Sacrificial Love—August 30, 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 176-185
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Grant Macaskill

This book examines how the New Testament scriptures might form and foster intellectual humility within Christian communities. It is informed by recent interdisciplinary interest in intellectual humility, and concerned to appreciate the distinctive representations of the virtue offered by the New Testament writers on their own terms. It argues that the intellectual virtue is cast as a particular expression of the broader Christian virtue of humility, which proceeds from the believer’s union with Christ, through which personal identity is reconstituted by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we speak of ‘virtue’ in ways determined by the acting presence of Jesus Christ, overcoming sin and evil in human lives and in the world. The Christian account of the virtue is framed by this conflict, as believers within the Christian community struggle with natural arrogance and selfishness, and come to share in the mind of Christ. The new identity that emerges creates a fresh openness to truth, as the capacity of the sinful mind to distort truth is exposed and challenged. This affects knowledge and perception, but also volition: for these ancient writers, a humble mind makes good decisions that reflect judgments decisively shaped by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. By presenting ‘humility of mind’ as a characteristic of the One who is worshipped—Jesus Christ—the New Testament writers insist that we acknowledge the virtue not just as an admission of human deficiency or limitation, but as a positive affirmation of our rightful place within the divine economy.


Author(s):  
Nataliia Odarchuk ◽  
◽  
Elina Koliada ◽  
Iryna Kalynovska ◽  
◽  
...  

The article explores the image of the Ukrainian orthodox priest of the beginning – middle of the 20th century by analyzing the literary works of Liubov Vasyliv-Baziuk, a contemporary Canadian writer of the Ukrainian origin. Liubov Vasyliv-Baziuk was born and brought up in Western Ukraine in the family of an orthodox priest. For this reason the idea of love for the Ukrainian church, which has been plundered and destroyed for centuries is one of the leading in the authoress’ works. The struggle of the Orthodox Church for the right to exist, establish, and expand itself on the Ukrainian lands fills Vasyliv-Baziuk’s creative heritage. Living amidst high morality principles, surrounded by sacred literature as well as priests, bishops, and metropolitans, Vasyliv-Baziuk couldn’t help absorbing the most precious and valuable from the spiritually close people. Her father was an example of sacrificial love, devoted service to God and people, and readiness for self-abnegation for the sake of his neighbor. It is because of this that the Orthodox priest is depicted in Vasyliv-Baziuk’s books as a completely positive character and is represented through a set of chronological events in the way the authoress perceives them. The created image of a Ukrainian priest is collective; it is not based on one character, rather on several. It is composed of features of priest Yosyp, Liubov’s father, Archimandrite Serafym, her grandfather, who took monastic vows after his wife’s death, priest Vasyl Varvariv, her uncle, priests Hlib and Marko, Metropolitan Ilarion, and others, who appear on the pages of the books «They served Church and the Ukrainian people», «In the whirl of the totalitarian regimes», and «The roads of life». The wholeness of a character is designed as a totality of its constituents which in their turn represent everyday life of the character, his social activity, inner world etc. After a thorough analysis of the works by Liubov Vasyliv-Baziuk we have come to a conclusion that the image of the priest is composed of the following constituents: parish priest, priest-confessor, priest-prayer, priest-educator, priest-parent, priest-patriot, priest-diplomat, priest-opinion leader, and priest-manager. Each constituent has been described in the article and confirmed by citations from the literary works. Not all the characters of the priests whom we come across in the books possess all the above components, but collectively they create an integral image of the priest. The authoress succeeds in reaching the objective portrayal of the then clergy’s life and creating in the readers’ minds an ideal image of the Ukrainian Orthodox priest, who has an educational potential and can be a worthy example to follow.


Hypatia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 568-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deidre Nicole Green

Feminist scholars adopt wide‐ranging views of self‐sacrifice: their critiques claim that women are inordinately affected by Christianity's valorization of self‐sacrifice and that this traditional Christian value is inherently misogynistic and necrophilic. Although Søren Kierkegaard's Works of Love deems Christian love essentially sacrificial, love, in his view, sets significant limits on the role of self‐sacrifice in human life. Through his proposed response to one who requests forgiveness, “Do you now truly love me?” Kierkegaard offers a model of forgiveness that subverts traditional ideals of the self‐sacrificing and submissive woman while keeping love central. The question asserts self‐love, involves redoubling and double danger, and expresses a refusal to imitate Christ's suffering. I propose a reading in keeping with Grace Jantzen's vision for a feminist philosophy of religion, which reads against the grain and “seeks to break through to new ways of thinking that may open up divine horizons.” My reading is further supported by Kierkegaard's contention that everything essentially Christian bears a double meaning. In light of the subversive potential found in the discrepancy between apparent love and actual love, as well as the duty to name the sin of one who has behaved in an unloving manner, I argue that Kierkegaard's philosophy of love resists simplistic understandings of self‐sacrificing love.


Author(s):  
Matthew Levering

If Jesus is risen, why does he not manifest his risen flesh to each generation? This chapter’s answer is twofold. The first section of the chapter, drawing upon Hans Urs von Balthasar, explains that fallen humans cleave to our lives in this world. Since this is so, ascension—Jesus’ and ours—is necessary. Given our need to “ascend,” the second section examines the work of the biblical scholars Michael Morales and Brant Pitre. Morales’s Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? carefully explores how Jesus fulfills the Temple sacrifices. Pitre’s Jesus and the Last Supper describes a New Passover and New Exodus by which the crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus seeks to draw Israel and the nations into his transcendent kingdom. Ascending with and toward Jesus in self-sacrificial love, we are sustained eucharistically by Jesus so that our Passover may be complete.


Author(s):  
Jodie L. Lyon

Reinhold Niebuhr’s eschatology is the culmination of his anthropology. Because humans are finite, history must have an end; because humans are free, history must have a purpose. The biblical prophets anticipated the climax of history in their visions of the messiah, but also exposed the pride inherent in human hearts. Jesus revealed the meaning of history through the cross: suffering love. Since agape will always be at least partially defeated in history, humans currently wait in an interim for the second coming of Christ and the triumph of sacrificial love. Niebuhr explains that Scripture proclaims the eschaton through the symbols of the Parousia, the Last Judgement, and the Resurrection. These symbols must be viewed as meaningful without being literal. Pride often perverts eschatological understanding, causing humans to ignore the limitations of humanity or despair of their finitude. Niebuhr’s eschatological proclamations are circumspect, but their vagueness allows them to avoid the pride of which Niebuhr so frequently warns.


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