John L. McKenzieRezensionen

reader's guide

purpose and future of authority

The devastating thesis of this book is that there is a deadly and irreconcilable opposition between western civilization and Christianity, and that one of them must destroy the other.

The question of authority has always been a lively issue within the Roman Catholic Church. While some have warned against the danger of "democratizing" the Church, others have warned against applying too narrowly the "monarchical" model which has been dominant in past centuries.
Father McKenzie's thesis is that these political paradigms simply do not apply to the Church. The Christian community, he points out, is a unique society, and hence its understanding and use of authority must also be unique.
McKenzie shows how Christian authority is unique by illuminating the understanding of authority that Jesus gave to the "society" which He founded. After a brilliant exposition of authority in the New Testament, the author traces how the Church has lost sight of these unique aspects, with a consequent erosion of both Christian authority and Christian freedom.
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McKenzie has produced a moving picture of Hebrew religion produced by divine revelation. Throughout the work he confronts biblical ideas with modern thought and modern thought with biblical ideas. McKenzie offers an engaging interpretation of the Old Testament which will challenge scholars and delightfully instruct the general reader.

a first-rate sampling of McKenzie at large. Besides the title chapter, he focuses on (among others) such intriguing subjects as "The Real Jesus," "The Real Mary," "The State in Christian Perspective," "War and Peace in the New Testament," "Myths in the Bible," "The Book of Revelation"--and concludes with "The Bible: A Progress Report." The Bible does not so much give answers as lead to answers. It puts the right questions directly in a form which does not permit evasion. It confronts us with challenges to action which are urgent. McKenzie does well to dig out and squarely state the hard questions which the Bible presents to the modern world.

"The Two edged Sword is the most significant Catholic interpretation of the Old Testament ever written in English." The Thomist

A Two edged Sword:

John McKenzie's "Two edged Sword" is a pioneering critical discussion of the ever provocative problems of Old Testament, difficult to analyze, and challenging to interpret, demonstrating how significant to our Christian heritage, and how meaningful to our postmodern pluralistic world; "Indeed, the Word of God is living, and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

This is still one of the best introductions to the Old Testament despite the fact that much new scholarship has been done since its publication. That's because it treats The Old Testament as what it was. A record of a people who came to believe that they had a unique relatation with God and ultimately came to realize that God is one. Yes, they resembled other tribes and nations of their times. They slaughtered their enemies; they were patriarchal; they even practiced slavery. But it was their crucial insight they made them a people that, uniquely, allowed them to survive through the ages even when they had no homeland.
The author avoids the twin dangers of literalism on the one hand, and nitpicking political correctness on the other. In addition it is very well written.

A critique of Western Civilization by a Christian. I kind of lost the thread at the end.

Dictionary

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SCRIPTURAL INDEX; GENERAL INDEX

14 volumes