How Nietzsche Found Jesus
In a review of a book called Nietzsche Against the Crucified, Stephen “N.” Williams � a “professor of Systematic Theology” - assesses the famous Anti-Christian. He says Nietzsche “not only called Jesus the noblest human being - he meant it.” No surprises there, I suppose. His passion was part of his disgust that Jesus’ followers had corrupted his message. (Apropos a recent comment, I feel the same way when people accuse me of being “anti-American”.)
I skipped most of the review to read the final, conclusive paragraphs. Williams puts Nietzsche in his place: first he says “it will ever be the tendency of intellectuals to overestimate the import of one of their own”, to which I say: is this confined to intellectuals, and is the Professor himself excluded from this group?
Then he writes that: “Perhaps the best effect of Nietzsche’s authorship is to shake and to challenge us into resolution. The resolution must be to give an account of the hope that is in us in the light of his writings. We know that the man on the cross did not write, but that he did act � He will reign when Nietzsche’s words have perished.”
Perhaps. But how does Prof Williams “know” Jesus acted?
Other Splinters posts of interest:
- Sunday Night Nietzsche
- The intimacy of this distress
- Turin breakdown
- Just in time for Christmas The Jesus Christ Sup…
- Film for thought Just stumbled over this - Derr…
