Sacred Roots Workshop

Ses s i on 2: Go i ng Back to the Future

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which allows us to affirm the essential common roots of all biblical traditions of the Christian faith.

D. The Christus Victor Worldview . The Great Tradition celebrates and affirms Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, and the risen and exalted Lord, and Head of the Church. The Church is to be considered the People of the Story, i.e., the people of the victory won by Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus as the center and circumference of the Scripture’s content and message

2. The recapitulation of human history in his saving actions: new creation, Last Adam, an obedient Israel, fulfillment of the priesthood, prophetic ministry, and the kingship of Israel, etc.

3. Jesus as revealer of God’s divine person, as all-sufficient substitutionary sacrifice for humankind, and as restorer of creation by the defeat of the powers of the princi- palities and powers

E. The Centrality of the Church . The Great Tradition confidently confessed the Church as the people God, the People of the Story of God. The faithful assembly of believers, under the authority of the Shepherd Christ Jesus, is now the locus and agent of the Kingdom of God on earth.

“Can he have God as his Father, before he has had the church for his mother?” (Cyprian)

Cyprian urbanized : “If the Church ain’t yo’ mama, God ain’t yo’ daddy!”