THE DEATH OF JESUS, CHRISTIAN SALVATION, AND EASTER-WEEK ATROCITIES AGAINST JEWS - A SUICIDOLOGICAL APPROACH

A question ignored by suicidologists is the degree to which major Chri stian theologians have stressed that Jesus gave up his life voluntaril y as an act of salvation for mankind and that it was not taken by anot her. Indeed His death, in Durkheim's terms, is an ''altruistic suicide '' and is offered as a standard of love for others. Nevertheless, the Jewish people have been historically blamed for His death with many an ti-Jewish persecutions occurring coincidentally with the Christian Hol y Week The believing Christian can be seen as a survivor of ''altruist ic suicide,'' certain New Testament passages as a suicide note, Easter Week as the anniversary date of Jesus' death, and anti-Jewish persecu tions during this period as displacement of survivor guilt into aggres sion toward Jesus' family of origin.