Choose one of the above statements, and write a one-page essay that unpacks what Benedict XVI means in light of the chapter as a

Prompt

In his chapter on Jesus’s Resurrection, Benedict XVI makes the following statements:

(1) “…in our quest for the figure of Jesus, the Resurrection is the crucial point. Whether Jesus merely was or whether he also is—this depends on the Resurrection. In answering yes or no to this question, we are taking a stand not simply one one event among others, but on the figure of Jesus as such.”

(2) “Anyone approaching the Resurrection accounts in the belief that he knows what rising from the dead means will inevitably misunderstand those accounts and will then dismiss them as meaningless.”

(3) “Now it must be acknowledged that if in Jesus’ Resurrection we were dealing simply with the miracle of a resuscitated corpse, it would ultimately be of no concern to us. […] The New Testament testimonies leave us in no doubt that what happened in the ‘Resurrection of the Son of Man’ was utterly different. Jesus’ Resurrection was about breaking out into an entirely new form of life, into a life that is no longer subject to the law of dying and becoming, but lies beyond it—a life that opens up a new dimension of human existence.”

Directions

Choose one of the above statements, and write a one-page essay that unpacks what Benedict XVI means in light of the chapter as a whole. Pay particular attention to his emphasis on the specific meaning of Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, and the stunning novelty and “paradox” that this implies.

Note: Whichever quotation you select, do not quote the entire passage in your essay, since this takes up space that you need for analysis and explanation. You may, of course, quote smaller parts of Benedict’s statement (as well as the rest of the chapter) as needed to elucidate his meaning.

Format

Word document
One page
Double-spaced
11 point font