What did Jesus do?

This was the question addressed by author and scholar John P. Meier, a New Testament professor at the University of Notre Dame.

Meier’s presentation, given on Oct. 18 in the Saint Louis Room, discussed the links between the historical Jesus and the Jesus of the Christian ministry today. Meier was this year’s presenter for the Robert Bellarmine Lecture Series, presented by the Saint Louis University Theology Department’s Theology Digest.

He said historians would examine only the facts that are verifiable; others include things assumed by faith.

“For example, a historian would acknowledge that a man called Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Pontius Pilate around 30 A.D.,” said Meier. “To say that `Jesus of Nazareth was crucified under Pontius Pilate to remove sins and provide salvation’ requires faith.”

He continued, “Faith doesn’t necessarily falsify things, it just lights up the events.”

Meier discussed many aspects of Jesus’ ministry, including the structure of his ministry and the identity badges of his disciples.

“The question remains: can a historian, believer or non-believer, determine any links between history and the practice of the Church today?” Meier said.

“I’d say that even if one bases their ideas purely on historical fact, it cannot be denied that Jesus caused a change in people’s religion and gained a following,” he added.

Theology Department Chair J.J. Mueller, S.J., PhD., said that the lecture was intended to be University-wide and that his undergraduate class didn’t have a problem comprehending the material. But some students expressed difficulty in understanding Meier’s oration.

“I thought it was very informative,” sophomore Emily Kreft said. “But I think students with a deeper theological background might have had a more significant understanding.”

Freshman Jackie Pierson also experienced a somewhat incomplete understanding of Meier’s lecture.

“He’s a dynamic speaker, but there were some parts I didn’t understand and I had to pick it back up later,” she said.

A condensed version of Meier’s lecture will be printed in an upcoming issue of Theology Digest. Students can obtain of copy of the publication by contacting Maggie Mangan at 977-3410.