The Holy City In Christian Thought

The Holy City in Christian Thought The importance of tl1e city of Jerusalem withiп Cl1ristiaпity is the measure of tl1e younger commнпity's attacl1me11t to the tгaditioпs апd scriptшes of Israel. Ву tracing the histoгy of the clшrch's views оп Jerusalem, we trace as well ап i11tellectual and social history botl1 of tl1e religioп itself апd of its relatioп to otl1er religioпs, n1ost especially Judaism. Dшiпg the foпnative period of Cl1ristia11ity, rougl1ly fгom tl1e fiгst to the fifth ceпtury, tl1e new Christiaп commш1ity foгged its оwп ideпtity, composed its follndationa] texts-v,1]1icl1, Ьу tl1e secoпd сепtшу, Ьеgап to appear colJected as а specifically Christian сапоп, the.,Ne_w Testament-aпd constrнcted its fundameпta] tlieo]ogy. То better ш1derstand why the еагlу Christiaп texts апd traditions аЬонt Jeгusalem vveгe what tl1ey were, ,ve mllst р!асе them vvitl1i11 tl1eir l1istorica] coпtext. From Jesus to Paul Jeгusalem became holy to Cl1ristia11s becal!se it was holy to Jesus. The foнnder of а messianic movemeпt "''itl1i11 JL1daism, Jesщ had preacl1ed tl1e comiпg Kiпgdom of God from the begiппiпg of his рнЫiс activ­ ity. 1 His jourпey to Jerнsalem for Passover vvas the cresceпdo of this preachiпg: perhaps he expected the Кiпgdom to arrive, begi1111ing iп Jerнsalem, at or as the climax of his missioп. We do not kлow vvhether he regarded himself as the messiah or wl1ether any of his follo,vers claimed that title for him dшiпg his lifetime (t]1e evideпce is extremely amЬiguous);2 bllt, опсе in Jerнsalem, he certaiп]y died as if he had, crнcified Ьу Rome for sedition ("Jesнs ofNazareth, Кiпg of the Jews," John 19:19). In sнbsegнent Christian traditioп, Jerusalem's messiaпic statнs was enhaпced Ьу ilie mirac]e of J esнs' Resшrection. The Riseп Lord stayed in Jerusalem for forty days to instrнct his disciples furilier about ilie Кingdom of God (Acts r:з); just outside the city, he as­ cended into heaven from the Mouпt of Olives (1:9, 12). This early postresuпection commнnity was tlшs doL1Ьly bouпd to Jerusalem. As Jews, they cherished Jerusalem as David's 110\у city, the site of God's temple, and, iп apocalyptic perspective, tl1e city of the comiпg messiah (cf. Zechariah 9:9). As followers of Jesus, they es­ teemed ilie city as the site of the great redemptive miracle of l1is Resшrection, апd as ilie place of his promised rеtшп iп glory. Tl1e movement gave up its Galileaп roots апd adopted Jerusalem as its ceпter, апd it "''as from Jerusalem iliat the first apostles proclaimed ilie evangelion, the "good пews" of the impeпdiпg Kiпgdom of God, to Ье L1s]1ered iп with tl1e returп of his Sоп, ilie crl!cified апd riseп messial1. Tl1eir gospel eveпtнally moved out from Jнdea апd tl1e Ga]ilee to the cities of the Меditепапеап Diaspora, but Je,·нsalem гetaiпed its special authority апd prestige. Еvеп Pau], ,vho was поt part ot· the origiпal group апd who reseпted its challeпge to his о,vп allthoгity (Galatians 1:12-2:9, 12-14; 1 Coriпthiaпs 1р-ю), attempted to coordi­ пate J1is missioп ,vith the moilier church (Galatiaпs 2:rff.; cf. Acts 15). Апd l1e saw his work amoпg l1is оwп communities as "pгiest]y seпr­ ice," briпging their doпatioпs, like а saпctified offeгiпg to tl1e altar, to "tЬе poor amoпg tЬе saiпts iп Jerusalem" (Romaпs 15). grёw, ЪuГfewer апd fewer Jews received their message. Ву the 50s, on the evideпce of Paul's letters, the treпd was clear: most believers were Geпti]es. What, theп, vvas to Ье these Geпtiles' relatioп to ilie sacred oЫigatioпs encoded iп Torah, observed Ьу Jeslls of Naz­ areili апd the apostolic commuпity, and embedded in those Scriptшes ilirough which his followers iпcreasiпg]y expressed tl1eir postresurrec­ tioп faiili? Should they assume respoпsiЬility fог the coveпaпt-cir­ cumcision, food laws, Sabbaili, behavior codes? Апd if поt, l10w theп -22�� Тhе Holy City in Christian Тhought is, holy to Christians for what it witnessed; holy to both for the vision of реасе it represents. Perhaps now, in the changed political circum­ stances at century's end and with the churches' repudiation of their ancient angers, the fundamental things both share-a love for Jerusa­ lem and for the Scriptures that praise her-caп serve, finally, to foster реасе and goodwill between Christians and Jews. The Spiritual Meaning of Jerusalem in Islam Аву new attempt Ьу а religion to define its particнlaг relatioп to Jerнsalem builds on tl1e bedrock of а famoпs ancieпt texr: Ifl forget thee, О Jerпsalem, Let my right hand foгget her сuппiпg. Let my toпgue clea,,e to tl1e roof of my moutl1, If I remember thee поt; If I set not Jerusalem Above my chief joy 1 (Psalms rзтs-6) Jerusalem, as evoked in these liпes is the very guaгaпtor of the psalm­ ist's persoпal integrity, of his legal capacity. 1 Jerusalem, it арреагs, l1as never lost this аша of а diviпe token. Iп Jпdaism, it has remaiпed а uniqпe place of memory, а spiritпal focпs iп diverse coпtexts, tl1e 111ost sпggestive beiпg the motto, "Next y ear in Jerusalem!" Iп neitl1e1· Christiaпity nor Islam, it seems, does tl1e believer face J erusale111 iп а comparaЬly personal way. Christianity, it is true, has accepted the Hebre\v ВiЫе iпto the сапов of its Holy Scriptures, y et it lюlds-re­ gardiпg the site of the central saпctuary of ЬiЫical history-a ratl1er amЬiguous positioп. For Islam the opposite is true: tlюugh ceпsuriпg the Jewish апd Christiaп Scriptшes as 110t fit-at least in their pre­ served textual forms-to become part of the Islamic сапоп, Islam l1as takeп over the topographia sacra that ппdeгlies those Scгiptuгes, iп particular the saпctuaгy of Jerusalem, which it coпsiders а ceпtral symbol of the moпotheist cultus inherited from the older religioпs апd thus ,voгthy to raпk as ап Islamic sanctuaгy. ТНЕ HEAVENLY CITY