Christology: Understanding Jesus

What is the main focus of Christology?

Why is it significant for Christians to understand Jesus as both human and divine?

How did Christians support their interpretations of Jesus's nature?

In the passage from Matthew 8:23-27, what did Jesus do during the storm?

What reaction did the disciples have after Jesus calmed the storm?

What concept describes Jesus as being born human and later 'adopted' by God?

Who proposed that the human and divine exist in the same person, with the soul acting as a mediator?

Which council recognized Cyril’s position over Nestorius’s?

According to Theodore of Mopsuestia, how should one view the relationship between Jesus's human and divine natures?

What was the primary theological struggle faced by Theodore of Mopsuestia?

What view did Cyril of Alexandria hold regarding the relationship between the divine and human in Jesus?

Which council is viewed as producing the orthodox teaching regarding Jesus’s two natures?

What theological stance did the Christians in Nubia, Egypt, and Ethiopia maintain regarding Jesus?

Christology: Studying Jesus

Christology is the study of Jesus's person and work.
It explores how Jesus can be both fully human and fully divine.
It examines Jesus's role in salvation.
Christians believe a correct understanding of Jesus is crucial for salvation.

Jesus in the Bible

Christians use the Bible to understand Jesus.
Examples like Matthew 8:23-27 describe Jesus's power over nature.

Christology Before the 4th Century

Adoptionism: Jesus was a human adopted by God at baptism.
Origen of Alexander: Jesus's human and divine natures coexist, with the soul acting as a mediator.
Origen's views were dominant until the late 4th century.

Christology in the Late 4th and 5th Centuries

Significant disagreements led to church councils.
Apollinaris: Jesus had a divine mind replacing the human mind.
Theodore of Mopsuestia: Jesus's human and divine natures are separate and distinct.
Theodore struggled to explain their unity.
Nestorius: The human and divine natures in Jesus are completely separate, united only by will.
Cyril of Alexandria: The divine nature is united with the humanity to form one person.

Church Councils and Resolutions

Council of Ephesus (431): Resolved disagreements, Cyril's council was recognized, and peace lasted 15 years.
Council of Chalcedon (451): Established the orthodox teaching on Jesus's two natures.
The council aimed for balance between emphasizing unity and distinguishing the two natures.
The Council of Chalcedon's teachings weren't universally accepted.
Some Christians in regions like Nubia, Egypt, and Ethiopia remained loyal to Cyril.
Other groups, like those in Persia, China, and India, remained loyal to Nestorius and Theodore.

This quiz explores the complex study of Christology, focusing on Jesus's dual nature as both human and divine. It delves into the history of Christological thought before the 4th century and the theological debates that arose in the late 4th and 5th centuries. Participants will engage with key concepts and figures that shaped early Christian understanding of Jesus.