* This paper represents the views of the authors and not those of the Asian Development Bank, its executive directors, or the member countries that they represent. Participants in lectures given by Jesus Felipe at Singapore’s Civil Service College and at the Singapore Economic Policy Forum in October 2010 made very useful comments and suggestions. Nevertheless, the usual disclaimer applies. Con...

Living Theatre is the rather pretentious title given to certain works of stage whereby the stage itself can successfully disintegrate. If done with care, a performance with sufficient charisma may motivate an audience to give up its role as spectator and to become one with the experience.This is certainly an ambitious undertaking and, accordingly, an often unsuccessful one. However, for some jo...

Today it is commonplace for historical Jesus scholars to emphasize Jesus’ Jewishness. at the same time most new Testament scholars deny that he cared about the Jewish purity system, which was a central aspect of early Judaism. This article examines how such a reconstruction of the historical Jesus would influence his Jewishness, arguing that it indeed would make such a Jesus figure ‘less Jewish...

The article discusses the central issue of the relationship between the “Historical Jesus” and the “Christ of Faith” and especially the question whether there is a continuity between the Jesus of history and later theological views, in Paul, the Gospels, and the creed of the church. Initially, the author traces the origins of the question in enlightenment thought (Reimarus, Lessing) and explain...

The crucifixion of Jesus is arguably the most well-known and controversial execution in history. Christian faithful, dating back to the time of Jesus, have believed that Jesus was executed by crucifixion and later returned physically to life again. Others have questioned whether Jesus actually died by crucifixion, at all. From review of medical literature, physicians have failed to agree on a s...