Rudolf Schnackenburg

Schnackenburg follows the lead of the second century theologian Irenaeus of Lyon in speaking of one gospel in four forms. He describes a unity of faith underlying the diversity of the four biblical books designated as gospels, but he refuses to simply iron out differences in the interest of an historical whole. He sees the four gospels in historical sequence, with Mark originating the genre and providing a basis that is modified by Matthew, Luke, and John. All four gospels interpret the show more historical record with eyes of faith, but the movement from Mark to John is a movement toward greater "Christological profundity." For Schnackenburg, the four "forms" are best understood not as immovable pillars on which the good news is erected, but as streams that flow together to form a great river. Many readers will find that image appealing, and many will welcome Schnackenburg's lucid presentation of the often complicated relationship between faith and history. This is an excellent text to read alongside the large and growing body of historical Jesus research. Schnackenburg wrote it at least in part to hold the fragments generated by that research together, and it should serve a similar function for interested readers. show less

Schnackenburg's reflections on the Lord's Prayer and the Sermon on the Mount emerged, as he notes in his preface, in the context of the peace discussion of the 1970s and 1980s in Germany. That context played an important role in shaping the reflections, but, though much has changed in the intervening decades, the reflections in this new English translation remain relevant and timely. Reading the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayer together proves to be a fruitful technique by which to show more illuminate both, particularly to the extent that the intimate and confident tone of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples informs the extraordinary ethic he elaborated in the programmatic sermon reported by Matthew and Luke. Schnackenburg's pithy recapitulation of the history of interpretation of the sermon is an excellent introduction to Christian ethics. That, along with the insights into the Lord's Prayer and Schnackenburg's own contribution to the continuing history of interpretation, makes this an important book for anyone interested in Christian ethics "after Auschwitz." show less

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