Christology is the study of an understanding of Jesus of
Nazareth. What was his nature? How do we view Him? What was his mission? What
do we know about Him? These considerations and others have often been filtered
through a Western Christological understanding. This reading attempts to
examine various christologies and how they view Jesus.
Prior to the formation of modern historical scholarship, most of
Christology considered the Gospels to be fully historical narratives that were
based in fact. Many have questioned this, but the rediscovery of Gnostic texts,
Ebionite texts and several others have led to further questions about early
Christology and the development of Christology. In the New Testament, we find
examples of Jesus’ identity being questioned by everyone. Evidently, Jesus did
not fit the expectations of the Messiah, a prophet or a teacher that those
living in the time or up to that time had held. When Peter confesses Jesus to
be the Messiah and the Son of God, this is a turning point in the narratives as
it is the point at which Jesus Himself raises the question of His identity.
Since the 1700s, scholars (particularly German scholars) have been
very critical of Jesus and his story. This has occurred – according to N.T.
Wright, respected New Testament scholar – in four stages. There are also a number of different views of Jesus. For example there have been some who see Jesus
as being similar to contemporary Greco-Roman philosophers who wandered around
and proclaimed a withdrawal from a corrupt and immoral society. One of the
problems with this claim, however (one put forth by Crossan from the Jesus
Seminar) is that the message of Jesus is filled with Jewish eschatological
concepts, which is certainly not found in the cynics.
Some, however believe that Christology grew out of Pneumatology. In this regard, Jesus calls God Abba (meaning Father), suggesting experiences of a mystical or visionary nature as well as claiming to be a conduit for the Spirit, as mystics and healers do. In this view, Jesus is seen as a
Some have certainly tried to place Jesus in his 1st century Jewish context. For some, he was a prophet who spoke openly about the eschatological end of the age, the kingdom of God and the judgment overall – similar to the Qumran community. For others, Jesus was a reform prophet initiating social reform within Galilean Judaism. In other views, Jesus is also seen by some as being a Jewish sage who ties together traditions of wisdom, apocalyptic and prophetic nature. For others, Jesus was a man who created a discipleship of equals wherein women, oppressed and others were all equal. In this sense, he would be a radical prophetic figure or sage.
Jesus as personified Wisdom is a
High Christological concept found in the Johannine writings (as well as Hebrews). Some scholars also seen Hebrew
wisdom tradition as having an already pre-Christian idea of wisdom personified,
where wisdom flows forth from God. This idea of Jesus and his relation to God
is also found in some early Christological hymns, including those found in the
NT. Then there are those who see Jesus as the Messiah. The Messiah is not mentioned often
in the Hebrew Bible, but is mostly prominent as the Son of Man in Daniel 7 and 1st Enoch, as well as certain expectations of a Davidic
king and a future prophet (i.e., Deuteronomy’s
mention of a prophet like Moses and the question asked in John, “Are you The Prophet? Are you Elijah?”). Some scholars
rightly point out that Jesus had a large emphasis on the kingdom of God, and
that the epithet on the cross said “King of The Jews.” Certainly, the idea of
the anointed one or Messiah was present in the NT texts. Some, notably, also
see Jesus as having been a follower of John the Baptist and carrying on his
teaching – although this is debatable.
There are still yet others who view Jesus as an Eschatological Prophet. At the time of Jesus, a number of
questions had arisen that brought the Jewish identity into a new light. Jesus
was likened to prophets such as Elijah and Jeremiah in the NT for a good reason
– he brought an invitation, a message, a redefinition and a challenge to others.
Jesus ought to be understood in light of his own religious, political and
social atmosphere, placed firmly in the 1st century Jewish context.
Now, the different forms of Christology seen in the New Testament can
help form a clearer Christology, but on their own, we would be in a different
frame of mind. For example, if we only had the Synoptics we may question His
divinity; if we only had John we may
question His humanity. There are three distinct yet interrelated patterns of viewing
Jesus in the NT: An adoptionist Christology placed within the reality of the
resurrection. This was soon recognized as inadequate and further
post-resurrection reflection led to thinking on His pre-existence. As a result, kenosis Christology (as seen in Philippians 2:6-11) came about. Incarnaltionalism is a part of
this, as seen in John’s gospel, Hebrews and
some of the Pauline epistles. The Docetist heresy arose around this time as
well, which claimed that Jesus was only in the form of a man but was only fully
God, not man at all. Logos Christology, in which Jesus is the Word of God who was both
the agent of salvation and agent of creation, began toward the end of the 1st
century, followed - as evidenced in the NT. To note, Philo of Alexandria was writing about the Jewish concept of the
Logos in relation to the Greek concept in the 1st century as well.
But is our only access to Jesus through
the historical-critical method? How do we encounter Jesus today? There are two
major christologies that we may distinguish between that can aid in these
questions – therapeutic Christology and apologetic (or theoretical)
Christology. Therapeutic Christology is a form of Christology is
presented as confronting present misery and providing salvation that heals. In
this view, although we have both a personal and communal relationship with God,
we only really know the Messiah when we are immersed in and participate in
Messianic work. Theoretical Christology seeks to
provide an apologetic or intellectual foundation for belief in Jesus as the Son
of God. There is a sort of continuity that united both of these Christologies,
but Therapeutic may be said to deal more with experience whereas Theoretical
may deal more with right teaching.
We may understand culture as a
way to develop and nurture human values. Theology is also understood as
something that, in a way, transcends culture but is also culturally bound and
defined. Jesus’ story, the Church’s story, the critic’s story, the Biblical
story, and the cultural story all bear witness to the continued religious
narrative.
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