By Schubert Ogden
The Notebooks of Schubert Ogden
Marxsen rightly insists that "[e]ven someone who calls Jesus the Christ thereby exercises criticism [of him] and makes a critical decision" (Der Exeget als Theologe: 217).
And recognizing this is important, because there is too much loose talk (in places, perhaps, even by Marxsen himself!) of christology "interpreting" Jesus as the Christ, instead of criticizing him as the Christ.
Of course, "interpretation" can be, and often is, used in the broad sense in which it is equivalent to "appropriation," i.e., analysis, interpretation (in the strictest sense), and criticism. But predicating properly christological predicates of Jesus is, in fact, criticizing him in a certain way; and this is not interpreting him in the strict sense of the term.
21 February 2000
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