Christian theology is rational reflection upon Jesus. In Mark’s gospel, the dominant image of Jesus is of one who suffers. If Christians believe that Jesus is the epitome of God’s revelation to us, how does Mark’s portrait of Jesus impact your own image and understanding of God?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Suffering Jesus in Mark’s Gospel: Impact on Understanding of God
Introduction:
Christian theology involves rational reflection on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is portrayed predominantly as a suffering figure. This essay explores how Mark’s portrait of the suffering Jesus impacts one’s image and understanding of God, particularly within the framework of Christian belief that Jesus is the epitome of God’s revelation.
The Suffering Servant:
Mark depicts Jesus as the suffering servant, emphasizing his humility, self-sacrifice, and identification with human suffering. This portrayal challenges traditional notions of a powerful and triumphant deity. The suffering Jesus invites believers to reconsider their understanding of God’s nature and character.
God’s Compassion and Solidarity:
Mark’s portrait of Jesus as one who suffers highlights God’s compassion and solidarity with humanity. It reveals a God who willingly enters into the brokenness and pain of the world, sharing in the human experience. This image deepens our understanding of divine love and empathy.
Redefining Power and Success:
Mark’s Gospel challenges conventional ideas of power and success by presenting a suffering Jesus. It invites believers to reevaluate societal notions of strength and achievement, emphasizing the values of humility, compassion, and sacrificial love. This challenges our own perceptions of what it means to be godly.
Incarnational Theology:
Mark’s portrayal of Jesus as a suffering figure aligns with the concept of incarnation, where God becomes fully human in Jesus. This understanding affirms that God intimately knows the struggles and hardships of human existence. It fosters a sense of closeness and relatability in our relationship with God.
Theodicy and Divine Presence:
The suffering Jesus raises theological questions about the problem of evil and the presence of God in human suffering. Mark’s portrayal encourages believers to grapple with these complex issues, acknowledging that God is present even in the midst of suffering. It offers hope and comfort by affirming that God understands our pain.
Conclusion:
Mark’s portrait of the suffering Jesus profoundly impacts our image and understanding of God. It challenges preconceived notions of power, success, and divine transcendence, inviting believers to embrace a God who suffers with humanity. This image deepens our appreciation for God’s compassion, solidarity, and sacrificial love. It also encourages us to reevaluate our own attitudes towards suffering and align ourselves with the values exemplified by Jesus. Ultimately, Mark’s portrayal invites believers to encounter a God who intimately understands and walks alongside us in our own experiences of suffering.
