the continuing allegorization of the true secrets?
PAUL's
allegorization
of the Jew is, in fact, twofold.
On the one hand,
ISRAEL is,
as we have been arguing throughout,
the signifier of the NEW Israel,
ultimately to be
the Christian
church.
ON
the other hand,
there are two textual moments in the Pauline corpus
that lend themselves to another, somewhat more sinister,
reading of the signifier
Jew.
-
I mean
Romans 2 & 7,
where we can [and a certain tradition does] read the Jew as a symbol
for everything that Christ and Paul
have come to
negate.
-
THESE
symbolizations of the Jew
have their historical continuation in the continued allegorizations of "Jew"
in European culture until
NOW.
-
I have called them
the trope of the "secret Jew in all of us"
and the trope of the
"true Jew."
-
The
first-mentioned trope
continues a traditional reading of Romans
whereby the Jew represents homo religiosus or some other despised human characteristic, while the second continues the Pauline theme
whereby the Jews are the material signifier transcended
by their allegorical, spiritual
signified.
~*~
The "secret Jew"
as Symbol for Inferior Religion:
the key text for the neo-Lutheran theological appropriations of Paul by Bultmann a.o. is Romans 2.
-
In THIS chapter,
PAUL adresses a singular, anonymous Jewish interlocutor as "O Jew!"
This formal usage has lent itself very conveniently to those who wish to see
here EveryJew, and indeed to allegorize EveryJew as a contemnable part
of Everyman.
-
R.B. & E.K. have revived in all its glory the Lutheran tradition whereby Paul stood against verything Jewish as the very essence of that which "G D" hated and which he had sent Christ [AND PAUL!] to strike down.
-
Having seen already
on possible reading of the first part of Romans 2 before, let us now see
what happens to it in the hands of E.K., who, it will be remembered, was one of R.B.'s leading neo-Lutheran 'heirs.'
As shown there, this chap is eminently readable as a critique of Jews who believe that merely being Jewish will afford one a place in the economy of salvation; indeed it is an attack on a notion that 'by grace alone',
one may be saved?
-
PAUL argues strenuously,
indeed, that it is ONLY by good works that anyone is justified.
HE redefines, however, at the end of the chapter, of what it IS that good works consists.
-
These are NOT,
as the Jew would think, THOSE practices that mark them off from the Nations, such as circumcision, but rather those spiritually understood universal allegorical meanings of the practices,
such as faith and love.
-
E.K.,
in accordance with his religious ideology
inherited from his teacher and ultimately from the whole Lutheran tradition, reads the Jew who is being addressed in this chapter
as "religious man."
-
Accordingly,
verse 4 becomes for HIM
not a charge against "real" Jews
that they forget that G d's sppecial regard for the Jews as a demand that they repent - "or do you think lightly of the wealth of his goodness and of his forbearance and patience, disregarding the fact that the kindness of G D is to lead you to repentance?" -
but something else entirely:
The danger of the pious person is
that of isolating G d's gifts from the claim which is given with them,
and of forgetting to relate forbearance and patience to the Judge of the "Last Day." Humans always crave security.
They seek to obtain it through moralism,
worshipping the gods, or trusting
the divine goodness.
~*~
Enough for Now!
This kind of theme will go on popping up in different disguises
in all kinds of religions & ideologies.
If still alive, we'll continue
this miserable mess
of 'holy' words
later on?
In the
meantime:
try to sleep well
& dream sweet
[if you still
can?]!
~
~
allegorization
of the Jew is, in fact, twofold.
On the one hand,
ISRAEL is,
as we have been arguing throughout,
the signifier of the NEW Israel,
ultimately to be
the Christian
church.
ON
the other hand,
there are two textual moments in the Pauline corpus
that lend themselves to another, somewhat more sinister,
reading of the signifier
Jew.
-
I mean
Romans 2 & 7,
where we can [and a certain tradition does] read the Jew as a symbol
for everything that Christ and Paul
have come to
negate.
-
THESE
symbolizations of the Jew
have their historical continuation in the continued allegorizations of "Jew"
in European culture until
NOW.
-
I have called them
the trope of the "secret Jew in all of us"
and the trope of the
"true Jew."
-
The
first-mentioned trope
continues a traditional reading of Romans
whereby the Jew represents homo religiosus or some other despised human characteristic, while the second continues the Pauline theme
whereby the Jews are the material signifier transcended
by their allegorical, spiritual
signified.
~*~
The "secret Jew"
as Symbol for Inferior Religion:
the key text for the neo-Lutheran theological appropriations of Paul by Bultmann a.o. is Romans 2.
-
In THIS chapter,
PAUL adresses a singular, anonymous Jewish interlocutor as "O Jew!"
This formal usage has lent itself very conveniently to those who wish to see
here EveryJew, and indeed to allegorize EveryJew as a contemnable part
of Everyman.
-
R.B. & E.K. have revived in all its glory the Lutheran tradition whereby Paul stood against verything Jewish as the very essence of that which "G D" hated and which he had sent Christ [AND PAUL!] to strike down.
-
Having seen already
on possible reading of the first part of Romans 2 before, let us now see
what happens to it in the hands of E.K., who, it will be remembered, was one of R.B.'s leading neo-Lutheran 'heirs.'
As shown there, this chap is eminently readable as a critique of Jews who believe that merely being Jewish will afford one a place in the economy of salvation; indeed it is an attack on a notion that 'by grace alone',
one may be saved?
-
PAUL argues strenuously,
indeed, that it is ONLY by good works that anyone is justified.
HE redefines, however, at the end of the chapter, of what it IS that good works consists.
-
These are NOT,
as the Jew would think, THOSE practices that mark them off from the Nations, such as circumcision, but rather those spiritually understood universal allegorical meanings of the practices,
such as faith and love.
-
E.K.,
in accordance with his religious ideology
inherited from his teacher and ultimately from the whole Lutheran tradition, reads the Jew who is being addressed in this chapter
as "religious man."
-
Accordingly,
verse 4 becomes for HIM
not a charge against "real" Jews
that they forget that G d's sppecial regard for the Jews as a demand that they repent - "or do you think lightly of the wealth of his goodness and of his forbearance and patience, disregarding the fact that the kindness of G D is to lead you to repentance?" -
but something else entirely:
The danger of the pious person is
that of isolating G d's gifts from the claim which is given with them,
and of forgetting to relate forbearance and patience to the Judge of the "Last Day." Humans always crave security.
They seek to obtain it through moralism,
worshipping the gods, or trusting
the divine goodness.
~*~
Enough for Now!
This kind of theme will go on popping up in different disguises
in all kinds of religions & ideologies.
If still alive, we'll continue
this miserable mess
of 'holy' words
later on?
In the
meantime:
try to sleep well
& dream sweet
[if you still
can?]!
~
~
19 aug 2005 - bewerkt op 20 mrt 2008
- meld ongepast verhaal
Log in om een reactie te plaatsen.
- O 22 jun 2026 21 Dezelfde reacties werden opgeroepen door de Gay
- O 20 jun 2026 20 In dit ozo diverse land is zelfs het
- O 18 jun 2026 18/19 Als 21ste eeuws centrum kent Yeroesjalayiem
- O 18 jun 2026 Al die andere oude myDiverhalen hebben veel weg nu
- O 18 jun 2026 18 Toen was alleen de amper 4-jarige Franz nogmaar
- O 17 jun 2026 17 Zo’n universeel dagboek als myDiary is
- O 15 jun 2026 15 Want wie kon toen nog beter weten hoe schrikba-
- O 15 jun 2026 19/84 ‘t Klinkt misschien allemaal als een gemeen-
- O 14 jun 2026 18/83 Ook Yeroesjalayiem kent aldus een zeer lange
- O 13 jun 2026 63 Hier bouwde koning SJLOMO ZIJN EIGEN TEMPEL EN
- O 13 jun 2026 62 SCHETSEN VAN HEILIGE LANDEN DOOR DE EEUWEN HEEN
- O 12 jun 2026 61 Vervolg bewustzijn geheugen inzicht actualiteit
- O 11 jun 2026 Islam: ISLAMISMEISLAMISTISCHISLAMYSTIEK MEKKA MOH?
- O 10 jun 2026 60 De WERELDBRAND? De grootste bedreiging voor die
- O 10 jun 2026 GROTE AANTALLEN OOST-EUROPESE JODEN woonden nu al