I cried like a baby. The words God and weakness just don’t belong together. Which means that sooner or later, we should stop praying against the weakness and accept it as God’s design for our humility and the glory of Christ. Every time I see the title of the sermon series, I cringe. It’s the story of the whole Bible. Leave a reply. If God does not act to save us, or if God is incapable of acting to save us, what then does God do? In that, there is a problem. Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion . God is more likely to be found in the lives of people at the bottom of the ladder where life is messy, than at the top where life is comfortable and secure. In this Book. But he never assumed that this decision was consistent with the costly discipleship that Jesus calls us to live out in the world of unjust domination and violence. … The Latin phrase deus ex machina (day′-us eks mack′-in-ah), meaning “god out of the machine,” refers to situations in ancient Greek theater in which a crane was used to lower an actor playing the part of a god onto the stage. The weakness of God. Love calls us to create a more just society that will put an end to the grief, misery, and distress that we encounter daily. Some authorities claim that this writer is the same author who wrote the gospel of John, but without much evidence other than tradition to back that up. I’m preaching through a series on 2 Corinthians and chose “God of Weakness” as the title. . These hurting places are the arenas where Jesus lived, worked, and taught, and this is the arena to which his followers are called. One day, says Ephesians, everything will be brought to complete unity in Christ: the whole created order will be renewed, humanity along with it. 1973) believes that the crucifixion experience of Jesus is the trauma we all personally experience when we feel the absence of God in our lives. Applying an ever more radical hermeneutics—including Husserlian and Heideggerian phenomenology, Derridian dec… It is through powerlessness that we can enter into solidarity with our fellow human beings, form a community with the weak, and thus reveal the healing, guiding, and sustaining mercy of God . Required fields are marked *. A philosopher by training, Caputo has spent most of his career playing in the sandbox with Heidegger, Kierkegaard and (especially) Derrida, exploring religious issues unearthed by continental philosophy. So the “weakness” of God here is a rhetorical statement. Omnipotence, Unconditionality and the Weak Force of GodHermeneutical Interlude: Two Keys to the Kingdom5. Customer Reviews. The Weakness of Man and the Grace of God. Samson’s story, recorded in Judges 13–16, reads like a narcissistic super hero’s whose Kryptonite weakness does him in in the end. I’m preaching through a series on 2 Corinthians and chose “God of Weakness” as the title. But some theologians now see the suffering of Jesus on the cross and God’s inaction to save him as evidence that both Jesus and God were powerless to act in a supernatural manner. God doesn’t “lord over” the world. God doesn’t “lord over” the world. This is where Paul talks about the “thorn in the flesh.” It’s in 2 Corinthians 12. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Instead of looking at God as merely a name, Caputo views it as an event, or what the name conjures or promises in the future. David’s life was under threat. It isn’t that God is actually weak, but that He chooses to work in and through weakness. It may be the ultimate paradox. Ultimately, it calls us to give up the most treasured images of a God who will rescue us in times of need. First, the people of Israel and Judah must recognize their weakness, that they have no strength in themselves to provide a lasting salvation. Participating in military service as an armed combatant requires the Christian to be ready to take human life. Caputo has a gift for explaining Continental philosophy's jargon succinctly and accurately, and despite technical and foreign terms, this book will engage upper-level undergraduates. The Foolishness and the Weakness of God “We preach Christ crucified … because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1Co 1:23–25 The Divine Comedy, 1Co 1:23 Whenever man, in his assumed wisdom and might, challenges the Sovereign of the universe, Applying an ever more radical hermeneutics, John D. Caputo breaks down the name of God in this irrepressible book. One working definition is that love is “a choice to do what is best for another person.” Love in a family involves caring for those we love—feeding, clothing, sheltering, and educating them. John D. Caputo is an American philosopher who is the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Syracuse University and the David R. Cook Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Villanova University. Our culture, our country, our society are caught up with the idea of winning. Every time I see the title of the sermon series, I cringe. Greek Gods Strengths and Weaknesses Zeus Artemis - Zeus was the God of the sky and he was the ruler of all the gods. Review of John D. Caputo, The Weakness of God and John D. Caputo, Philosophy and Theology (International Journal of Systematic Theology), 2008. It is all we need. Philia (fil-ee’-ah) refers to loyal friendship or a brotherly love, eros (err’-ohs) is used to describe passionate erotic or romantic love, and storgē (stor’-gay) is used in relation to the natural affection of family love, like the love of a parent for a child. . The power of God works in the opposite direction, from the bottom-up. He spent his life working to create a just and caring community among his fellow peasants—a weak and powerless people. 1:18), which is quite central to the idea of the weakness of God.¹ But Paul inscribes his idea of the weakness of God that is revealed in the cross in a larger economy of power—“for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. Includes scriptural and general indexes. Your email address will not be published. Learn how your comment data is processed. God does not exercise top-down power and control from on high. The radical love we see in Jesus pulls at us; it pushes and prods us out of our insular shells. How is this stronger than man? (Rollins, Insurrection, 27). We like winners. That answer, as Jesus said, is to love one another, to care for one another, and to forgive one another. Removing this book will also remove your associated ratings, reviews, and reading sessions. God must have given us this body of weakness and fragility on this earth perhaps to teach us one of the most important fruit of the Spirit. The words God and weakness just don’t belong together. All that would ground him had been fundamentally shaken apart. Weakness leaves us no alternative but to praise God, and give Him all the glory. From the readings for Holy Friday: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Caputo isn't able to keep it together much beyond 100 pages (except the conclusion, which is fun). The promised seed in Genesis 3, devil gets Cain to kill the righteous seed. Instead of looking at God as merely a name, Caputo views it as an event, or what the name conjures or promises in the future. First of the line of power,one of the big three. So far I'm finding a pretty thick read. The Weakness of God! ‎ The author of What Would Jesus Deconstruct? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. As such, religion -- especially in its institutionalized form -- always reinforced hierarchical social arrangements. I hope that the academic philosophers and theologians who read this will be challenged by the radical hospitality called for by the event housed within the name of God. I’ve been striving to improve in this area by checking in with myself at regular intervals and giving myself a chance to refocusing on the bigger picture. Just like millions of innocent victims of disease, hunger, and violence, God does not alter the tragic situations of their lives. 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