The Death of Christ

James Denney’s classic examination of the death of Jesus Christ considers the history of its treatment in Christianity, and analyzes sermons of preachers. For Denney, the death of Christ had not been accorded sufficient priority in the minds and hearts of many respected Christian speakers and authors. The author considers the starkness and violence of Christ’s death, whereby He is nailed to a wooden crucifix and left in the blazing sun to die, to be a longstanding reason for many writers and speakers to show aversion. That such a scene is central to the religion of Christianity is a point too commonly overlooked by preachers eager to focus upon less grisly topics of spirituality and faith. The author examines a variety of notable writings and incidences of preaching, from early Christian history onwards. The Biblical epistles of St. Paul and the Epistle to the Hebrews are closely examined, with the author’s fluent understanding of the early Greek scriptures helping the narrative. Not only does Denney expound upon the contents of historic sermons and texts, he demonstrates how the symbolism present in Christ’s death – the cross and the blood of the martyr – became core to the Christian notions of sacrifice and suffering.