The first passage captures the thoughts of Jean Danielou. The author analyses how the Christian church incorporates the visions drawn the Jewish, the Latin and Hellenistic cultures. Further, the author looks at how the Christian theology has evolved over time by the “divine events of the incarnation and resurrection of the word.” Jean also appreciates the role of revelation founded on bringing forth theology with doctrines drawn from other external sources related to Christianity. The author’s sentiments follow the religious studies or comparative religion method. This approach demands that texts by students of religious studies exhibit objectivity and a “value-free orientation” (Rodrigues & Harding, 2008). Jean Danielou is certainly neutral regarding his analysis of the Christian doctrine. His sentiments are not grounded on his “cultural, religious or philosophical backgrounds” and are observed through “situated perspectives” (Rodrigues & Harding, 2008). His analysis appreciates other cultures that Christianity borrows heavily from such as the Latin, the Jewish and the Hellenistic cultures. Despite his Christian background, the author steers off from subjectivity which may make him biased in pertinent observations regarding incarnation to revelation within the Christian context.
The second passage looks at the Apostle Paul’s conversion to Christianity. The author notes that Apostle Paul’s conversion can be traced to the resurrection of Jesus. The author seeks to support this fact by noting that Paul confesses these sentiments in 1 Corinthians 15:8-11. Likewise, the author tries to establish whether Paul was talking having seen Jesus figuratively or literally before his conversion. Additionally, the author admits that Paul’s assertions are unclear and cannot be verified in terms of time and form. It is Paul’s confessions that form the basis of the Christian understanding of the bodily resurrection of those who knew Jesus, as he would be the” first fruit” of whom would be raised. The passage thus can be said to entirely center on Paul, his conversion and his understanding of the resurrection of the believers same as Jesus Christ. The passage goes against the comparative religion method or religious studies as explained by Rodrigues and Harding. The passage is subjective and only focused on the understanding of Paul’s conversion solely from a subjective perspective (Sharma, 2005). The author does not incorporate other external sources but instead concentrates on the biblical scriptures (Rodrigues & Harding, 2008). Additionally, he does not take an external stance to analyze his understanding of Paul’s conversion and the Christian believers’ body resurrection. He further does not try to deviate from his traditional inclination in understanding the implications of Paul’s teachings from the dimension of a religious scholar.
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The third passage looks at the mystery surrounding the authorship of the book of James in the Bible. The author argues that the book might have been pseudonymous work as it was Jewish tradition as a practice of antiquity. The author, however, does not take a clear stance regarding the actual authorship of the book of James citing the need to incorporate facts from the document as well as external evidence. Likewise, he queries whether pseudonymity or false writings may be accommodated in Christianity given that they go against the concept of Christian truth. The ethics and Christian beliefs are thus subjected to scrutiny when it comes to this book. Looking at the contents of this passage against the comparative religion method by Rodrigues and Harding much can be noted. The author observes the canons of comparative religion method in that he follows objectivity and tries to look at the issue of pseudonymity from more than one dimension (Rodrigues & Harding, 2008). He appreciates pseudonymity as a practice in the Jewish culture but also raises the issues surrounding Christian ethics touching on truth. He does not take a dismissive stance towards the possibility that the authorship of the book may be attributed to an entirely different author and not James, the brother of Jesus.
References
Rodrigues, H., & Harding, J. S. (2008). Introduction to the Study of Religion (1st ed.). London, UK: Routledge; 1 edition (August 29, 2008).
Sharma, A. (2005). Religious studies and comparative methodology: The case for reciprocal illumination . Albany: State University of New York Press.
