"Living Jesus" Review Question 2

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      Question 2: Johnson evidently thinks that things named in the four subsections of this chapter, in addition to the Bible, are necessary in order to know Jesus.  Explain why he is right about this.

Johnson states that the Christian tradition can only be understood and expounded upon in the context of these fundamental aspects: a community of disciples, scripture, the creed, and the teaching authority of the Church (pg 26, 29).

The Church was established as an “ongoing community of disciples” who perpetuated the belief in Jesus by means of a union of belief and practice.  This union defined the community as being a living testimony to real relationship with Jesus (pg 27), and through the witness of each member, the community grew in its discernment of His teachings (pg 28).  This witness and discernment led to the development of three principle frameworks through which the tradition of Christianity was to be defined, preserved, and promoted. 

The Canon of Scripture was the first aspect to give cohesion to the Christian community.  Through the dissemination of various letters and manuscripts, Christians gave evidence of the “universal and normative nature” required in her holy writing (pg 29).  This gave the community a special continuity among its believers, not only in that time, but throughout history.  As Johnson states: “… through [Scripture], God could continue to speak to the church in every age and every place.” (Ibid)

The creed, or “rule of faith” has also played an integral part for the definition and maintenance of the Christian community.  Through the rule of the Church, specifically in its creedal formulas, the perpetuation of orthodoxy was assured (pg 33).  This creedal rule has come to be a means by which the reality of the Faith, as experienced by the community of believers, is safeguarded from distortion of interpretation by those within the community (Ibid.).  The creed identifies the nature of Christianity by being an “expression of conviction about God’s work in Jesus” (pg 34).

The linchpin for the definition, preservation and promotion of Christian tradition is the teaching authority of the Church. It is what gives both scripture and the rule of faith credence because it is the institutional testimony required to propel them forward.  As Johnson states: “… there can scarcely be tradition without institutional leadership” (pg 37).  It is this particular framework that gives cohesion and interpretation to scripture and creed.  And since it utilizes them to deliver itself to the body of believers, the teaching authority of the Church cannot be seen to exist without scripture or creed (pg 38).  Together, these three aspects form a framework by which the tradition of Christianity excels.