Spirituality of the Beatitudes : Matthew's Vision for the Church in an Unjust World

by Crosby, Michael H.

• ISBN13: 9781570755491
• ISBN10: 1570755493
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Orbis Books

Table of Contents

Preface to the 2005 Edition Why ``Revisit'' the Spirituality of the Beatitudes?	ix
Upheavals in Our World and Church Challenge Us to New Approaches	ix
My Understanding of the Audience Hearing the Beatitudes Today Has Changed	xii
Exegesis Is Changing to a More Literary, Narrative Approach	xiv
Spirituality of the Beatitudes as a Guide for Our Faith Journey	xvi
The Relevance of Matthew's Gospel for First World Christians of the Twenty-First Century	1	(20)
The Contrast between Matthew's Gospel and Society's Prevailing ``Gospel''	2	(1)
Who Was the Audience of Matthew's Gospel?	3	(2)
How Matthew Structured the First Gospel	5	(1)
For the Audience Today, Who Is the ``Matthew'' of Matthew's Gospel?	6	(2)
Beatitudes as Indicators of a Culture's Code of Conduct for Household Honor	8	(3)
The Beatitudes as a Code of Honor for Living Justly in Matthew's Household	11	(1)
The Challenge of Structural/``House'' Analysis for a Spirituality of the Beatitudes	12	(4)
The Challenge of Matthew's Beatitudes for Contemporary Discipleship	16	(5)
Whose Is the Reign of God?	21	(18)
What the Reign of God Is Not in Matthew's Gospel	22	(4)
God's Heavenly Rule in Matthew's World; God's Trinitarian Rule in Ours	26	(4)
How Matthew Links God's Reign with Exousia in the House of Disciples	30	(1)
God's Exousia Contrasted with Those Who Make Their Authority Felt	31	(2)
The Call to Conversion: Seeking, Finding, Selling, and Buying	33	(2)
Entering the Reign of God: The Rich Young Man and Peter	35	(1)
Coming under a Higher Power, Committing to a Nobler Rule	36	(3)
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit	39	(20)
Dissociating ``Poverty in Spirit'' from Poverty in Matthew	41	(3)
The Poor in Spirit as Those Who Turn Their Lives Over to God's Will	44	(4)
The Poor in Spirit as Those Doing God's Will by Doing Good	48	(6)
Analyzing Social Structures and Cultural Addictions	54	(1)
Creating Beatitudinal Communities to Challenge Cultural and Clerical Addictions	55	(4)
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn; They Will Be Comforted	59	(22)
Setting the Context: The Need for Hope in the Midst of Despair	59	(2)
Jesus, the Compassionate Healer, Touching a Broken World	61	(3)
Denial and Hardness of Heart: The Stumbling Blocks to Mourning	64	(2)
Mourning and Comfort in Our Individual Lives	66	(3)
Mourning and Comfort in Our Relationships	69	(3)
Mourning over Structures to Bring Comfort	72	(6)
Mourning over the Despoiling of Our Universe: Comfort as Protest	78	(3)
Blessed Are the Nonviolent; They Will Inherit the Earth	81	(19)
Setting the Context for an Understanding of Meekness: The Biblical Meaning of ``Land''	82	(8)
Learning the Nonviolent Way of Jesus	90	(8)
Biblical Spirituality in Our Land	98	(2)
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Justice; They Will Be Satisfied	100	(19)
Setting the Context for an Understanding of Dikaiosyne in the Old Testament	101	(3)
Jesus on John the Baptist's Mission: Not Satisfied until Justice Is Fulfilled	104	(2)
Dikaiosyne in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew's Outline for a Spirituality of Justice	106	(11)
Challenging the Lie, the Stumbling Block to Justice	117	(2)
Blessed Are the Merciful; They Will Receive Mercy	119	(21)
Jesus, the Merciful One, Offering a Holiness That Is Grounded in Mercy	120	(6)
The Human Request for Mercy; the Divine Response of Compassion	126	(6)
Mercy Expressed in Release, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation	132	(2)
Mercy: The Foundation for Word and Worship	134	(3)
The Lack of Mercy, Anger, and the Quality of Care	137	(3)
Blessed Are the Pure of Heart; They Will See God	140	(19)
Jesus, the Pure of Heart, Living in the Vision of God	141	(1)
The First Step in ``Seeing God'': The ``Looks'' That Keep Us from Seeing''	142	(7)
The Second Step in Entering the Circle of Care: Knowing We Are Seen in Need by God	149	(2)
The Third Step: Becoming Grounded in Care	151	(1)
The Fourth Step: The Call to Respond in the ``Ritual of Care''	152	(4)
The Fifth Step: The Blessedness of Seeing God	156	(3)
Blessed Are the Peacemakers; They Will Be Called Children of God	159	(17)
Blessed Are the Peacemakers . . .	160	(7)
. . . They Will Be Called Children of God: Matthew's New Haustafel	167	(6)
Being Children of God Makes Us Brothers and Sisters in God's Household	173	(3)
Blessed Are Those Persecuted for Justice' Sake; The Reign of Heaven Is Theirs	176	(19)
Persecution for the Promotion of Justice	177	(3)
Justice and the Prophetic Call	180	(2)
Isaiah's Call as Prototype	182	(6)
The Need to Be Part of Communities That ``Honor'' the Prophetic Stance	188	(3)
Conclusion: Our Commission to Be Prophets in an Unjust World	191	(4)
Notes	195	(16)
Scripture Index	211	(5)
General Index	216