Rudolf Bultmann oor die opstanding van Jesus

Abstract

Rudolf Bultmann on the resurrection of Jesus. The findings of the Jesus Seminar in the USA regarding the resurrection of Jesus as well as the fairly recent (1994) publication of Gerd Lademann's book on the resurrection of Jesus prompted this investigation into Bultmann's thoughts on the resurrection of Jesus. The reason for investigating Bultmann's thoughts lies in the fact that both the Seminar's and Lademann's findings correspond in one way or another to with what Bultmann already contended more than fifty years ago, although their approaches with regard to the role and significance of historical investigation differ considerably in certain respects. This essay focuses on the following aspects of Bultmann's approach: the resurrection as expression of the significance of the cross; the unhistorical character of the resurrection (i.e. not the resuscitation of Jesus' corpse); the resurrection as eschatological event; the question as to the nature of the appearances of the risen Jesus; Jesus as risen in the kerygma; faith as the only way of experiencing the  risen Lord, and, finally, one's own resurrection to a new existence in the Lord.