The Process of Jesus’ Deification and Cognitive Dissonance Theory
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The starting point of this article is the paradox that the first-century Jew, Jesus the Galilean, came to be considered divine by a sect belonging to a religion which is often deemed to be monotheistic, to the extent that many scholars refer to this phenomenon as “striking” and “puzzling.” Although a complete survey of the cultural and religious (Jewish, Greco-Roman) contexts in which the sect of the Nazoreans — the original core group from which Christianity grew — developed its beliefs and practices is of paramount importance for understanding this phenomenon, my contention is that a historical approach should be supplemented by social science theories. In this article, I argue that cognitive dissonance theory, after having been enriched and modified by quite a few criticisms in the last several decades, contributes to making the psychological and social processes which led to Jesus’ exaltation and deification more intelligible.
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4
Horbury 1998: 119. In fact, Hurtado (e.g., 2003: 7; 2005: 4) often refers to this cult as “utterly remarkable,” “astonishing,” and “puzzling.” For further criticisms addressing key aspects of Hurtado’s approach, see Dunn 2010; Yarbro Collins 2007; Rainbow 1991; Litwa 2014: 8–16.
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6
Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter 1956: 3. For a more systematic approach, see Festinger 1957.
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13
Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter 1956: 3: “unequivocal and undeniable evidence;” Festinger 1957: 259: “with the clear and unequivocal knowledge that the prediction had been false.” Among the factors exerting pressure to discard the belief, Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter included the following one: “The belief must be sufficiently specific and sufficiently concerned with the real world so that events may unequivocally refute the belief” (1956: 5). The maximalist assumptions (“real world,” “unequivocally”) of such a statement were soon remarked upon; see Zenner 1966: 112.
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14
Tumminia 1998: 165. In other words, there are no simple objective criteria by which one can identify failed prophecy.
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20
See Cook 2014: 418–423. For a discussion of the embarrassing aspects of Jesus’ crucifixion, see Webb 2009: 690–694.
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60
See Talbert 2011: 3–42. Several scholars (e.g., Hurtado) have argued that the case of Jesus is different because, unlike pagan gods, he was included in God’s sphere; but the inclusion of a divine figure within the sphere of a primordial God is already envisaged in Greco-Roman religions.
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69
Hurtado 1998: 115–116. “By the end of his ministry, Jesus had generated among his followers the conviction that he held an honored place in the plan of God, as the eschatological spokesman of the final divine word” (Hurtado 1998: 116).
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The Process of Jesus’ Deification and Cognitive Dissonance Theory
In: NumenSearch for other papers by Fernando Bermejo-Rubio in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
The starting point of this article is the paradox that the first-century Jew, Jesus the Galilean, came to be considered divine by a sect belonging to a religion which is often deemed to be monotheistic, to the extent that many scholars refer to this phenomenon as “striking” and “puzzling.” Although a complete survey of the cultural and religious (Jewish, Greco-Roman) contexts in which the sect of the Nazoreans — the original core group from which Christianity grew — developed its beliefs and practices is of paramount importance for understanding this phenomenon, my contention is that a historical approach should be supplemented by social science theories. In this article, I argue that cognitive dissonance theory, after having been enriched and modified by quite a few criticisms in the last several decades, contributes to making the psychological and social processes which led to Jesus’ exaltation and deification more intelligible.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 2537 | 269 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 351 | 19 | 4 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 220 | 44 | 14 |