No Irrelevant Jesus: On Jesus and the Church Today

by Gerhard Lohfink

Overview

Is Jesus relevant for today? If you think not, don’t bother with this book. But if you think that Jesus might have something to say to today’s world, which Jesus comes to mind? Is he “gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” offering individual salvation but with no message for a suffering world? Is he to be remembered as a Zealot fighting for a hopeless cause or as an outstanding rabbi? Was he a prophet in the long series of Israel’s prophets or a religious founder like Muhammad or Gautama? Or was Jesus unique, a man utterly consumed by zeal for the reign of God, by the “fierce urgency of now,” the leader of a movement dedicated to God’s cause but committed to nonviolence and living for others? If we seek him, can we find him in the churches? In No Irrelevant Jesus, Gerhard Lohfink, author of the acclaimed Jesus of Nazareth, explores these questions and offers a resounding yes to the relevance of Jesus today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814682890
Publisher:	Liturgical Press
Publication date:	02/04/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	342
File size:	532 KB

About the Author

Gerhard Lohfink (1934-2024), was professor of New Testament exegesis at the University of Tübingen. His many books include No Irrelevant Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, Is This All There Is?, The Our Father, and Prayer Takes Us Home, all from Liturgical Press.

 

 

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Chapter 1 On Not Taming Jesus 1

Chapter 2 Jesus Revolutionizes Linear Time 20

Chapter 3 How Will the Hungry Be Filled in the Reign of God? 37

Chapter 4 How Did Jesus Heal? 47

Chapter 5 What Does the Love Commandment Mean? 64

Chapter 6 No Place for Warriors in the Name of God 75

Chapter 7 Did Jesus Die for "Many" or for "All"? 86

Chapter 8 How Could an Individual Redeem the Whole World? 90

Chapter 9 Jesus and the Shattered People of God 105

Chapter 10 The Canon and the Many Confessions 121

Chapter 11 Some Irenic Thoughts on the Episcopacy and the Primacy 132

Chapter 12 Must the Pope Be Conservative? 143

Chapter 13 What Constitutes the Church's "Newness"? 147

Chapter 14 The Church's Proper Name Is "Assembly" 160

Chapter 15 The Unknown Paul 175

Chapter 16 How a Sacrament Works 187

Chapter 17 A Catastrophe in the Life of David 207

Chapter 18 On the Sense and Nonsense of Good Intentions 220

Chapter 19 Has the Church Been Deprived of Fasting? 226

Chapter 20 Prayer as Access to Reality 231

Chapter 21 What Distinguishes Christianity from the Religions? 247

Chapter 22 Where Do We Get Our "Values"? 266

Chapter 23 The Magnificat: Signal for a Revolution 279

Chapter 24 Faith: How Does It Work? 285

Chapter 25 The Bible in My Life as an Exegete 301

Notes 315

Index of Biblical Citations and Other Ancient Literature 322

Index of Proper Names 328

Editorial Reviews

Well worth listening to—yes, listening. No Irrelevant Jesus springs from numerous live presentations given by Gerhard Lohfink, who wisely chose to preserve that style of presentation in this volume. Each chapter has the ability to engage the reader as a skilled speaker would engage an audience. His ability to wrench his audience away from complacency or a half-hearted embrace of Jesus, to further challenge the church to live in a way that is anything but routine, is needed in our time and much appreciated.
Cackie Upchurch, Director, Little Rock Scripture Study

Gerhard Lohfink is to theology what Flannery O'Connor is to literature: a voice calling us to be aware of what really matters. O'Connor shouts to a culture deaf to grace; Lohfink confronts anyone trying to tame and domesticate Jesus. Modern-day prophets they are.
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Robert F. Morneau, Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin

Gerhard Lohfink not only demonstrates that Jesus and his church are unquestionably relevant for life today, his essays also offer readers clear and theologically wise responses to critical issues of our day. While his writing is solid and sophisticated, it is accessible to scholar and seeker alike. Brilliantly written and translated, this work should be on the reading list of everyone interested in updating their understanding of Jesus and his church with fresh and stimulating insights.
Stephen J. Binz, independent scholar, speaker, and author of biblical theology and spirituality

No Irrelevant Jesus by Gerhard Lohfink is an excellent complement to the author's Jesus of Nazareth. It highlights the mystery of Jesus Christ and his message in relation to the church's nature and mission. Speaking to general readers as well as to scholars, it illumines the living Lord's "good news" in its biblical setting and also in the context of our contemporary world. Its short, clear, down-to-earth essays challenge us to orient our lives and the church to the coming of God's reign.
Robert A. Krieg, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame

Following his highly successful Jesus of Nazareth, Gerhard Lohfink delivers another stunning achievement with this passionate set of essays about why Jesus remains relevant. Originally a series of public lectures, the chapters retain their oral flair, reflected in the excellent translation. They also impart a wealth of sophisticated information on a variety of themes tied to Jesus and his ministry: miracles, the love commandment, salvation, sin and reconciliation, the nature of the church, the episcopacy, and more. This book demonstrates once more Lohfink's eminent status as a seasoned scholar who nonetheless has the ability to communicate a meaningful pastoral message. In short, a superb book on Jesus' significance for the church today!
Ronald D. Witherup, SS, Superior General of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice and author of Saint Paul and the New Evangelization

No Irrelevant Jesus is a profound meditation on what Jesus means for the church and our world today. In probing metaphors of the church as a sacrament, as the eschatological Israel, Lohfink explores the church's newness, its proper name as an assembly, how a sacrament works, and how faith works. He carefully parses for us how to pray as a way to get access to reality. Readers will not only be deeply enlightened but also feel a call for a genuine and deep conversion (as individuals and the church) against any taming of Jesus.
John A. Coleman, SJ, Associate Pastor, St. Ignatius Church, San Francisco, California

Gerhard Lohfink is a superb scholar and a beautiful writer who helped many readers see the Son of God in an entirely new light with his brilliant book Jesus of Nazareth. Now, in a series of wise, provocative, and inspiring essays, backed by vast learning and deep prayer, Lohfink reveals Jesus as he was and is, and the church as it was and is meant to become.
James Martin, SJ, Author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

“With his succinct treatment of complex topics, Lohfink writes with his customary level of scholarly depth. When a writer or a speaker knows their material and has had years of experience in sharing it with others, there simply is a sense of “gravitas” or trustworthiness to their writing. . . . As Lohfink sketches the “untamed” Jesus, he moves freely between biblical texts, ancient writers, modern theologians and expressions of contemporary culture. . . . Everyone who takes the time to read and ponder this book will be challenged to new depths of discipleship and alerted to new possibilities as we live into the arrival of God’s kingdom already present in Christ and his Church.”
                Michael J. Bowling
                Englewood Review of Books

EBOOK COMMENTARY

No Irrelevant Jesus is composed of short talks Lohfink has given over the years that are filled with exegetical and theological wisdom. . . . Lohfink is a German determined not to forget the terror that was Nazi Germany. This book is also relevant for the challenges facing Christians in America. His is a vision, deeply grounded in scripture, that I believe is our future.
Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law, Duke University
The Christian Century




Gerhard Lohfink is to theology what Flannery O'Connor is to literature: a voice calling us to be aware of what really matters. O'Connor shouts to a culture deaf to grace; Lohfink confronts anyone trying to tame and domesticate Jesus. Modern-day prophets they are.
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Robert F. Morneau, Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin




Gerhard Lohfink not only demonstrates that Jesus and his church are unquestionably relevant for life today, his essays also offer readers clear and theologically wise responses to critical issues of our day. While his writing is solid and sophisticated, it is accessible to scholar and seeker alike. Brilliantly written and translated, this work should be on the reading list of everyone interested in updating their understanding of Jesus and his church with fresh and stimulating insights.
Stephen J. Binz, independent scholar, speaker, and author of biblical theology and spirituality




No Irrelevant Jesus by Gerhard Lohfink is an excellent complement to the author's Jesus of Nazareth. It highlights the mystery of Jesus Christ and his message in relation to the church's nature and mission. Speaking to general readers as well as to scholars, it illumines the living Lord's "good news" in its biblical setting and also in the context of our contemporary world. Its short, clear, down-to-earth essays challenge us to orient our lives and the church to the coming of God's reign.
Robert A. Krieg, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame




Following his highly successful Jesus of Nazareth, Gerhard Lohfink delivers another stunning achievement with this passionate set of essays about why Jesus remains relevant. Originally a series of public lectures, the chapters retain their oral flair, reflected in the excellent translation. They also impart a wealth of sophisticated information on a variety of themes tied to Jesus and his ministry: miracles, the love commandment, salvation, sin and reconciliation, the nature of the church, the episcopacy, and more. This book demonstrates once more Lohfink's eminent status as a seasoned scholar who nonetheless has the ability to communicate a meaningful pastoral message. In short, a superb book on Jesus' significance for the church today!
Ronald D. Witherup, SS, Superior General of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice and author of Saint Paul and the New Evangelization



Gerhard Lohfink’s work, No Irrelevant Jesus, seeks to make Jesus and His Church relevant in the contemporary culture that reduces Jesus and Christianity to one religion that is equal to all others. The book is a collection of essays from oral presentations that Lohfink made during the past several years that he later realized centered around the theme of making Jesus and/or His Church relevant today. . . . His work exhibits a mastery over the material that he has sought to understand throughout his life and it shares many theological themes found in his other work Jesus of Nazareth.
Jason Bermender, Catholic Books Review


“With his succinct treatment of complex topics, Lohfink writes with his customary level of scholarly depth. When a writer or a speaker knows their material and has had years of experience in sharing it with others, there simply is a sense of “gravitas” or trustworthiness to their writing. . . . As Lohfink sketches the “untamed” Jesus, he moves freely between biblical texts, ancient writers, modern theologians and expressions of contemporary culture. . . . Everyone who takes the time to read and ponder this book will be challenged to new depths of discipleship and alerted to new possibilities as we live into the arrival of God’s kingdom already present in Christ and his Church.”
                Michael J. Bowling
                Englewood Review of Books

From the Publisher