{"id":22133,"date":"2016-06-04T17:13:30","date_gmt":"2016-06-04T17:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/stefan-alkier-the-reality-of-the-resurrection\/"},"modified":"2016-06-04T17:13:30","modified_gmt":"2016-06-04T17:13:30","slug":"stefan-alkier-the-reality-of-the-resurrection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/stefan-alkier-the-reality-of-the-resurrection\/","title":{"rendered":"Stefan Alkier: The Reality of the Resurrection"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Stefan Alkier, The Reality of the Resurrection: The New Testament Witness<\/a><\/em> (Waco: Baylor University Press, 2013), 351 pages.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This book takes an in-depth look at the resurrection of Jesus, as it figures in the writings of the New Testament and in the Church\u2019s subsequent use of the resurrection as an idea<\/em>. Alkier begins by taking a close look at the resurrection in Paul\u2019s writings, and he shows, at every turn, that Paul\u2019s gospel was contingent upon the \u201creality\u201d of the resurrection. The connection between the resurrection and the saving power of the gospel can also be gleaned from the remaining books, although it is laid out in a less direct way.<\/p>\n

After five chapters of exegesis on Paul, Hebrews, the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, the Johannine Writings, and the Catholic Letters, Alkier presents four chapters of \u201csystematic interpretations\u201d. Here the book takes a rather odd turn, as Alkier calls on the semiotic theory of Charles S. Peirce to examine the phenomenology of the resurrection in terms of \u201cfirstness\u201d, \u201csecondness\u201d, and \u201cthirdness\u201d. It is not altogether clear what is to be gained by this. Perhaps if Alkier had spent more time selling the reader on Peirce\u2019s ideas, and on explaining their value, there might be more to say in their behalf.<\/p>\n

In connection with this use of Peirce, there arises a significant concern in the guise of Alkier\u2019s continual attempt to sideline the importance of the \u201cempty tomb\u201d. At this point, we are led to wonder whether \u201creality\u201d, as it appears in the book\u2019s title, really means reality<\/em> (The knowing reader cannot help but recall Luke Timothy Johnson\u2019s ill-fated attempt to redefine the word \u201creal\u201d in relation to \u201cthe real Jesus\u201d). There is a foreshadowing of Alkier\u2019s misgivings already on page 1, where the posing of questions about the emptiness of Jesus\u2019 tomb and the objectivity of the resurrection appearances is said to amount to an \u201cextensive reduction of the discussion\u201d. As we see later on, these historical questions are, for Alkier, not merely the pincers of a reducing movement, but wholly dispensable aspects. Naturally, this is a disappointment for those who might want to believe that \u201creality\u201d means reality<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In the third and final section of the book, Alkier discusses the resurrection in relation to \u201cecclesial and educational praxis\u201d, including its role as a theme in the funeral service, in \u201creligious school instruction\u201d, and in the Lord\u2019s Supper. From Alkier\u2019s point of view, it makes sense that the discussion of Peirce should intervene between the exegetical chapters and the application of the resurrection as an idea within the church. The semiotic analysis, in a way, \u201cprocesses\u201d the resurrection for its use in the church.<\/p>\n

Those interested primarily in learning what the New Testament says about the resurrection can profit from reading the first five chapters. That, after all, is what the book\u2019s subtitle suggests the book is about. Beyond that, it\u2019s difficult to say what one might find of value. Without more explanation of why Peirce\u2019s ideas move us forward, it\u2019s difficult to see what they add.<\/p>\n

Reviewed by John Poirier<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Publisher\u2019s page: http:\/\/www.baylorpress.com\/Book\/387\/The_Reality_of_the_Resurrection.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stefan Alkier, The Reality of the Resurrection: The New Testament Witness (Waco: Baylor University Press, 2013), 351 pages. This book takes an in-depth look at the resurrection of Jesus, as it figures in the writings of the New Testament and in the Church\u2019s subsequent use of the resurrection as an idea. Alkier begins by taking…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2844,"featured_media":22134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,3262],"tags":[6187,3340,3636,6188],"ppma_author":[4607],"class_list":["post-22133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indepth","category-spring-2016","tag-alkier","tag-reality","tag-resurrection","tag-stefan","author-johncpoirier"],"authors":[{"term_id":4607,"user_id":2844,"is_guest":0,"slug":"johncpoirier","display_name":"John Poirier","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/JohnPoirier-150x150.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/JohnPoirier-150x150.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2844"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22133"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/km7.a6a.mytemp.website\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=22133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}