title_full | The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews |
| title_fullStr | The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews |
| title_full_unstemmed | The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews |
| title_short | The dynamic absence of Jesus in Hebrews |
| title_sort | dynamic absence of jesus in hebrews |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bockmuehlm thedynamicabsenceofjesusinhebrews AT bockmuehlm dynamicabsenceofjesusinhebrews |