Critical analysis of George MacLeod's crucifixion theology

Theology - Critical Analysis

George Macleod's Description of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Theology - a Critical Analysis

George MacLeod stated of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ that:

simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage heap; at a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and Latin and in Greek;...at the kind of place where cynics talk smut and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where he died. And that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen ought to be, and what churchmen should be about."

Objective

The objective of this work is to write a critical essay of the statement of George MacLeod and to answer the questions of: (1) What view of the city emerges from this quotation? (2) Of the church? (3) Of Christians? (4) In what ways could MacLeod's argument be defended or confirmed? (5) To what extent could MacLeod's statement be refuted or reformulated? And (6) What Jesuit inclinations or motivations toward mission are echoed in MacLeod's statement? Finally, knowing that a key component of Jesuit theology is "to see God in all things" which expresses the view that what this really means is the embracing of the created order as good and beautiful. How much of this is apparent in MacLeod's statement? Why is it absent or present?

II. Support of the Argument of MacLeod

It is impossible to deny the description of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and as such MacLeod hits home with his description of how it really happened the day that Christ was put to death on the cross. Jesus walked among the common man while on earth reaching out to the poor, the meek, and those who are less fortunate that the ruling class of the world. Even while hanging upon the cross dying Jesus shows love for a thief who cries out to him that he believes. This is noted in MacLeod's statement as well as the men who gambled to see who would win his meager lot once Jesus had succumbed unto death. The scene was ugly that day according to the scripture in the Holy Bible as the crowd screamed out with bloodlust hunger for the crucifixion of Jesus. Another aspect of this scene as described by MacLeod is that Jesus died among and for those he served during his life on earth and indeed among those who needed to know the love of God the most due to their unfortunate circumstances.

III. MacLeod's Argument Disputed

While MacLeod provides an accurate description of the historic day that Jesus Christ was put to death upon the cross hanging between a murderer and thief on a hill called Golgotha which means 'skull' where MacLeod errs is in that those who cried out for the death of Jesus were not Christians because Christians did not exist yet in the form that the Christian exists today but indeed it was the Jewish people, angered that he claimed to be the Messiah but yet had not come to set up his rule on the earth. Dismissing all the fulfilled prophecy that existed to support Jesus as God's only begotten son whose coming had been foretold for many thousands of years the Jewish people refusing to accept Jesus the carpenter's son as their ruler demanded his death.

IV. The Jesuit View of the Mission Field

In the scriptures Jesus commanded that his followers: "Go ye into the world making disciples of all men..." while at the same time commanded that believers "...come out" of the world. The difference in these two statements is that one is a physical command and one is a spiritual command. The command of go into the world is a command to get out into the world and find all of the sheep that belong to the Shepherd or to Jesus Christ while the command to come out of the world is a spiritual command instructing the believer to come to the inner door and commune spiritually with Him and the Father. In the work entitled: "Called to the Cities: The Spiritual Trajectories of the Early Church and Ignatius" stated is that:

In his groundbreaking work, "Landmarking: City, Church & Jesuit Urban Strategy" Loyola Press, 1997), Fr. Thomas Lucas, S.J., points out that "the history of the Christian tradition is inextricably linked to the history of urban society" (p. 2) - and this despite the fact that in his own earthly ministry, Jesus largely stuck to the more rural territory of Galilee." (Called to the Cities, 2006)

According to article from the Loyola College of Maryland the "definitive urbanization of Christianity began on the first Pentecost, when St. Peter's inspired preaching converted large numbers of Jews and effectively established the first Christian community in Jerusalem." (Called to the Cities, 2006) Likewise, St. Paul converted to Christianity was led to take the Gospel to the Gentiles preaching in Antioch, Ephesus, Athens, Corinth, and Rome. Within the heart of these cities were the poor and downtrodden in need of hope and spiritual direction given in the spirit of love but furthermore urban centers in cities "afforded Ignatius and his Jesuits diverse and accessible audience for teaching, preaching, spiritual conversation, and other ministries of the word." (Ibid)

The Jesuits "are all about cities because they want to be where the action is. When your stated goal and vocation is to give 'aid toward the salvation and perfection of the souls of fellowmen' (General Examen, no. 3; as cited in "Called to the Cities" It has been summed up by Fr. Lucas who states of Ignatius that "while his soul often soared, his feet never left the ground. He knew that human beings are neither angels nor demons and must be addressed where they are, both metaphorically and physically, if their hearts are to be turned to God. For this reason, he became a master negotiator, master letter writer, master builder. He placed his companions in the midst of the City of Man so that they would be able to lead its citizens more easily toward the City of God. That is why he abandoned cloister, habit, and choir and struggled to build downtown residences, schools, social centers, and schools (Lucas, p. 164). Ignatius and his group began to be known as the "Society of Jesus" and while in Rome they preached "attending to the sick and dying in the hospices... celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, teaching theology, preaching, giving spiritual direction, directing the Spiritual Exercises, nursing the victims of plagues, championing the socially deprived..." (History of Jesuits, 2006) The identifying feature of the Society of Jesus was its:

total availability for mission...members would be ready to go anywhere in the world, at whatever cost to themselves to undertake whatever ministry was required. Instead of living in stable monastic communities, they would be flexible and mobile, frequently on the move." (History of Jesuits, 2006)

V. Good in Everything? Indeed.

Macleod relates beautifully that Jesus died among those whose lives, both physical and spiritual that he had made his business while upon the earth. Macleod with just a few words assists the reader in understanding that among all the negative factors described by MacLeod, that something precious to Jesus was to be found in the city where he died and that Jesus had found good and beauty within the city among the harlots, murderers and thieves no matter the appearance. Macleod vividly provides a description to drive home his point about the field of mission and where the responsibility of the individual who follows the path of Jesus lay.