Was Jesus a Racist? – drift starting point

Denver seminary prof Miguel De la Torre recently had an opinion piece in the Associated Baptist Press entitled “Opinion: Was Jesus a Racist?” I responded with this:

De la Torres’ reading seems to follow the text better
written by Leland, February 24, 2009

De la Torres’ reading has a certain eisegetical content, to which some of the prior commenters react vociferously in the negative because it clashes with their own eisegesis. That’s how it looks to me anyway. Eisegesis is often the factor that gives scripture its greatest power. The value of, say, “Go Down Moses” and any number of other spirituals of the mid-1800s, lies primarily in the way the Spirit of God spoke to the people who sang them through an eisegetical method. The anecdote about the Canaanite woman whose kid was sick is no worse an analogy to an undocumented (whether criminally or by accident) Latina with a sick kid. I’m not sure I see her demanding equality, but I certainly don’t see her as shrinking on theological grounds from talking back to Jesus in order to get her needs met. Personally I’m in favor of laissez faire migration, I’m definitely not a nationalist (I think nationalism and many forms of patriotism are just as sinful, and in the same way really, as racism), but regardless of one’s position on immigration law I can’t see how you can deny kids health care based on their parents’ paperwork status and call yourself a loyal follower of Jesus.

I’m going to have to subscribe to your paper, I guess, to make up for one of these other brethren who are canceling…

and an exchange of some potential interest ensued between me and one Ken (I’m guessing not Sehested).  Ken critiqued my apparent lauding of eisegesis, supporting his criticism on two passages that I think he himself eisegetically interpreted. Etc. etc. etc. I’ve been following this not only at ABP, but on BaptistLife.com and also in the Mudcat Café, all while severely under the weather with the worst major cold of the season. Hopefully both the controversy and the cold are winding down, but I thought I’d better mention the ABP series here so belated comments could be appended.

So if you see this, Ken, you’re welcome to continue the discussion here.

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