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Jesus and the Reign of God
Jesus and the Reign of God is a powerful and compelling evocation of the vision and reality of God's reign and its possibilities for the "transfiguration of life" in faith. Song's search for a "vision of life in God," inaugurated in his previous volume, Jesus, the Crucified People , takes him from ancient Egypt and China to modern Singapore, from Gethsemane to Tiananmen Square and always pulls him back to the Gospel stories. In its earnest and intense quest for religious integrity in a world no longer dominated or defined by Christianity, Song's theology is a startling rebuke to Christologies centered either in historical-critical searches or church doctrines. For him theology is the biography of God, and Jesus' message of God's reign is evident in the densely packed histories of strangers and in an Egyptian Muslim who composed a Christmas carol, in a Korean woman in Japan, in an old musician in a ruined church in China. Engaged by these stories, the reader is pulled ineluctably into the reality they evince. As Song says, the reign of God in Jesus "becomes manifest through movements of people to be free from the shackles of the past, to change the status quo of the present, and to have a role to play in the arrival of the future."
- GenresTheology
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1992
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About the author
C.S. Song
11 books5 followersChoan-Seng Song was a Taiwanese theologian who was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theology and Asian Cultures at the Pacific School of Religion.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 9, 2022
Really quite unique how Song weaves together the stories (history, poetry) of the poor and oppressed of Asia with the story and mission of Jesus. His emphasis on humanisation and liberation is refreshing and unlike much theology in the West (though not outside of it). Kind of tempted to find a way to work him into an essay/paper/thesis now
August 8, 2021
Choan-Seng Song's perspectives on Jesus and the reign of God is incredible. It is so devoid of the centuries of western tradition and is heartfelt and rooted in the difficult experiences of millions if not billions of peoples from Asia.
He is particularly perceptive and sensitive to the experiences of women for whom he speaks of and advocates for and shares their voice with compassion. In his chapter on Mary's Magnificat he asserts her prophetic voice, depicting the Reign of God as the liberaton of women and the poor from the systems that oppress them.
Song understands the Reign of God as the transformative power that brings life and hope and transformation in the face of destruction, ruin, oppression and dehumanisation. It is that power of love, reconciliation, healing, and justice which all Christians should be seeking to usher into and transform the world.
He is particularly perceptive and sensitive to the experiences of women for whom he speaks of and advocates for and shares their voice with compassion. In his chapter on Mary's Magnificat he asserts her prophetic voice, depicting the Reign of God as the liberaton of women and the poor from the systems that oppress them.
Song understands the Reign of God as the transformative power that brings life and hope and transformation in the face of destruction, ruin, oppression and dehumanisation. It is that power of love, reconciliation, healing, and justice which all Christians should be seeking to usher into and transform the world.
June 25, 2021
Song continues his stunning excavation of the meaning of Jesus from the confines of Western Christianity. Truly a theology of liberation and a liberation of theology.
July 3, 2021
I just finished "Jesus and the Reign of God," by C.S. Song.
A summary of my summary: i hate Song's low Christology; though he has moments of brilliance.
Even his preface has some good lines:
"In a world of injustice, oppression and greed, Jesus is held as a liberator who brings God's justice, life, and freedom to the suffering multitudes," p ix.
His preface sets his methodological approach: rather than the biographical approach (working out of the Gospels and specifically the synoptics) and the philosophical approach he is saying that his will be a message based approach: dissect his message to land on the proper Christology. In this light he states that one must ask what is Christs central message?--the Kingdom [reign] of God.
I find it quite interesting that every time he runs across scripture which concludes with or points to a high Christology he implies it to reflecting the view of the Apostolic Church (Matthew and John thus far). Maybe he should affirm a high Christology rather than cherry pick which text is legit for him. In his previous book he did this to make Christ less central/important and God (as a bit of a generic God) more so, so that he could introduce a wide open pluralism. I disagree.
Songs approach seems to focus on "what did the synoptics say," more pointed "what does Mark say," and I would guess he would go so far as to ask "what did Q say" when picturing Jesus words. For instance, in his low(er) Christological approach (and low hierarchical approach) he questions if the statement in John "no one comes to the Father except through me" is placed on the lips of Jesus by the Apostolic church. He does this in other places with Matthew. It makes me wonder what is his scriptural epistemological ground?--a mental image of Jesus by his own construct? This is reverse dignum Deo leaning to the relational rather than the deistic at the cost of scripture.
I am a bit tough on Song because of his Christology but I do want to mention that he is very good at carrying Jesus' teachings to story or narrative. For instance he places the reader in the shoes of the poor for the teachings of Jesus. He does so with an eye on first century Jews, yes, but also "what would a twentieth century, poor and exploited Thai hear in this teaching?" And that is a gift.
"Sickness is an enemy of Gods Reign," p 267.
A summary of my summary: i hate Song's low Christology; though he has moments of brilliance.
Even his preface has some good lines:
"In a world of injustice, oppression and greed, Jesus is held as a liberator who brings God's justice, life, and freedom to the suffering multitudes," p ix.
His preface sets his methodological approach: rather than the biographical approach (working out of the Gospels and specifically the synoptics) and the philosophical approach he is saying that his will be a message based approach: dissect his message to land on the proper Christology. In this light he states that one must ask what is Christs central message?--the Kingdom [reign] of God.
I find it quite interesting that every time he runs across scripture which concludes with or points to a high Christology he implies it to reflecting the view of the Apostolic Church (Matthew and John thus far). Maybe he should affirm a high Christology rather than cherry pick which text is legit for him. In his previous book he did this to make Christ less central/important and God (as a bit of a generic God) more so, so that he could introduce a wide open pluralism. I disagree.
Songs approach seems to focus on "what did the synoptics say," more pointed "what does Mark say," and I would guess he would go so far as to ask "what did Q say" when picturing Jesus words. For instance, in his low(er) Christological approach (and low hierarchical approach) he questions if the statement in John "no one comes to the Father except through me" is placed on the lips of Jesus by the Apostolic church. He does this in other places with Matthew. It makes me wonder what is his scriptural epistemological ground?--a mental image of Jesus by his own construct? This is reverse dignum Deo leaning to the relational rather than the deistic at the cost of scripture.
I am a bit tough on Song because of his Christology but I do want to mention that he is very good at carrying Jesus' teachings to story or narrative. For instance he places the reader in the shoes of the poor for the teachings of Jesus. He does so with an eye on first century Jews, yes, but also "what would a twentieth century, poor and exploited Thai hear in this teaching?" And that is a gift.
"Sickness is an enemy of Gods Reign," p 267.
April 14, 2020
(versi bahasa) @copyright 1993
... mengulas perjalanan hidup Tuhan Yesus yang menunjukkan bagaimana visi pemerintahan Allah hidup, termasuk disaat ini dan di dunia lintas budaya.
" kebenaran, bila itu sungguh-sungguh kebenaran, seharusnya membebaskan kita untuk membela mereka yang tidak mempunyai apa-apa dan yang tertindas. Pada saat yang sama, agar kebenaran itu bisa menjadi kebenaran, ia harus dibebaskan dari penyalahgunaan oleh mereka yang berkuasa"
Sebuah kritik bagaimana kekristenan itu harusnya adalah sebuah praktek kasih, bukan sebuah bingkisan agama yang bisa saja juga memberi batasan untuk mereka yang terpinggirkan...
... mengulas perjalanan hidup Tuhan Yesus yang menunjukkan bagaimana visi pemerintahan Allah hidup, termasuk disaat ini dan di dunia lintas budaya.
" kebenaran, bila itu sungguh-sungguh kebenaran, seharusnya membebaskan kita untuk membela mereka yang tidak mempunyai apa-apa dan yang tertindas. Pada saat yang sama, agar kebenaran itu bisa menjadi kebenaran, ia harus dibebaskan dari penyalahgunaan oleh mereka yang berkuasa"
Sebuah kritik bagaimana kekristenan itu harusnya adalah sebuah praktek kasih, bukan sebuah bingkisan agama yang bisa saja juga memberi batasan untuk mereka yang terpinggirkan...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews