Twentieth Century Christologies

1. Twentieth Century Christologies A Survey of Leading Theologians

2. Karl Barth • Neo-orthdoxy • Radical from above approach • Historical evidence useless and counterproductive • Primacy of faith as trust • Christocentric theology • Christ as mediator • Christ represents humanity to God and in his divinity represents God to humanity • Two natures of Christ

3. Reflections on Barth: a) Lessons to be Learned Otherness/Transcendence of God (contra Liberalism) Christocentrism (cf. Evangelicalism) The reality of incarnation and atonement All in all, an attempt to rediscover the value of Classical orthodoxy

4. Reflections on Barth: b) Challenges Fideism and the neglect of history A limited view of nature and grace Extreme Christocentrism leads him to some kind of universalist position (see later)

5. WolfhartPannenberg • Theology as public disciple in search of universal truth • Historical-critical study of Bible • Approach from below • Historical enquiry as necessary • Jesus as the New Adam • Resurrection as the focal point of theology and Christology • (contrast this with Luther’s approach which focused on the cross) • Resurrection as Father’s confirmation of validity of J.’s claims • Theological meaning is taken from perspective of resurrection • (think here, for example, of the Messianic secret of Mark)

6. Reflections on Pannenberg: a) Lessons to be Learned The importance of history and historical investigation that helps correct the a-historical approaches of Barth, Liberals, and existentialism The openness to miracles while holding on to the strictures of critical-historical study The relationship between anthropology and Christology The importance of resurrection

7. 2.5. Reflections on Pannenberg: b) Challenges Is his approach too rationalistic? Does the incarnation of Jesus represent something radically “new”?

8. JurgenMoltmann • The Way of Jesus Christ • Towards a more dynamic way of doing Christology • Forward movement of God’s history with the world

9. 3.7. Reflections on Moltmann: a) Lessons to be Learned • A Dynamic Christology • A “Concrete” Christology, based on based on the history of Jesus rather than on a utopian vision • The importance of Jesus’ earthly life • Spirit-Christology • Social and political relevance • The dynamic tension between hope and work • A wider context of the cross and resurrection: • Not only individuals’ salvation but also God’s own life

10. Reflections on Moltmann: b) Challenges The “newness” of incarnation? What about the sin and Fall as the occasion for the cross and resurrection? The danger of “panentheism”: is God made too dependent on the world?

11. Contextual Christologies

12. Contextual Christologies • Global theology • The “communion” of local interpretations in mutual dialogue. As VMK states, the only global is local.* • Less a methodological question of from below or from above, but to take the insights and apply them in service to liberation, inclusivity and equality.* • To include also the experience of the community • Praxis oriented • Moltmann: transition from metaphysical christology (ancients) to historical christology (modern) to human history in the framework of nature (post-modern)

13. Contextual Christologies • African –American James Cone • Criticism of creeds that the did not look close enough at the concrete history of Jesus of Nazareth; historical Christology was too far removed from concrete realities, too spiritualized • *From Karkkainen’s unpublished manuscript, Christ and Reconciliation, 55.

14. Contextual Christologies • Particularity and Diversity • Inclusivity • For example, women’s theologies: • Epistemological • Ontological • Access to knowledge • Ideological Critique • E.g. Women theologies: Jesus as male • E.g. Justo Gonzalez: idea of impassible, autocratic God • Need to do theology from minority perspective • E.g. Latin American Liberationists: preferential option for the poor • UnderstandingJesus rather than just recovering Jesus (e.g. Quest)

15. Contextual Christologies • Evangelical Assessment • We should acknowledge need for continued development of interpretations of Christ that take context seriously • We should be careful not to be dismissive of alternative approaches such as that of liberationists or feminists • Biblical considerations • Creedal Heritage • Role of Experience • Role of Context • Principle of Inclusivity

16. Atonement not just about spiritual salvation , but holistic healing in personal and communal dimensions* • Robust look at the entire life of Jesus • Thus socio-political issues such as equality and peace are important • Dangers • Jesus is reduced to a human figure • Salvation reduced to improve the human condition in the here and now • A final note: • Contextual theologies should not be relegated to the margins, which is possible if we make such a theologies a separate study

17. Portraits of Jesus outside Christianity: Islam • Jews and Christians are “People of the Book” • Jewish prophets and Jesus brought true revelations (sura 4.163), but the message has been distorted by humans • “We believe in God and in what He has revealed to us and His revelations to Abraham and Ishamel, to Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and in what was brought to Moses, Jesus and the prophets, from their Lord. We don not discriminate between any of them and to God do we Surrender.” (sura 3.84-85) • Prophets called to bring people back to original monotheism

18. Jesus in Islam • Jesus as revered prophet, • ‘He [Allah] will teach him [Jesus] the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel, to be a messenger to the Children of Israel” (surah 3.48-9) • but not God • ‘The Christians say, “The Messiah is the Son of God.”…God assail them! How they are perverted!...They were commanded to serve but One God; There is no God but He.’ (sura 9.30-31)

19. Jesus in Islam • Jesus is born of the virgin Mary (e.g. sura 3.45-49) • Unique among the prophets in this sense of being conceived in this supernatural way • Jesus and Mary • Mary mentioned often • Title “Son of Mary” used 23 times; underscores Jesus’ humanity • Jesus performs miracles • E.g. bringing life to a clay bird (see the Gospel of Thomas, gnostic texts), healing the blind and lepers (sura 5.110) • Jesus predicts the coming of Muhammad • See sura 61.6 • Interestingly, the Paraclete of John 14.16,26 is considered to be Muhammad

20. Jesus in Islam • Jesus was not crucified or resurrected • “However [the Jews} did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him, but it only seemed to them [as if it had been] so; and, verily, those who hold conflicting views thereon are indeed confused, having no [real] knowledge, thereof, and following mere conjecture. For, of a certainty, they did no5 slay him: nay, God exalted him unto Himself- and God is indeed almighty wise. Yet there is not one of the followers of earlier revelation who does not, at the moment of this death grasp the truth about Jesus; and on the Day of Resurrection he [himself] shall bear witness to the truth against them.” • Side note: there is a popular belief that Jesus was taken up bodily into heaven; this is disputed by some, like the commentator Muhammad Assad • Role on the Day of Judgment (see above) • In both the Sunni and Shi’ite hadiths, Jesus’ eschatological role is emphasized • He will come and vindicate Islam and set things right • In Shi’ite eschatology, Jesus is viewed as messianic figure who accompanies the Mahdi

21. Jesus in islam • Among Sufis, Jesus is a major spiritual figure • Al-Ghazali describes Jesus’ as the “Prophet of the Heart” • The great Sufi mystic, Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240 A.D ) speaks of Jesus as the “Seal of the Saints/Holiness” (cf. Muhammad is the “Seal of the Prophets”) • Titles for Jesus (see Hans Kung, Islam, 490) • Messiah – not to be confused with Christian understanding; rather signifies being “anointed” and blessed by God • Word of God – perhaps in connection with Logos as God’s creative word • Spirit of God – perhaps he was conceived by a virgin through the action of the spirit; this is not understood as proof of Jesus’ divinity but an exercise of God’s omnipotence • Servant of God- as are all human beings • Jesus is not God but points to God

22. God in islam • Stress on Allah as merciful and compassionate • Although Qur’an is not the self-revelation of God in the same way as the biblical text, God’s nature is known, but primarily through his attributes • The ninety nine names of God. Some of the most prominent are: merciful, compassionate, beneficent, gracious • Al-Ghazali, The Beautiful Ninety Nine Names of God • God as radically different from his creation (compare with the idea of human beings as having been created in the image of God in Christian thought) • Stress on God’s transcendence, though he is involved in his creation