Christology: Who Is Jesus? PDF

# Christology: Who is Jesus? ## Course/Subject Outline - Introduction - Biblical Christology - Conciliar Christology - Contemporary Christology ## 1. Introduction ### The Question of Relevance: Why Important? Jesus is God's response to our deepest human longings. ### Basic Approaches: How is C...

# Christology: Who is Jesus? ## Course/Subject Outline - Introduction - Biblical Christology - Conciliar Christology - Contemporary Christology ## 1. Introduction ### The Question of Relevance: Why Important? Jesus is God's response to our deepest human longings. ### Basic Approaches: How is Christology done? 1. **Christology "From Above"** - An approach which begins with the pre-existent Word who is in heaven/from eternity, and who descends into human history, becoming incarnate in Jesus. - Focal point: Incarnation - Starting point: Church's dogma 2. **Christology "From Below"** - An approach which begins with the human Jesus of Nazareth, and traces his story from birth to mission, culminating on his death and resurrection. - Focal point: Resurrection - Starting point: Jesus of history (esp. as contained in biblical accounts) ### What is the better approach? - Over/exclusive emphasis on "From Above" may result to a denial of Christ's humanity (e.g. docetism - physicality, crucifixion, death were all illusion). - Over/exclusive emphasis on "From Below" may result on a rejection of Jesus' divinity (Arianism - Jesus as the highest creature, subordinate to the Father). ### What is the approach preferred by many theologians today? - **Preference for the "From Below" Approach:** Why? - Helps us appreciate the full humanity of Jesus and hence his solidarity with us. - Inspires discipleship in the context of a world which identifies more with stories rather than dogmas. ## Biblical Christology ### The Gospels As Principal Source for the Life and Teaching of Jesus - Other historical sources are scarce and authenticity is suspect. - Mark: between 60 - 70 AD - Matthew, Luke (Acts): 80 AD - John (Revelation): 90 AD - **Synoptic Gospels** - Gk syn + optic meaning "seen together"; taken from the same source(s) ### The Nature of the Gospels: Are they strictly historical accounts? - "Testimonies of faith" = historical basis + faith interpretation. - Not histories or biography in the modern sense. - Stages in the development of the Gospel tradition: - Words and deeds of Jesus - The preaching of the apostles - Writing of the gospels ## The Message and Ministry of Jesus "basileia tou theou" - Best translated as "reign of God": dynamic, not static; a situation/event, not a place. - "A situation wherein the will of God is perfectly upheld." - Eschatological tension: both present and future ("already but not yet"). - It is present in the person and ministry of Jesus but its definitive form is yet to come. ## The Kingdom Proclaimed in Words: The Parables ### Problem: How to understand the meaning of the parables (which are many and varied)? - **John Dominic Crossan** - Suggests a basic and helpful framework to approach the study of the parables. - Three-fold pattern in most, if not, all of the parables: advent, reversal, and action. - Two parables in Matthew as paradigmatic of this pattern: hidden treasure, pearl of great price (Mt 13:44-46) ### The Kingdom Proclaimed in Words: The Parables - **Advent** - the Reign of God is coming as a gift; something unprecedented, something beyond expectations is coming or is found which is a cause of great joy. - **Reversal** - the encounter with the Reign of God turns the values of the world upside down; change in outlook and priorities. - **Action** - the Reign of God is not a mere information; calling for a response/transformative action. ### Mt 13:44-46 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. ## Parables - In some parables, the element of advent/discovery is the focus: e.g. lost sheep, lost coin. - In other parables, the element of reversal/change is the focus: e.g. rich man and Lazarus (sin as omission), prodigal son (mercy and forgiveness). - Still in others, the emphasis is on the element of action/new praxis: talents, unmerciful servant. ## The Kingdom Proclaimed in Deeds: The Miracles/Healings/Exorcisms - Sickness or infirmity was attributed to demonic power and sin. - Healings show that the power of evil over human beings is broken. - The miracles may be understood as symbolic anticipations and foretastes of what the fulfillment of the Reign of God will bring to the lives of people: holiness, healing, liberation, reconciliation, a new unity and integration of life or wholeness. ## The Kingdom Proclaimed in Deeds: Table Fellowships - Importance of meals in the ministry of Jesus; frequency. - Cf. Mt 11: 18-19 - 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. - In the Middle Eastern culture even today, to share a meal is a sign of communion. - In Judaism of Jesus' day, it signified fellowship with God. - A proclamation of forgiveness of sins in deeds; in God's reign everyone is welcome; we are all brothers and sisters in the family of God. - cf. Ben Meyer, The Aims of Jesus (London: SCM Press, 1979), 159-161 - Jesus' openness to sinners did not mean that he submitted passively to or tolerated sin. He reversed the normal pattern - conversion then communion. His offer of communion with sinners triggered repentance – “conversion flowered from communion". ## The Death of Jesus - The meaning of the cross - Today, no longer seen as a scandal, as instrument of torture and humiliation. - More an article of jewelry, a fashion accessory, mark of episcopal authority, an ornament. - Sometimes misunderstood as promoting passive acceptance of suffering and injustice. - 1. Cross as salvific - (scholastics) by the cross Jesus has redeemed the world. - 2. Cross as sign of misinterpretation - (Bultmann) Jesus' religious message was misinterpreted as a threat to Roman rule; Jesus' purposes were misunderstood. - 3. Cross as not salvific or redemptive - (Schillebeeckx) a rejection of Jesus; not willed but permitted by God; death as negativity that God overcomes by the resurrection. - International Theological Commission 1979: "A death undergone in a purely passive manner could not be a 'Christological' saving event. It must be... the willed consequence of the obedience and love of Jesus...” - What is salvific is the entire Christ-event, the perfect life of obedience of Jesus which culminated in the cross and vindicated in the resurrection. ## The Resurrection of Jesus - Importance and centrality - 1 CCC 638: the crowing truth of our faith, regarded as central truth by first Christian communities. - 2 1 Cor 15:14-17: without the resurrection, in vain is our preaching and faith. - 3 Source of hope for us; our own promise of eternal life. - Origin/Basis: empty tomb tradition + resurrection appearances. ## Conciliar Christology - Transition in Language: From Stories to Concepts (hypostasis, substantia, homoousios, phusis, prosopon, persona) - Challenge when church expanded: how to express the faith in a manner understandable to a new audience. - From biblical to philosophical language: difficult but necessary. - **Nicea (325)** - Issue: divinity of Christ. - Arius: Jesus as greatest, most perfect creature. - Church: Jesus is "homoousius" (of the same substance) with the Father, "true God from true God, begotten not made, one in being..." - Hence, not subordinate but equal to the Father. - **Constantinople (381)** - issue: full humanity of Christ. - Appolinarius of Laodicea: Logos took the place of the rational soul in Christ hence Christ is not fully human because he does not have a rational soul. - Church: Jesus had a human soul. - **Ephesus (431)** - Issue: two natures but one person. - Nestorius: a human Jesus, "indwelt... as in a temple" by the divine Christ, hence two persons (the human as 'shell' of the divine person); Mary as the mother of Jesus but not the mother of God. - Church: the two natures (divine and human) are united in the one person of Christ; Mary as Theotokos. - **Chalcedon (451)** - Issue: distinction of the two natures of Christ. - Eutyches: monophysitism - the union of the divine and human natures in Christ result in only one divine nature; the human is absorbed by the divine. - Church: the human and divine natures are united "without confusion, without change" and "without division, without separation". ## Contemporary Christology Some Christological issues today: - **Humanity and Knowledge**: What sort of knowledge did Jesus possess? - **Humanity and Sinlessness**: Without concupiscence, what was it like for Jesus to be tempted? - **Ecological Crisis**: What does our faith in the incarnation and resurrection say about environmental issues? - **World Religions**: Is Jesus the savior of non-Christians as well?