Week 15 Post

This weeks post is a reflection on the video essay projects we have just completed. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of making and narrating a video about how this course has changed my views. I have always been interested in video production and this project allowed me to excel at something I like to do. The best part about this project was having the final edition finished. After scrambling to take pictures and countless times of trying to record my essay narration, without any errors, it was very satisfying see the final product. The hardest part about this project was finding pictures that matched up with my essay, and portrayed, visually, what I was trying to say in my essay. I think, however, I was successful in doing so and that is what has made me so proud about this assignment.

I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing my classmate's productions. It was very interesting seeing how this course has changed their views, and I was able to find similarities with a lot of students. I think the video essay project was an excellent way to close the semester and I urge for the class to continue to do this particular assignment. This course opened my eyes and I am glad that I got to share that with my video essay. It is also a great way to see how views of your students have changed throughout the semester. Overall, the video essay project was a success and I hope that it will be carried on in this course for future classes to come.

Week 14 Post

This weeks readings come from The First Paul, written by Marcus Borg and John Crossan. The chapter I read was called "Life Together: In Christ." Initially, before I began reading, I wondered what life together in Christ means. As I read on, I grasped Borg and Crossan's meaning of a life in christ.

For Paul, life "in Christ" was not about a new personal identity for individuals. Instead, Paul's understanding was very different from the understanding of the role of religion and the purpose of spirituality in Western culture. For Paul, life "in Christ" was always a communal matter because his purpose and passion was to create a community in which peoples lives embodied an alternative to the normalcy of the "wisdom of the world" (Borg 186). This then leads me to think about the communal meaning of life "in Christ" and probes me to ask if I agree with the idea that to be "in Christ" is also to be "in the Spirit." I agree with this idea because so much of believing in Christ is believing in his spirit. Because he is not here on earth with us, we have to look at something more powerful in order to understand Christianity and continue to practice it how it should be practiced. I like Borg and Crossan's chapter here about life in Christ. So much of religion is based on belief and they strengthen how important that belief is, with looking at Paul's messages in this chapter.

Week 12 Post

This weeks readings consisted of sections from the Common English Bible. Again, I found these readings to be very interesting because the Common English Bible does a good job at organizing the readings and making them clear to read. This section in particular was the readings from the Philippians. This section starts with a greeting, and then continues with a section called Thanksgiving and Prayer. I liked reading this part because, to me, prayer is a big part of faith. I try and pray everyday or every night and I try not to forget to do so. I used to pray before my meals, however I have strayed from doing so recently. This section was good because it inspired me to get back to the routine where I pray before every meal and give thanks to everything I have been given in this life.

As I continued to read, a section called Values and Priorities caught my eye. The initial message is to be glad in the Lord, which I think is key for a every Christian to understand. The next thing to do is to watch out for people who do evil, as they might cause you to stray from your faith. And the final message of this section is to forget about what is behind us, and focus on what is ahead, and how we are going to handle our future endeavors. This message is truly the message of Christianity, spoken here in the Philippians. It is our duty to serve God and our actions must be consistent with whatever level of spirituality we reach. I thoroughly enjoyed these readings because I think they did well at grasping the ideas and goals of Christianity. It is up to us to follow these guidelines, and I think the more that we put into our faith, the more we ultimately will get out of it.

Week 11 Post

This week's readings consisted of John's Gospel in the Common English Bible. I first want to complement the Common English Bible for its simplicity and depth. It is very easy to read and it is organized very well.

As I read on through John's Gospel, a couple stories caught my eye. The first was on page 166, titled: Feeding of the Five Thousand. This passage comes just before the famous passage where Jesus walks on water, and alike many stories in this Gospel, we see Jesus performing miracles and displaying his divinity. There was a large crowd approaching Jesus and he asks, "where will we buy food to feed these people?" Jesus then has the people sit down. He took the bread, gave thanks, and he distributed it to those sitting there. He did the same with fish and all the five thousand were fed, with leftovers. Jesus' changing of five loaves of bread and two fish into a plentiful amount of food, enough to feed 5,000 and have leftovers, shows his true divinity. Because he is able to do such a miraculous act, the people's response is how we could imagine. They say, "this is truly the prophet who is coming into the world." This passage in particular characterizes Jesus in a divine nature. This passage goes well with this course because we have been discussing the characterization of Jesus for weeks.

The next passage that caught my eye was called The Pharisees Test Jesus. Before even reading this passage I thought to myself, what are they going to do? How is he going to respond? These questions were answered after reading further. The Pharisees bring a guilty woman to Jesus in efforts of getting a reason to bring an accusation against him. Jesus flips the situation on end and tells the Pharisees that whoever has not sinned before, can follow through with stoning this woman. Because everyone had indeed committed a sin, of different levels obviously, no one stayed to throw any stones. Jesus then tells the woman to not sin from now on, showing is sympathy for those who get caught in sin either by accident or because they are "lost."

These two passages give us great detail of Jesus' implications. He is characterized in the first one as a divine human, and in the second, as a sympathetic man. These two passages go well with what we have doing with our analysis of Gospel pericopes. The question, is Jesus more divine or human, makes me think, and as I look at these passages from the Gospel, it is evident that Jesus is either divine, human, or both in all of these stories, proving that he has a relationship with God, and is His son.

Week 10 Post

This week I chose to read the Epilogue to Marcus Borg's, Jesus, and although there were multiple interesting parts to this epilogue, one especially caught my eye. The section just before the end called, A Vision of the Christian Life was very interesting. Borg states, "that the central claim of this book is how we see Jesus affects how we see Christianity--it shapes what we think the Christian life is most centrally about" (307). I think this that this is very important because with all the criticisms and other religions present in the world today, it is difficult to come to conclusion on what we believe a life of faith to be about. Borg continues to say, "a Jesus seen within a historical-metaphorical paradigm, and an emerging vision of Christianity, go hand in hand." I agree with this statement and I think that Jesus is seen in a historical and metaphorical paradigm throughout the bible, and these two ideas contribute to a Christian vision that Borg builds in this epilogue.

The next thing Borg speaks on is how beliefs should be secondary, not primary. Importantly, Christianity is a way to be followed more than a set of beliefs to be believed. I also agree with this statement because practice is more important than what's correct. A lot of people question belief and what they have to look at is that beliefs are very important, yet they are not the object of faith. Rather, God is the object of commitment, and for Christians, God is known in Jesus. Borg does a really good job explaining what the vision of the Christian Life is to be. After putting this book down I can honestly say that what Borg has to say is very interesting and enlightening. 

Week 9 Post

This weeks readings consisted of an appraisal by Chris Marshall called "A Prophet Of God's Justice: reclaiming The Political Jesus." Marshall claims, "that Jesus was an overtly political figure, that he had an identifiable political platform, and that the political values, commitments, and priorities we see displayed in his teaching and praxis ought to play a determinative role in shaping and directing all subsequent Christian engagement in the political process." I agree with Marshall's initial claim; although, it is evident that his proposal contradicts the conventional view of Jesus as someone who had no interest in political activity or standing.

What he goes on to say is quite interesting. Marshall discusses how the usual view of Jesus, "a savior," is how we see Jesus throughout society. Through the readings in the gospels, we can see Jesus' theology and his ethics, but Marshall asks if we can see any politics in his teachings. And because we are so used to seeing Jesus in a theological or ethical light, and not necessarily in a political light, is this non-political Jesus credible? He asks, "is a non-political Jesus historically or theologically credible? and is it possible to isolate Jesus from the social and political problems of his time?" In order to decide so, we can look at what did not escape his opponents, the political ramifications of what he taught and practiced. His message, his lifestyle, his disregard for certain traditions, his claim to divine authority, his high-handed actions in Temple precincts, and his consorting with sinners, according to Marshall, "were perceived by his enemies as a challenge to the very cornerstones of Jewish society and ultimately to the Roman provincial peace." This right here is Jesus' political action. Because it goes against the normative political definition, people believe that he had no political action at all. But that is not the case, and Marshall does a good job describing how Jesus was indeed politically active.

This essay really grabbed my attention because of its message. Marshall discusses Jesus' life and tries to justify whether or not he was a political or a non-political figure. By doing so, he discovers that, "the only way, then, to do justice to the individual words and deeds of Jesus is always to view them within the context of the larger gospel narrative of his life and mission." Simply said, we need to view Jesus' actions in a larger context rather than looking at them alone. Rather that look at what he is doing at a certain moment, look at that moment and compare it to Jesus' life mission, and see how they connect and disconnect. 

Week 7 Post

This week, we read The Jesus We'll Never Know by Scot McKnight. McKnight claims that the Jewish Jesus and the historical Jesus differ. He says, "Jesus" refers to the Jesus who lived and breathed and ate and talked and called disciples. This Jesus is the Jesus who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and, according to the witness of many, was raised again." He then goes on to say that the historical Jesus is someone or something else. This, at first glance, caught my eye because it made me wonder, how can their be two different types of Jesus? How can the historical Jesus differ from the "Jewish" Jesus? What is his explanation? And as I read on I discovered what he means.

The "Jewish" Jesus is the Jesus we all know; the Jesus we have all heard about and learned about since we were young. This is our basis. Now the historical Jesus, according to McKnight, is the "Jesus whom scholars have reconstructed over against the canonical portraits of Jesus in the Gospels of our New Testament, and over against the orthodox Jesus of the church." Meaning, the historical Jesus has been fashioned together by scholars on the basis of historical methods. However, scholars differ so it can be deduced that their methods differ as well. This leads to differing reconstructions which leads to differing images of Jesus. So he asks, "whose Jesus will we trust? Will it be that of the evangelists and the apostles? Will it be the church's orthodox Jesus? Or will it be the latest proposal from a brilliant historian?" This question intrigues me because it probes me. What Jesus do I trust? Do I follow what every historian has pieced together to make up the figure Jesus? And the answer is no. As a matter of fact, I see Jesus in probably a different way than anyone else does, and that's the essential take of it. We need to see Jesus in our own light, because everyone is different, and different things work differently for others. If we don't allow ourselves to view Jesus as we see him, and rather listen to how others see him, then our belief is not as strong. If we take other people's images of Jesus and try and use them as our own, we are not going to fully capture the essence of what Jesus is for us. This is the main point of Scot McKnight's essay, and reading this has reminded me that I have to stick to what I believe Jesus to be, because that is what works, and will continue to work.

Week 6 Post

This week, we dove into the Common English Bible and looked at Mark's gospel. I really enjoyed reading this section because it gives me a good idea on how everything got started, and the Common English Bible really puts the texts in an easy, readable manner. Mark's gospel begins with the passage of John's preaching, where John tells us that "one stronger than I am is coming after me (Jesus)" (61). This foreshadows Jesus' coming and although we do not see a birth story in this particular gospel, this baptism by John serves as the point where we now know that Jesus has been deemed the Son of God. Mark then moves on to explain Jesus' message and God's good news. Jesus rounds up his disciples and begins to perform miracles in order to show everyone that he is divine. Mark's gospel continues with account after account where Jesus displays things like his healing power, his power to draw out demons, and his will to forgive. These instances are a good reminder for me, as they certify Jesus' role and what I believe in. The Son of God is a symbol for Christians alike myself, as a way of showing us what it means to be Christian. To love, forgive, and help are to be Christian and we can see this in Jesus' teachings at the beginning of Mark's gospel.

Mark goes on to tell us about Jesus' life and how all the good he performed allowed for everyone to believe that he truly was the Son of God. In Mark, we see Jesus as a visionary and a leader. This gospel successfully shows readers the beginning of Jesus' life and how the lessons and morals that could be pulled from his actions are proof that he is the Savior. Mark does a good job at exemplifying the good in Jesus and I find this particular gospel to be my favorite.

Week 5 Post

This week we read a chapter by James Crossley on Reading Historical Documents Historically. This chapter gave me new insight and affected how I look at the gospels now. The gospels of Mathew, Mark, John, and Luke need to be read with the mindset that these writers had certain ambitions when putting together each book. These books have a central meaning where the writers aim to tell readers about the life and story of Jesus and the time in which he served. If we look at the books with all the knowledge we have acquired, we might miss the context of the stories simply because over time, context shifts and molds to the different generations. We might not be able to understand some things because the works were composed in a different era than that of what we are used to. The changing of generations causes a buffer or a challenge to understand the written materials because each generation has its differences. These differences may cause trouble for present day readers and lead to a misinterpretation of the readings. We will never know the absolute context of these readings; however, we have been able to put together an idea of what their intentions are. The gap between us and when the gospels were written is too large to overcome and an exact interpretation, or the correct interpretation, can never really be made.

Week 4 Post

This week we read deeper into Marcus Borg's, Jesus. In this section, Borg discusses how Christians take the readings of the gospels in a metaphorical matter. Rather than looking at the readings of Mark, Mathew, Luke and John factually, Borg explains how Christians see the readings metaphorically. All of the narratives are not based on the memory or particular events, but instead they are created because of their metaphorical meaning. Take the Wedding at Cana. The story of Jesus changing water into wine is purely a metaphorical narrative not a memory of a historical event. This then leads us to question what the narratives are saying, and what is the parabolic meaning behind them all. Well, they all differ, aiming at different parts of living, but they all have the same content. That being a message behind everything, which is what Christians look at and reflect on. Borg reminds us that we need to continue to look at them metaphorically and stray from taking the readings as historically factual.

As a Christian, I have no trouble seeing the metaphorical meaning behind these narratives. For an outsider though, or someone who is not Christian, I can see how difficult it might be to understand what these narratives are saying. They are, in some cases hard to believe, but the key to Christianity is not to believe but more so to understand. We do not need to believe them factually, instead what we need to do is look at the morals we can deduce from the actions played out, and we can then apply that to our lives. Not all of Jesus' stories are going to be true. It is part of the faith, which makes the narratives valid and gives Christians the backbone to understand Christ's intentions.

Week 3 Post

  In this week's readings we discussed Jesus, and how the image of God is reflected through Jesus' actions. In Marcus Borg's, Jesus, he makes important claims as to what Jesus is in the eye of a Christian. He claims, "Jesus reveals, discloses, what can be seen of God in a human life and what a life filled with God looks like" (Borg 6). I fully agree with Borg's claim because in my mind, Jesus is simply an extension of God, in human form. What we see through the actions and teachings of Jesus are: passion, character, nature, and will, which is exactly what God intends on us to see. Throughout Jesus' lifetime certain events such as the sermon on the mount or the turning of water to wine give us concrete examples to understand the true divinity of the robed man. Take Jesus' crucifixion. He was put to death, He rose again, and in doing so, He solidified Christianity. In reality, we are all sinners; however, God still loves all. When we sin, whether we know it or not, we want to be forgiven. God cannot and will not forgive us unless an atonement is made. The crucifixion of Jesus serves as this atonement and therefore, we can be forgiven by God. This is the basis of Christianity and this belief is very strong in my mind.  

 
    This weeks readings made me think again about what I believed Jesus to be. I knew, as the son of God, Jesus' divinity was strong and what he stood for was what God would stand for. Knowing this, I look deeper into myself and make sure that the qualities God would agree with are present in my everyday life. I am proud to be a Christian and if I do not practice my beliefs the way God would, I would be doing a disrespect; so therefore, I will continue to live with passion, character, and good nature and will.

Week 2 Post

The most interesting part of this week was indeed the video we watched in class about slowing down. Carl Honore and his message to slow down, sparked a strong interest in my mind. He started off the lecture by claiming that we as a society are stuck in fast forward. I strongly agree with Honore, because as I look at my daily routine, I notice that I intend to get through my day as fast as possible. Like many Americans, I take shortcuts to complete tasks and try to do things efficiently. He goes on to talk about speed reading to his son and how it was unhealthy that he wanted to speed through this particular time of the day. After he realized that reading to his son should be the thing he looked most forward to, Honore made a change in his life and reading to his son is now the most important part of his day. Learning and changing is a part of humanity and once we make a mistake we should be able to correct it for the next time. Learning to slow down is a perfect example of this and Carl Honore's lecture has inspired me to look at my life, slow down, and enjoy it because life is short.

Week 1 Post: Who Am I, Who Is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
-Jesus is the son of God. He gave up his life for what he had believed in. He was not only an icon, but a role model for people who, in that time, had very little direction. He ignited people's spirituality and used his wisdom to teach the word of his father, God.
-Jesus is the son of God.
-Moral.


Who am I?
-My name is Brennan Kurtela and I was born and raised in Northern California. I am interested in things like Baseball, Ice Hockey, water/snow sports. I am outgoing and I love to have a good time. I am the 3rd sibling of 4 and I want to be successful in whatever I do. My family is the most important thing to me and building friendships throughout my time at Gonzaga is a high priority of mine.
-I enjoy being active but love to relax as well.

-Driven.