Theology Unpacked: Raw Edition

Focus on the parallel accounts of Jesus’ trial before Pilate in Mark and Matthew, noting Matthew’s elaboration – and reflecting on the deadly misinterpretations of the blood-guilt of the Jerusalem crowds in Christian history.

Following the story to the first of Jesus’ trials, before the High Priest and the council, again noticing the differences between the Gospel accounts and highlighting the theological importance of the judgment theme.

Exploring the four different approaches to narrating the scene of the agony in the garden and Jesus’ arrest.

Some suggestions about what the Eucharist might have meant to Christians in the Gospel era, beginning with Paul’s account of the sacred meal in 1 Corinthians, and looking at the eucharistic themes in all four Gospels. 

A comparative look at the three synoptic accounts of the last supper, with the institution of the Eucharist. 

We explore the way the judgment theme is worked out in a very different form in John’s Gospel – with end time judgment being aligned with belief in the Son of Man, and with the disputes about judgment acquiring a distinctive contemporary relevance for John’s readers. 

This episode looks at the different ways the synoptic writers narrate Jesus’ prophetic judgment speech over the Temple and the city of Jerusalem, and the subtly different perspectives on the end time in each author 

We move to Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem through the eyes of the synoptic Gospel writers, Mark, Matthew and Luke, reflecting on the individual authors editorial choices and narrative emphases.  The focus is on the series of disputes with the religious leaders in the Temple. 

Here we focus in on ideas of sin and atonement in the Jewish tradition that lie at the back of much Christian language and its relation to other contemporary ancient traditions, in particular the mystery cult of Isis.  We branch into reflections on the first Christian ascetics, the desert fathers, and the way the Christian Lent fits into the theme of atonement and the ascetics choice of the desert as the place to encounter God. 

This episode reflects on the big existential themes of cosmic justice, reward and punishment in cultures before the time of Christianity.  This helps give context to how the big themes of Christian salvation were framed and received.  In particular, the narrative of vindicating the just man (or woman).