John Dominic Crossan: Paul, Christ, & the Mystery of Execution & Resurrection
Homebrewed Christianity Podcast with Tripp Fuller
In this session of our class Paul the Pharisee: Faith and Politics in a Divided World, biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan explores his proposal to reconstruct Easter, focusing on Paul’s understanding of “the mystery of God.” Crossan argues that this mystery refers to how God allowed Jesus, as Messiah, to be executed by Roman civilization to reveal its inherent injustice, while simultaneously vindicating Jesus through resurrection to reveal the justice of creation. He proposes that historically, the earliest interpretations of Jesus’s exaltation were likely focused on individual ascension rather than resurrection, and that it was Paul who transformed this understanding into universal resurrection as an in-time process rather than merely an end-time event. Crossan contrasts Western Christianity’s individual resurrection imagery with Eastern Christianity’s universal resurrection imagery, arguing that the Eastern tradition is more faithful to Paul’s original vision. He concludes by suggesting that Paul’s cosmic justice concept serves as a metaphor for humanity’s evolutionary challenge of sustainability, and proposes that both theists and atheists should focus on cosmic evolution rather than debating God’s existence.
GET ACCESS to the entire class including lectures, livestreams, presentation slides, and more at www.TheologyClass.com.
John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian, God and Empire, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Greatest Prayer, The Last Week, and The Power of Parable. He lives in Minneola, Florida.
Previous Podcast Episodes with Dom & Tripp
Diana Butler Bass & John Dominic Crossan: The Resurrection of Jesus
Brian McLaren & John Dominic Crossan: The Message of Jesus & the Judgement of Civilization
Brian Zahnd & John Dominic Crossan: God, Violence, Empire, & Salvation
New Online Class Starting After Easter!
A transformative 5-week online learning community exploring the diverse theological understandings of Jesus Christ across different traditions and perspectives.
Starting in late April 2025, this comprehensive online course invites you to engage with pressing Christological questions through the lens of Reformed, Liberal, Feminist, Black, and Process theologies.
What to Expect
6 EXCLUSIVE LECTURES - Learn from leading theologians representing diverse theological traditions.
5 INTERACTIVE LIVESTREAMS - Submit questions for the Q&A and engage in deeper exploration through discussion.
CAREFULLY CURATED READINGS - Dive into foundational and cutting-edge scholarship that supports your learning.
FIVE LIVE SESSIONS:
Thursdays (April 24th - May 22nd) at 11am PT / 2pm ET
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John Dominic Crossan is Coming to Theology Beer Camp!
Theology Beer Camp 2025
October 16-18, 2025 - St. Paul, Minnestoa
We are SOOOOO pumped for Theology Beer Camp 2025 and will reveal some fantastic speakers and nerdy fun at camp this year on the stream. 3 Days of Craft Nerdiness with 50+ Theologians & God-Pods and 600 new friends.
EARLY BIRD TICKETS available until May 15th - Get tickets here. We will sell out!
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