Crucifixion, Resurrection, and the Reversal of Power by Kelly Brown Douglas

Within the Christian tradition, this week – l known as Holy Week – is perhaps the most significant week on the Christian calendar.  During this week Christians are called to contemplate and to remember the core events of Christian identity—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  Given the focus of this week for many Christians I am sharing my theological reflections on the crucifixion-resurrection event.

As I begin this reflection, it is important to recall that which I and others have pointed out in other places. In Jesus’ first century Roman world crucifixion was reserved for slaves, enemy soldiers and those held in the highest contempt and with lowest regard in society. To be crucified was, for the most part, an indication of how worthless and devalued by established power an individual was.  It also indicated how much of a threat that person was believed to be to the order of things. There was a decided crucified class of people. These were essentially the castigated and demonized as well as the ones who defied the status quo of power. It is in this respect that I believe Jesus’ crucifixion affirms his identification with the marginalized and outcasts. Indeed, on the cross Jesus fully divests himself of all pretensions to power and anything that would compromise his bond with those most othered in the world. The reality of the cross further affirms the profundity of god’s bond with put-upon bodies..

At the same time, the cross represents the height of human wickedness. It is in this regard that the impotence of human evil, that is divisive and destructive power—that which would destroy bodies, is revealed.  This is revealed in several ways. First, Jesus takes on all of this evil, yet he is not destroyed by it. The first indication that evil has no power over Jesus is seen in his response to the jeering and taunts he receives from the crowd throughout his crucifixion. As he is spat upon and ridiculed for not being able to save himself, Jesus does not respond in kind, neither does he try to prove himself by conforming to the demands of the people to come down from the cross. Most striking is the fact that he does not condemn the crucifying crowd. Instead, he asks for their forgiveness. Essentially, Jesus refuses to allow evil to destroy who he is and thus to become somebody that he is not. He does not succumb to narratives outside of himself, namely narratives of power. Most importantly, he does not allow them to compromise his bond with the powerless and oppressed. At this point it is beginning to become clear that divisive and destructive human power at its height is impotent in relationship to the power found in the intersect of divine and human realities. This was the power of Jesus, and this was the power of the cross.

In the end, the cross shows that evil at its mightiest simply cannot prevail against the power found in the intersect of divine and human goodness that is Jesus. Ironically, the power that attempts to destroy Jesus on the cross is itself destroyed by the cross.

There is a final irony in the fact of Jesus crucifixion.  That Jesus had to be crucified actually reveals his power. If he were not a threat to the dominating political and religious forces of the day, then they would have summarily dismissed him. That he was a threat, that he was powerful meant that they had to crucify him.  Thus, that which is to be a sign of Jesus’ weakness—the crucifixion–actually reveals his power. In this sense, Jesus’ words, “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they are doing,” takes on a new layer of meaning.  They mock at the pretensions of power. On the cross God has used the weak to confound the power of the strong.  The resurrection makes this unequivocally clear.

The resurrection is god’s definitive triumph over crucifying evil power. Power that denigrates human bodies and destroys life is revealed as actually illusory and certainly no match for god. The resurrection shows that evil has no stable existence. In the end, the one that was crucified was restored to life. Thus, a mockery was made of prevailing political and religious forces.  In the end, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus witness to a force that restores justice to the universe. It is a force that repudiates and virtually makes a joke of the crucifying powers in the world. For on the cross, God plays with power. Just when power seemingly prevails, its defeat is at hand. The resurrection of Jesus is god’s last laugh.  The ultimate reversal of power has occurred.  The life force of god has reversed the power of death. The realities of death are defeated. In defying death itself, god shows the very futility of life-negating, dehumanizing power and thus the transitory character of evil constructs, i.e. racialized hetero-patriarchal constructs of structural and systemic power. In the final analysis the cross-resurrection event is that which lets me know that the world the way it is, is not the way it is meant to be, and that the “arc of the universe” does indeed bend toward justice. And so it is, that as the events of  Holy Week are central to Christian identity,  they are the source of Christian hope in a better world.

Kelly Brown Douglas is Professor and Director of the Religion Program at Goucher College where she has held the Elizabeth Conolly Todd Distinguished Professorship. She was recently awarded The Goucher College Caroline Doebler Bruckerl Award for outstanding faculty achievement. Kelly is a leading voice in the development of a womanist theology, Essence magazine counts Douglas “among this country’s most distinguished religious thinkers, teachers, ministers, and counselors.”  She has published numerous essays and articles in national publications, and her books include The Black Christ, Sexuality and the Black Church, What’s Faith Got to Do With It?: Black Bodies/Christian Soul.  Black Bodies and the Black Church: A Blues Slant is her most recently released book (Palgrave Macmillan, Fall 2012). Kelly is also a priest in the Episcopal Church and has served as Associate Priest at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. for over 20 years.

Author: Kelly Brown Douglas

Kelly Brown Douglas is Professor and Director of the Religion Program at Goucher College where she has held the Elizabeth Conolly Todd Distinguished Professorship. She was recently awarded The Goucher College Caroline Doebler Bruckerl Award for outstanding faculty achievement. Prior to coming to Goucher College she was Associate Professor of Theology at Howard University School of Divinity (1987-2001) and Assistant Professor of Religion at Edward Waters College (1986-1987). Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Denison University where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She received her Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Philosophy from Union Theological Seminary. While at Union she received the Hudnut Award for Preaching Excellence and the Julius Hanson Award for Outstanding Student in Theological Studies. A leading voice in the development of a womanist theology, Essence magazine counts Douglas “among this country’s most distinguished religious thinkers, teachers, ministers, and counselors.” She has published numerous essays and articles in national publications, and her books include The Black Christ, Sexuality and the Black Church, What’s Faith Got to Do With It?: Black Bodies/Christian Soul. Black Bodies and the Black Church:A Blues Slant is her most recently released book (Palgrave Macmillan, Fall 2012). Kelly is also a priest in the Episcopal Church and has served as Associate Priest at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. for over 20 years. View all posts by Kelly Brown Douglas