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Marxsen's point about our anachronism in dealing with such texts is well taken. But, once again, his "nichts anderes" is the offending member. Were it right, the "illocutionary load" of the authors' confession would be reduced, in effect, to expressing the expressive, "We believe." But, of course, precisely in expressing that expressive, they also assert a constantive to the effect that certain things were the case because of which (and only because of which) they have the right to express their belief as, in its way, both cognitively significant, and true.

Wiki MarkupThat Marxsen himself recognizes this is clear from other formulations such as the following: " \ [D\]as Reden von der Auferstehung Jesu \ [ist\] ein Interpretament, das ausdrucken will: Mein Glaube hat ein Woher; und dieser Woher heißt Jesus" (145; cf. 112, where he explains "daß der Glaube ein Woher hat, das Woher aber bei Gott liegt"). Even more telling is his summary judgment about all the "Vorstellungen" whereby having come to faith is formulated: "Das _Bekenntnis_ zur Wirklichkeit des extra nos des erfahrenen Glaubens ist die _Konstante_; _variabel_ aber ist die _Vorstellung_, derer sich das Bekenntnis bedient" (150). What is constant, in other words, is not simply, "We have come to faith," but "The faith to which we have come has its ground in reality outside ourselves. "

15 May 2008