Abstract:
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.
