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The Act of Beating the Fool

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Abstract

This chapter argues that Christ was beaten and died as a fool on the cross. This chapter draws from scholarship that identifies Jesus as both the embodiment of Israel and the God of Israel. It is Jesus’ identity with Israel and the God of Israel that points to his function as a substitute for sinners. The four Gospels’ use of mockery themes in the scenes related to the Passion explicitly invites the reader to consider the opposition of foolishness and wisdom. This is supported by historical data that identifies Jesus being struck by both Jews and Gentiles.

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Wenkel, D.H. (2017). The Act of Beating the Fool. In: Jesus' Crucifixion Beatings and the Book of Proverbs. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48270-5_7

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