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12. Our Own Faces in Deep Wells: A Future for Historical Jesus Research
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282 Our Own Faces in Deep Wells A Future for Historical Jesus Research John Dominic Crossan Others taunt me with having knelt at well-curbs Always wrong to the light, so never seeing Deeper down in the well than where the water Gives me back in a shining surface picture Me myselfin the summer heaven, godlike, Looking out ofa wreath offern and cloud puffs. Once, when trying with chin against a well-curb, I discerned, as I thought, beyond the picture, Through the picture, a something white, uncertain, Something more ofthe depths-and then I lost it. -Robert Frost, "For Once, Then, Something" Our subject is Religion and Postmodernism. First, the religion I focus on is Christianity or, to be more precise, the distinction between Catholic Christianity and Gnostic Christianity. I understand that distinction as described by Kurt Rudolph. Gnosticism, he wrote, is a "religion of knowledge" or of "insight", as the Greek word gnosis may be translated ... a dualistic religion, consisting of several schools and movements , which took up a definitely negative attitude towards the world and the society of the time, and proclaimed a deliverance ("redemption") of man precisely from the constraints of earthly existence through "insight" into his essential relationship, whether as "soul" or "spirit",-a relationship temporarily obscured-with a supramundane realm of freedom and of rest. It spread through time and space, from the beginning of our era onwards, from the western part of the Near East (Syria, Palestine, Egypt, 282 (jul\b~ Fa~s in Deep Wells A Future for Historical Jesus Research John Dominic Crossan Olhers lallnl me with having Imelt at well·curbs Always wrong 10 the light. so nel'cr seeing Deeper down in the well/han where the water GiYe$ me back in a shilling surface picture Me myselfin the summer heaven, godlike, Looking out ofa wreath orremand cloud puffs. Once, when trying with chin against a wcl/-<:urb, I discerned, as I thought, beyond the picture, Through the picture, a something white, uncertain, Something more ofthe depths-and then 1lost it. -Rohert Frost. "For Once. Then, Something~ Our subjec! is Religion alld Postmodernism. First, the religion I focus on is Christianity or, to be more precise, the distinction between Catholic Christianity and Gnostic Christianity. lundcrsland that distinction as described by Kurl Rudolph. Gnosticism, he wrote, is a "religion of knowledge" or of ~insight", as Ihe Greek word gnosis may be translated. . a dualistic religion, consisting ofseveral schools and move· ments, which took up a definitely neg