I have been exploring the christology of pannenberg in systematic theology, chapters 9, 10, and 11. Deity divine nature virgin birth christ was born from his mother mary, who was a virgin vicarious through the actions of god ascension rising to a higher level atoning to make amends resurrection coming back to life. Erickson, christology from above and christology from below. First, paul writes of christ, who is the image of god 2 corinthians 4. The same is true for subjects such as ecclesiology, or the study of the christian church, and trinitarian theology, or the study of god in the trinity the father, the son and the holy. It is a helpful reference for students, preachers and professorseven for those who may disagree with haights conclusions. Christology from above was emphasized in the ancient church, beginning with ignatius of antioch in the. Luginbill the unique person and work of the word of god incarnate, our lord and savior jesus christ. The necessity of doing christology from above credo magazine.
Session 1 christology david hocking 2 introduction there is a little tract that is published by the faith, prayer and tract league and its title is the same as the textbook. Cameron, the hegelian christology of paul tillich, scottish journal of theology 29 1976. Study of christ christology christian research service. Papers from the thirtieth annual meeting of the evangelical theological society. Thus the two ways, one from above and the other from below, which god in the prior testament had prepared for his coming among human beings, are seen to meet in christ jesus see 1. It remains to be seen how rahners two christologies, from above and from below, relate to. Christology is composed of the words christ, referring to jesus, and ology, meaning the study of. It is i a christology from above, which 2 remains incarna tioncentred, 3 runs into philosophical problems, 4 mixes together his torical, theological and mythical language, 5 bypasses the ministry of jesus. Jan 19, 2016 i have had an interest lately in learning from two german theologians, wolfhart pannenberg and jurgen moltmann.
Feb 06, 20 a brief lectureette on the two different directions from which we may proceed on the way to constructing or confessing and orthodox christology. Yet none of them identify jesus as god, and some of them indicate that jesus cannot be god. Because christianity asserts that jesus is human and divine, the discipline asks how both of these can exist in one person. He refers often moltmann, the crucified god, 1973, 1974. Christology in the new testament, christ the lord above n. According to pannenberg, christology from above was far more common in the ancient. The christology from above is the emphasis of the theology we find in the fou rth gospel and that of paul. One of the most important doctrines of christianity is the person and work of christ. However, his alternative is christology from above. Answering that question is the task of what we call christology, a word that means the study of christ and that refers to the. The cinematic hidden christ his invisible divinity and his. All attempts to unite a christology from below with a christology from above are on the right track. Jan 29, 2016 the basics of christology what is christology. Christology from above was the dominant approach to catholic christology from the medieval p e riod up until vatican ii.
The logic of christology from below by roger haight, sj. Mark is a shock to the system, reflecting the fact that jesus actions are often unpredictable, even strange. Paul, of the catholic epistles, of the fourth gospel, and the synoptics. Over against this, bonhoeffer insists that only the risen one makes possible the presence of the living person and thus provides the necessary condition for christology 45.
The reason for this is that christology from above has dominated the tradition and thereby shaped the structure of christian selfunderstanding. A rereading of the shepherds christology 121 exilic judaism. Roger haights rich, magisterial survey of christology from biblical times to the present is filled with useful summaries of a wide array of complex and difficult issues. Christology is primarily concerned with the identity of jesus. Jesus freely accepting death is seen as the perfect offering to god, thus opening the gates of heaven to us christology from above it can give the sense that the jesus of the gospels is more of a superman, freak of sorts than a human like us. Christianity teaches that jesus was not god only or a man only, but truly god and truly man, unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably. Christology from above and christology from below project muse. An evaluation of the role of christfigures in film.
The christology of dietrich bonhoeffer 5 view jesus only as a historical figure of the past whose influence somehow affects us. Dec 31, 2014 whats the difference between a christology from above and a christology from below. Deity divine nature virgin birth christ was born from his mother mary, who was a virgin vicarious through the actions of god ascension rising to a higher level atoning to make amends resurrection coming back to life after death omnipotent all powerful omniscient all knowing omnipresent present in all places. Haight approaches christology from below, beginning with jesus of nazareth as a human figure and concluding with a high christology which affirms his divinity.
Let me read a few lines out of this that your heart. The term christology from greek christos meaning anointed one or christ refers to the study of christ. Christologies from above, unlike their ascending counterparts, are rather rare in the twentieth century. It is only after the christology from above is given in clear terms that john gives us the christology from below. The foundational experience underlying the christology of the fourth gospel is the witness of the. In that way the idea of the preexistence of jesus christ is par excellence, as was said above, the point at which christology and trinitarian theology meet and come together i, c and d. Mar 31, 2009 z notice how christs life proceeds according to this christology. The logos incarnate, kairos evangelical journal of theology 9.
Jun 17, 2019 doing christology from below never leads us to faith in god the son who came from above for us and our salvation. Christology from above is thinking about jesus christ starting with his divine nature that is, the second person of the trinity, then moving to the incarnation. In essence, christology from above begins, as johns gospel begins, with jesus as the logos, the word of god, and then seeks to illuminate how the divine logos took on humanity. In christianity, christology translated literally from greek as the study of christ, is a branch of. A major part of the justification of the need for a thoroughgoing christology from below will depend on the recognition that, at least for many, the basic problem of christology has shifted. Kenneth kantzer, the christology of karl barth, bulletin of the evangelical theological society 1. The relationship between christology and anthropology. The word christology comes from two greek words meaning christ messiah and word which combine to mean the study of christ. Mar 22, 2012 this realization changed the focus of christology from the historical jesus to the historical christ, and moved from the historie of gospel accounts as the defining ideas, toward the geschichte, significant ideas, that examined the impact of jesus upon his disciples.
Over against this, bonhoeffer insists that only the risen one makes possible the presence of the living person and thus provides the necessary condition for christology. He begins with the historical jesus claim to divine authority which was. Whats the difference between a christology from above and a christology from below. The word christology, therefore, deals with the study of jesus christ. For luz immanuel christology frames the entirety of matthews gospel 85, which taken together with other elements results in a high matthean christology, from above 94. Our redemption was achieved completely by christ the godman in his two states of exinanition and exaltation, which suggests the division of this part of dogmatics into three main heads. According to pannenberg, christology from above was far more common in the ancient church, beginning with ignatius of antioch and the second century apologists. Khristos and, logia is the field of study within christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of jesus christ as recorded in the canonical gospels and the epistles of the new testament superhero christology christology christology is the study of the theology of our lord. It is simply not possible to construct a biblical and orthodox christology out of the fabric of human experience by historicalcritical reconstruction. Christology also investigates how this relates to the life and works of jesus. Sep 17, 2007 it is only after the christology from above is given in clear terms that john gives us the christology from below. Christology from above and christology from below tie terms christology from above and chrisogy from below are much used today, nort only or en primarily in the serious literature of teology, hurt rather in vajiious polemical contexts, both theological and ecclesiastical. After the middle ages, systematic approaches to christology began developing christology from above an approach to understanding christ that begins with the divinity and preexistence as the logos the word.
As, for example, brown does with his theory of christological development c. Students will cover i two different new testament christologies and ii the approach of two different theologians, one representing the from above approach. Pdf an analysis of the distinctiveness of the fourth. The study of jesus christ also available online at by dr. Christology is linked to several theological disciplines. It is applied to christs human nature as such in abstracto. Such an approach concerns itself first with the message and fate of jesus and arrives at the end at the concept of incarnation. Christology the nature and person of christ christology is a field within the larger project of christian theology that has as its central focus the continuing examination of the nature and person of jesus christ, scholars in this field focus on the letters of the new testament as well as the canonical gospels to help them. Christology from below is theology that starts with the human life of jesus, and then moves to understand his divinity based on that. Christology from above or below christology, video 5. Answering that question is the task of what we call christology, a word that means the study of christ and that refers to the branch of christian theology dealing with the person of christ. There he remains in a state of exaltation while his. Modern christology often is based more upon, and developed from, an anthropology, as a new principle of understanding, than upon the theology of the triune god.
Christology from below, on the other hand, begins, as matthews g. In this sense the above in christology from above refers to gods actions in the incarnation, and the ontological result of that action the hypostatic union. Christ himself invites his disciples both ancient and modern to study him. Christology the arian controversy the lingering disagreements about which christological model was to be considered normative burst into the open in the early 4th century in what became known as the arian controversy, possibly the mostintense and mostconsequential theological dispute in early christianity. Everything in the heavens and on the earth was created by him jesus christ. This site and its resources are free to anyone who wants to use it, but it does cost money to run. In systematic theology, christology is the area of theology that discusses issues related to jesus based on the teachings of the bible.
The study of the person of christ introduction lesson 1 christology comes from two greek words, christos, the anointed one or the messiah, and logos, word, or study of things related to a particular subject. Christology from above or below christology, video 5 duration. And the word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth john 1. An analysis of the distinctiveness of the fourth gospel, with special reference to the synoptic gospels. Extension of the bible institute of texas introduction to the study of christ a. This methodology has its greatest impact on the field of soteriology. Christology, christian reflection, teaching, and doctrine concerning jesus of nazareth. Between the son in the eternal life of god, and the son in the earthly life of jesus christ, there is a most strict. Christology from above karl barth, christology from below wolfhart pannenberg ive recently come across the christian theologian wolfhart pannenberg, and that his work is differs from karl barth in that it is christology from below, rather than christology from above. There he remains in a state of exaltation while his work is carried on amongst men through the holy spirit. It often includes such topics as the preexistence and eternality of christ, ot prophecies about christ, christs humanity, deity, and incarnation, as well as the issue of his temptations and sinlessness, his death, resurrection, ascension and exaltation, return, three. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 are the christological portions of this book. Christology is the part of theology that is concerned with the nature and work of jesus, including such matters as the incarnation, the resurrection, and his human and divine natures and their relationship.
Matera the foundational experience underlying pauls christology is the call and conversion that led him to focus his christology on the death and resurrection of christ. Yet none of them identify jesus as god, and some of them. In one sense, we can say that the study of christ primarily deals with the person of christ whereas the study of salvation. There are numerous important questions that christology answers. Project muse christology from above and christology. If you have found it useful and would like to help keep it going please consider popping something in the tip jar. Thus we shall give the reader a complete christology of the new testament and at the same time the data necessary to control the contentions of the modernists. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content.
An introduction to christology surely the most important question in the world is the one that forms the title for this article. Scaer lany hurtados lord jesus christ is breathtaking in scope, cataloguing and analyzing early devotion to christ in material ranging from the earliest christian documents to such later works as the infancy gospel of. Christology is the study of the person and work of jesus christ. Jayme mathias, pastor of holy family catholic church in austin, texas. Christology the arian controversy students britannica. Following his postresurrection ministry christ ascended to the right hand of the father. Christology from above karl barth, christology from. Mar 17, 2016 in essence, christology from above begins, as johns gospel begins, with jesus as the logos, the word of god, and then seeks to illuminate how the divine logos took on humanity. The term christology from above or high christology refers to approaches that include aspects of divinity, such as lord and son of god, and the idea of the preexistence of christ as the logos the word, as expressed in the prologue to the gospel of john. As we look for glory, mark cautions us that the lord often appears to us.
On the contrary, those that concentrate on jesus relation to god the father can rightly be called christologies from above. From above and from below the terms most frequently used when offering analyses of alternative approaches to developing a christology are from below and from above. Soteriology, or the study of the doctrine of salvation, requires an understanding of jesus nature. Christology from above and below christology monotheism. In contrast to approaching christology from above, and famously, pannenberg wants to propose christology from below, rising from the historical man jesus to the recognition of his divinity. In christian theology this is called the chalcedonian definition and is based on the concept of th. Haights goal is an ecumenical inculturation of christian faith in a postmodern world saturated with historical consciousness and aware of cultural and religious pluralism. Basic christological distinctions bu personal websites. Essential doctrines of the bible part 4a christology.